Running head: REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGY, THEOLOGY, SPIRITUALITY 1
4MAT Review of "Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling"
Liberty University
REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGY, THEOLOGY, AND SPIRITUALITY 2
Abstract
Counseling is a much needed profession which continues to grow at a rapid pace. As more and
more people look toward counseling for help some choose to utilize counseling services that are
specific to their own personal beliefs. One such type of counseling service is Christian
counseling. Mark R. McMinn (2011) addresses Christian Counseling and how psychology,
Christianity, and spirituality can be integrated and utilized in both a professional and ethical
manner. McMinn’s (2011) work discusses the importance of integration but also discusses some
of the dangers of integrating psychology, Christianity, and spirituality if they are not integrated
properly. McMinn goes on to discuss the importance of using scripture and prayer effectively in
counseling sessions giving valuable examples and notes when the use of scripture and prayer in
counseling may not be appropriate or effective.
Keywords: Psychology, Christian, Counseling, Spirituality
4MAT Review of "Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling"
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As the need for counselors continues to grow different counseling specialties are needed.
Christian Counseling services are services that can be effective when a client values their
spirituality and wishes to incorporate prayer and scripture into their counseling sessions. At times
the incorporation of scripture and prayer are warranted, however there are times when utilizing
one or the other or both may not be as effective as needed for that particular client or session.
This does not in any way minimize the importance of scripture, prayer, theology, and/or
spirituality but it is simply that other methods may be needed that may come from more of a
psychological background. Integrating psychology, theology and spirituality is all discussed in
detail in Dr. Mark McMinn’s book “”Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian
Counseling” (2011).
Summary
McMinn (2011) notes in his work that there is value in integrating psychology, theology
and spirituality. He starts off by discussing religion in the counseling office. It is in this chapter
where he elaborates on what place religion has in counseling and details some of the value
associated with the utilization of religious practices as well as detailing some of the challenges.
Dr. McMinn highlights six different challenges that are associated with integration. The first
challenge is that not only does a counselor need to integrate but they must now integrate three
areas to become effective.
The second challenge McMinn (2011) mentions is that there can be “blurred personal-
professional distinctions” (p.12). McMinn points out some areas that can be considered personal
and/or professional, such areas a counselor must remain aware of. The third challenge is that a
counselor’s area of training becomes further defined. Not only will a counselor need professional
training, they will also need further personal training. The fourth challenge Dr. McMinn
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elaborates on is that a counselor will be confronted with views of mental health that be more
dominant. They will need to find a way to integrate some of the more dominant views with
spirituality so that they can effectively treat the client through interventions and techniques that
may be psychologically based, while adding spirituality to the sessions.
The fifth challenge is that a counselor must establish and maintain a scientific base. Dr.
McMinn (2011) says that “Christian counselors who wish to be accurately understood among
mental health professionals must use the language of science that is common among these
professionals” (p.21). Dr. McMinn points out that Christian counselors can often act as though
their methods are scientific or that they may not need to be which can be dangerous, so the
counselor should avoid this type of mentality.
The sixth and final challenge Dr. McMinn mentions is defining ethical standards that are
relevant. Every counselor must follow ethical guidelines and standards that have been
established through the American Psychological Association (APA). McMinn (2011) notes that a
counselor must not be familiar with these standards but they must remain aware of the fact that
not all integrated procedures that a Christian counselor wishes to use are on the APA’s list of
empirically validated procedures.
Dr. McMinn goes on in his works to discuss psychological and spiritual health and the
importance of both. He discusses mapping both effectively and also outlines some different
problems that may arise as a result and also what positive outcomes can be achieved when
mapping is done effectively. He further updates previous works with information that is relevant
today which shows Dr. McMinn’s commitment to relevant information needed with a more
modern counseling setting.
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Next Dr. McMinn discusses the use of prayer and scripture in counseling as well as
discussing client sin in counseling sessions. If a client chooses Christian counseling methods
prayer and scripture will almost always be appropriate in counseling sessions. McMinn notes that
there are times where other methods must be used because they may be more appropriate at that
time. He also notes that there may be times when discussing a client’s sin may seem relevant
where sin may have caused some of the clients issue, there may also be times where the client
may have other issues that may not be directly related to their personal sin. Sin, scripture, and
prayer are all important parts of client counselor discussion in a Christian counseling session and
McMinn does a good job establishing why.
McMinn finishes his works by discussing confession, forgiveness, and redemption. All
three of these are an important part of the healing process. First a client must be willing to
truthfully and willingly discuss their problems so they may acknowledge areas that need to be
worked through. Dr. McMinn also notes that forgiveness is part of the counseling process as
well. When Dr. McMinn discusses redemption he reminds the reader that no matter what the
issue or sin the client is faced with, it is all covered under the blood of Jesus. God sent his only
son who was sinless to give his life so that we may be forgiven for our sins. Through the actions
of Jesus we can find redemption.
Concrete Response
When reading Dr. McMinn’s book I thought of a situation when I was working with my
Pastor in a group therapy session. In these sessions we were working with people who already
went through various programs individually but wanted to continue counseling sessions in a
group setting. During these settings we would start by discussing how everything would work
and would let the clients know how the sessions would operate and that prayer would be an
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important part of the counseling sessions. We did not however let the clients know that scripture
would be involved. After reading Dr. McMinn’s book I can see how not informing the clients
that scripture would be used can be a bad thing. To be honest I think that we assumed that where
we were counseling a group of people from our church and we were in a church that people
would know that it was spiritual based. No one had any issue with prayer or scripture being used
in sessions but I now can recognized that in any future sessions we should let the client know
that scripture will also be used.
Another area that jumped out at me was a challenge that Dr. McMinn mentioned and that
was establishing a scientific base for counseling methods. I will say that I have had a great deal
of discussion with my Pastor in regards to the integration of psychology, theology, and
spirituality and both of us are in agreement with the fact that if we cannot back up a counseling
method with biblical application, we really should not be using the method. We do not want to
shift away from the teachings of the Bible. So now I need to look at it from a different
perspective and that is what scientific basis does my chosen method I wish to use actually have?
This is a tough question and goes completely against my previous thoughts on integration. This
is an area that I will need to work on in the future as I learn more about the integration processes.
Reflection
Over all, I feel that Dr. McMinn’s book is great. I found a great deal of information that
helped me to understand the various areas of integration that I need to take note of and remain
aware of. I really liked how Dr. McMinn gave challenges of integration, some of which I have
never thought of on my own. I also like the fact that he notes that not every case warrants the
direct use of prayer and scripture with the client. There are times where a client may not want to
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pray openly, they may not want to read scripture at first, however they may in the future as they
begin to work toward getting closer to God.
McMinn’s client examples were also great. Each example showed different scenarios
where integration may or may not have been appropriate and these examples allowed me to put
some of this into perspective. There are no two clients that are exactly the same. There may be
methods that may work for two different clients however each method used must be tailored to
the individual client. Each example McMinn gave represented different scenarios with different
clients.
All though I am still left with questions on integration after reading Dr. McMinn’s book,
it is not because his work was lacking in any way. I feel that his book sparked other thoughts or
additional questions that I have regarding integration that I will have to study further to get
answers. I really could not find any negatives on Dr. McMinn’s book. I was impressed with the
fact that Dr. McMinn noted that some of his sections were updated from a previous work he
completed in 1996. Times change, with changing time’s people change and so do potential
problems or issues as a result. Updating theories, practices, or methods is vitally important
relevancy.
Theological Interaction
Sin plays a major role in people’s lives. Sin is everywhere. At times a person may sin
deliberately and some may not even realize that they are committing a sin. In order for a person
to repent for a sin they must first acknowledge openly and honestly that they have committed a
sin. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
The bible also tells us in Psalms 51:5 that we are conceived in sin. So sin must be addressed
before we can move on from it.
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McMinn (2011) discusses sin in depth in his book. He discusses why sin should be dealt
with but also cautions that a counselor should not just assume that a client want to deal with their
sin head on. Often times it takes time for a client to realize that an act of sin has put them where
they are at that time. Other times a client cannot help the way they feel and their personal sin
may not have caused the exact situation they are in, however they may not realize that
forgiveness is all it may take for them to have a breakthrough.
Dr. McMinn (2011) mentions in one if his many examples that “attributions lead to
different emotional consequences” (p. 160). With that being said, how a client looks at a certain
situation is how they perceive that situation. If the client has sinned and as a result caused
themselves harm as a result, but chooses to play the victim, they may never see the truth in the
matter and that is that they caused their problem, because they do not perceive themselves to
have or be the source to a problem. If a client recognizes that they do have a problem and
perceives themselves as being a part of the problem, they can work through their sin and correct
their behavior, essentially regaining a healthy sense of self.
McMinn (2011) mentions that one problem that counselors have with sin is that it is
fundamentally misunderstood. Counselors need to be aware of sin, however not to be judgmental
but to have an understanding of the state of sin and how sin may be effecting the client healing
process. A counselor should never judge a client’s sin because we are all sinners and imperfect.
As counselors we need to recognize that we have sin in our own lives and effectively work
through our own sin before we can effectively work with others to address their sin. I think at
times counselors may feel as though they need to point out a client’s sin but fail to recognize
they have sin in their own lives.
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There are times when it is more appropriate for a counselor to avoid bringing up sin. One
of those times is to allow the client to work themselves into establishing what their sin is
themselves. If a client is already faced with those who are judgmental toward their mistakes and
past sins, they may not want a counselor to point out the sin as well. Dr. McMinn gives a great
example of how silence in a session can help a client to see their own sin for themselves, by
allowing the client some time to speak with no interruption. As an end result the client
recognized why her actions were hurting her and why her actions were hurting others.
Another area I feel that counselors may overlook is that they may have personal
interpretation as to what a sin really is. For example the client may not feel something they are
doing is a sin and the counselor may disagree. It is not up to the counselor to use their individual
personal belief system as the guideline of counseling. It is up to the counselor to gain an
understanding of why the client feels differently about the actions. A counselor can only help the
client by understanding why the client believes and feels the way that they do. A counselor may
feel as though they are living their life the way God wants them to, however they must caution
against comparing themselves to their client. The Bible tells us “Judge not lest ye be judged”
(Mat. 7:1, King James Version).
Action
In conclusion I will say that there are a lot of great and valuable points made my Dr.
McMinn that I will utilize. First of all will be remembering that all though I have my personal
belief system, it may differ from the client’s belief system and I need to be sure I do not impose
my beliefs on them. It is important for a counselor to build a good counseling relationship with a
client and this cannot be done if a counselor forces their personal beliefs on a client. Not only is
it bad for the relationship, but it is unethical.
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Dr. McMinn mentioned counseling techniques that I will remember when dealing with
sin in a client’s life. Those there techniques are silence, questioning, not confronting, inside-out
approach, outside-in approach, and pondering. All of these techniques have their own individual
strengths and can really help a client to recognize and address sin. With every client being so
different it is necessary to have different methods that can be tailored to each client individual.
Finally, I agree with Dr. McMinn thoughts that prayer and scripture are both very
important aspects of Christian Counseling. I will always feel the same way. As A Christian I feel
that the only way that a client can truly get better is through prayer and seeking God through his
holy word the Bible. I now understand the importance of recognizing that only prayer and
scripture may not be the only way to helping a client. I recognize that there are psychological
methods that are important as well.
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References
McMinn, M. R. (2011).IPsychology, theology, and spirituality in Christian counselingI(Revised
ed.).Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House. ISBN: 9780842352529.
