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Abstract
A holistic approach to therapy has opened the door to observing people from a view that
incorporates the whole person and evaluates their behaviors. Author David N. Entwistle focuses
on the concept that an individual is made up of four concepts: biological, psychosocial, social,
and spiritual. He discusses, in detail, the differences between secular therapy and Christian
therapy. He focuses on boundaries and ethics in Christian counseling and the sensitive nature of
their needs while being diligent to not cross any ethical boundaries. The author also highlights
that if not applied correctly, there can be negative impacts on both the client and the therapist.
Keywords: Holistic approach, Christian counselor, secular counselor, ethical boundaries
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Holistic Psychology of Persons Journal Review
Summary
I chose the journal article “A Holistic Psychology of Persons: Implications for Theory
Practice written by David N. Entwistle from Malone University. The author upholds the theory
that human beings are very intricate people that should be observed by looking at each individual
from a holistic perspective, which looks at the entire being: biological, psychosocial, social, and
spiritually (Entwistle, 2009). He observes from a Christian worldview and observes how the
Christian therapist must be sensitive to the client’s religious standpoint while being very vigilant
to not cross any ethical boundaries.
Licensed therapists must abide by the ethical boundaries in order to best serve their
clients. They must be very diligent in their approach to interventions so that neither the client nor
the therapist experience confusion or, far worse, create any new problems for the client
(Entwistle, 2009). It can be quite difficult to address each client’s needs therefore it is crucial for
the therapist to provide services that they are best trained in to best support their client’s needs.
Depending if the therapist is a secular or a Christian therapist, they need to be using their
best Active Listening skills in order to apply their core qualifications in the intervention process.
It is imperative that they do not put themselves into a predicament by crossing ethical
boundaries. If ethical boundaries are crossed, it could potentially hurt the client and present very
severe consequences for the therapist. Most Christian and secular therapists share similar views
when it comes to spirituality being important, their intervention approach to each client varies in
how they apply interventions for their clients. A Christian therapist looks at the individual from a
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perspective by looking at the spiritual, psychological, physical, and social skill sets of the
individual. In contrast, a secular Psychologist comes from more of a scientific perspective, which
typically views spirituality as psychological, biological, and sociological in respects of the
individual (Entwistle, 2009).
Entwistle (2009) looks at the different impacts that religious systems have on an
individual. A Christian worldview uses a holistic approach by viewing the individual as a unified
person by acknowledging that there are boundaries to naturalistic science, however upholds
God’s truth about human’s while maintaining the understanding of the justifiable boundaries of
naturalistic science. Therapists should always be cautious that some of the faith-based
interventions could potentially have detrimental effects on the individual, he reinforces the
importance of really listening to their clients' needs and particularly their religious beliefs
(Entwistle, 2009). Faith-based interventions can be incredibly positive for the individual or
potentially create more harm to the client. Ultimately, the therapist must use their best skill sets
to create the best treatment plan for their client.
Reflection
I chose this article, as I have met with different therapists that used different techniques,
and I am seeking to understand how best a therapist can implement therapeutic techniques that
look at the whole person as well as having more interaction between the individual and the
therapist. A therapeutic approach that I just learned about, called “Collaborative Therapy”,
entails a mutual therapeutic relationship between both the individual and the psychotherapist.
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The collaborative therapy approach is based on the idea of finding solutions to the
client’s problems presented by attaining a mutual goal of establishing ways to attain goals. This
type of therapy accentuates an equal perspective between the client and the therapist with the
goal of creating growth and change for both. It allows the client to be more involved in the
process which can improve coping skills, improve decision-making skills, improve awareness of
specific triggers, and increases the client’s self-efficacy. I find this approach very intriguing and
hope to experience it in person.
It has been my experience, by trial and error, that with my strong Christian beliefs the
importance of seeking a Christian therapist. I have left some therapists, that claim to be
Christian’s, however when I would leave, I felt more confused. As Christians, we know that
“God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (The Holy
Bible, 2004). I learned this over my own spiritual maturity and use this verse in most every
situation that I approach. I ask myself, “Do I have peace or no peace”, confident in knowing that
God does not create confusion. I learned to seek out a therapist comfortable with praying and
agreeing in prayer along with being biblically sound by allowing scripture references during our
sessions. This journal article immediately when I read “A Holistic Psychology of Persons”. It has
furthered my understanding of the sensitive nature of evaluating a client by adhering to the
American Psychological Associations ethical principles and Code of Conduct for psychologists
(American Psychological Association, 2023).
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Application
Jennifer is a 49-year-old single mother of two and divorced due to her husband’s abuse.
She has no spousal support or family that lives in proximity to her apartment. She works two
jobs and is gone six days a week. Child Protective Services (CPS) showed up one day while she
was home. An anonymous person had called the CPS with concerns for the two teenage girls and
asked them to conduct a wellness check. This was not only a scenario that scared both teenage
girls but devastated their mother, Jennifer. The CPS agent gave Jennifer a brochure of a local
church that she could attend and get some community support and help that she so desperately
needed. She also gave her a referral card to a Christian counselor nearby. Hesitantly, Jennifer
took the brochure and thanked the CPS agent as they left.
Jennifer had a terrible experience at a church while she was still with her husband. Her
ex-husband had insisted they go to this specific church. The pastor of the church was a firm
believer that a Christian wife must endure the abuse from her husband and likened it to the way
that a missionary must endure persecution. This caused her much confusion and made her more
frightened of her ex-husband. The pastor adamantly disagreed with any type of integrational
therapy techniques that mixed both secular and Christian principles. He often taught on rather
than looking for help from an abuser, that the goal of any biblical counseling must always be to
seek to glorify God first and to be Christ like in any kind of hardship, just like Jesus Christ did.
Jennifer finally reached out and met with the Christian counselor that the CPS agent
suggested. In her first session, the therapist first explained her goal in Christian counseling and
how she would use a holistic approach, which allowed for them to both be on the same page. The
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therapist further explained that she would not use any type of religious counseling without
getting Jennifer’s informed consent. She explained further that by using a holistic approach, it
would allow her to respect and recognize how the biophysical and spiritual realities work
together (Entwistle, 2009). In addition, the therapist explained that many faith-based therapists
will sometimes use prayer, scripture readings, and take time to meditate on God’s word
(Entwistle, 2009). This made Jennifer hopeful to trust again and appreciated that the therapist
was open, honest, and clear on how their sessions would look and be able to address Jennifer’s
problems by looking at all aspects of Jennifer’s situation.
After Jennifer’s second session with her new therapist, the therapist wanted to clarify that
what her old pastor taught in church, is not a true representation of who Christ is. She further
explained that Jesus sought out the hurt and vulnerable in order to protect them and make them
feel safe and loved. She shared the truth that when a wife endures abuse from their husband, it
does atrocious damage to the wife’s soul, however there is hope because Jesus specializes in
completely healing someone who is willing to receive and have faith. One of the things that her
therapist observed was that Jennifer would often revert to the fear of man as opposed to putting
her faith in God.
Jennifer was open to her therapist and started seeing her weekly. Jennifer’s therapist
stated, at every session, that she would continue using a balance of theology and spirituality so
that Jennifer could gain the tools to heal. The radical change that happened in Jennifer’s life
allowed her to forgive her abuser as well as the pastor of her old church. She found a biblically
sound church that gave her a sense of belonging, community, and most of all love.
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References
American Psychological Association. (2023, October). American Psychological Association
(APA). American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/ethics.
Entwistle, D. N. (2009). A holistic psychology of persons: Implications for theory and practice.
Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 28(2), 141.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (2002). Thomas Nelson.
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