Case Study:
Chichima is a 20-year old single woman who is the child of Nigerian
immigrants.She was referred for counseling because of a recent suicide
attempt in which she ingested some pills and then called a friend when she
started experiencing some symptoms of the medication.She was
hospitalized for two weeks in her local hospital’s psychiatric unit, and upon
her release, she was referred to a local secular counselor.Because of her
Christian faith, she received a referral to the agency from her pastor.While
in the hospital, she was prescribed an antidepressant and will follow up
regularly with her psychiatrist.
In her third counseling session with you, she divulges that 7 months
ago, she found that she was pregnant and decided to end the pregnancy
through an abortion without telling anyone. The due date for the baby was
roughly the same time that she attempted suicide.
From your first two sessions with her, she shared that she is a Christian,
but about five months ago she pulled away from church attendance, much to
the concern of her Nigerian parents who do not know about her pregnancy
and abortion. She felt that she could not pray anymore because she felt that
she had committed a terrible sin. She also reports feeling very uncomfortable
praying because of the shame she is carrying. She admits that she chose this
agency because of their Christian worldview. She knows that in order to heal,
she will eventually have to work through the pregnancy and abortion, but the
thought of participating in any Christian practice scares her.
In your (minimum of two) replies to classmates’ posts, challenge conclusions
as appropriate.
Initial posts must have a minimum of two references, and each response
post must have a minimum of one reference.
Submit your thread by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Thursday and your replies by
11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday.
Topic:
The online lectures and McMinn suggested some “cautions” or possible negative impacts when
using prayer and Scripture in counseling. The importance of those cautions may be better
understood in seeking to apply prayer and scripture with a client. Read the case study below and
respond to the following:
1. What would you consider the most therapeutic use of prayer with this client? Why?
2. What would you consider to be the most therapeutic use of Scripture with this client? Why?
3. As you consider the integration of psychology and theology, discuss how you would integrate
theology into this case. What from psychology would you bring into this case?
4. How do your responses to the first two questions mesh with your response to the third? Do
they integrate?
Case Study:
Mary is a 28-year-old woman who was referred to counseling as part of her discharge plan from
a local psychiatric facility to which she was admitted as a result of a suicide attempt. She was
diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder. There was also suspicion that she might have
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Mary's father sexually molested her throughout her
childhood. He was a pastor, and would often quote from the Bible as justification for his abuse
of her and in an attempt to keep her quiet, such as "Honor your father and mother" (Exodus
20:12). At one point, Mary became pregnant by her father. When she suffered a miscarriage at
the hospital, she disclosed the repeated rapes by her father. Mary grew up in the church. She
reads her Bible regularly; however, she questions why God would allow her father to do what he
did to her. During counseling, she told the therapist that she was still a believer, but that there
was a great distance between her and God.
1. hat would you consider the most therapeutic use of prayer with this client? Why?
After reading the case study, the most therapeutic use of prayer with this client will be outside
resources outside of praying such as meditating, silent prayers in session and in session prayers. I
would use this as a therapeutic use of prayer with Mary because she is still a believer in God. It
is important to recognize that healing must be able to first begin for Mary to continue to prayer to
God and believe her prayer (McMinn, 2011). The situation that Mary was in caused her
relationship with God to be tainted. Healing must first occur before prayer can be beneficial for
Mary.
1. What would you consider to be the most therapeutic use of Scripture with this client?
Why?
Once the healing is complete, the most therapeutic use of scriptures with this client is using the
scripture appropriate. Using scripture would be very beneficially for Mary especially when she is
feeling depressed. Using self-affirming scriptures may be beneficial towards helping Mary and
when she is feeling depress. Mary can look back at the self-affirming scriptures for daily
reminders and affirmations.
1. As you consider the integration of psychology and theology, discuss how you would
integrate theology into this case. What from psychology would you bring into this case?
In this Mary case, I will incorporate the person-centered therapy technique into Mary sessions.
The person-centered therapy will allow Mary to use her own understanding of her experience to
allow her to heal. It is important that Mary recognize her emotions from the situation that has
occurred. While using the person-centered therapy it will allow Mary to deflect some of the
things she question God with and allow her to reflect on how she feel.
1. How do your responses to the first two questions mesh with your response to the third?
Do they integrate?
Theology and Psychology would be integrated in this situation. Mary experience feelings of
depression also some form of resentment, anger and hurt. The psychology part can help Mary
focus on healing as a whole and assisting her with her emotions while incorporating theology it
can help Mary gain a better understanding of her relationship with God and how she views him.
McMinn, M. (2011).Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling(Rev ed.).
Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House.
Concerning the scenario with Chichima, this situation is extremely difficult to rationalize
the entire situation for a rational and sensible reply. There are some concerns right of the bat that
are not outlined in this scenario. First, there is no diagnosis associated with Chichema, although
she spent two weeks in local hospital’s psychiatric ward a diagnosis should have been provided.
However, it does mention that she was prescribed an antidepressant, which suggests and leads
me to believe she has depression. Second, it does not mention anything about an informed
consent forms being discussed or signed by either the counselor or Chichema. Third, is the issue
of having only seen Chichema a total of two times and in the third session is when she divulges
that 7 months ago, she found that she was pregnant and decided to end the pregnancy through an
abortion without telling anyone would be new information to process as a counselor. I am also
unaware of what the first two sessions with Chichema consisted of. Fourth, the scenario
mentions thatChichema admits that she chose this agency because of their Christian worldview,
however it states that she was referred to a local secular counselor.Because of her Christian
faith, she received a referral to the agency from her pastor. What agency? A different one than
the local secular counselor?
However, for the first two question, what would I consider the most therapeutic use of
prayer and/or scripture with this client? With the information provided, no, I would not consider
the use of prayer with this client, especially with only seeing the client two time prior, and no
knowledge of her consent form. My primary focus first and foremost would be her suicide
attempt and possible comorbid depression and be able to identify and treat her phycological
disorder.Hawkins & Clinton (2015) identifies applying the use ofprayer and scripture with a
client (discussed all in chapter 11) and states that “on the consent form, we may want to list the
many spiritual interventions we may use, such as prayer, use of the Scriptures, and mediation”
(p. 317). The authors also continue to explain that “Christian counselors must possess a rich
knowledge of the bible and its relevance for solving the challenges of life” (p. 322) and that
“Christian counselors must become experts on the gospel and its implications” (p.319). I am not
a pastor, or an expert in the gospel…so. therefore, I would not apply prayer and scripture with
this client. According toNelson and Wilson (1984) they also developed guidelines to help
counselors to avoid imposing their religious beliefs onto clients. “We feel that discussions of
religion with psychotic, or delusional patients, in most cases, is not only inappropriate but
harmful” (p.21). Nelson and Wilson (1984) continued to explain that they “believe that praying
will always make one’s problems go away reveals a spiritual and psychological immaturity on
the part of the therapist” (p.21). In addition to those guidelines Christian counselors are held to
the ethical codes of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) and the
American Counseling Association (ACA). The ACA Code of Ethics (2014) and other ethical
documents that were discussed during the revision of the AACC 2014 Code of Ethics. The
AACC Code of Ethics (2014) was created and designed to hold Christian counselors responsible
and accountable to counseling clients. It also to set boundaries and limitations of what is
ethically acceptable and what is not ethically acceptable for Christian counselors. I personally
believe that religion and therapy should be separate.
What aspects from psychology would you bring into this case?First, “psychological
disorders are important in understanding suicide: as many as 90 percent of people who attempt
suicide are suffering from a psychological disorder. (Kring & Johnson, 2018, p.155).The aspect
of psychology that I would bring into the case would be Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that
is based on the theory that much of how we feel is determined by what we think. “A large
amount of literature indicates that CBT can help reduce suicidality. In a meta-analysis of 28
treatment trials, adults who received CBT reported less hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and
suicidal behavior than those who received no treatment or other forms of treatment. CBT has
been found to halve the risk of a future attempt among those who have tried to kill themselves
compared with treatment as usually offered in the community” (Kring & Johnson, 2018,
p.155).Therapists help clients understand the emotions and thoughts that trigger urges to commit
suicide. Therapists work with clients to challenge their negative thoughts and to provide new
ways to tolerate emotional distress. They also help clients solve problems they are facing. The
goal is to improve problem solving and social support and thereby to reduce the feelings of
hopelessness that often precede these episodes.
Hawkins, R. & Clinton, T. (2015).The New Christian Counselor: A Fresh Biblical and
Transformational Approach. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publications
Myers, M. (2020). CEFS 506: Week Six, Lecture Two.Prayer for Psychological and
Spiritual
Health.Liberty University.
Concerning the scenario with Chichima, this situation is extremely difficult to rationalize
the entire situation for a rational and sensible reply. There are some concerns right of the bat that
are not outlined in this scenario. First, there is no diagnosis associated with Chichema, although
she spent two weeks in local hospital’s psychiatric ward a diagnosis should have been provided.
However, it does mention that she was prescribed an antidepressant, which suggests and leads
me to believe she has depression. Second, it does not mention anything about an informed
consent forms being discussed or signed by either the counselor or Chichema. Third, is the issue
of having only seen Chichema a total of two times and in the third session is when she divulges
that 7 months ago, she found that she was pregnant and decided to end the pregnancy through an
abortion without telling anyone would be new information to process as a counselor. I am also
unaware of what the first two sessions with Chichema consisted of. Fourth, the scenario
mentions thatChichema admits that she chose this agency because of their Christian worldview,
however it states that she was referred to a local secular counselor.Because of her Christian
faith, she received a referral to the agency from her pastor. What agency? A different one than
the local secular counselor?
However, for the first two question, what would I consider the most therapeutic use of
prayer and/or scripture with this client? With the information provided, no, I would not consider
the use of prayer with this client, especially with only seeing the client two time prior, and no
knowledge of her consent form. My primary focus first and foremost would be her suicide
attempt and possible comorbid depression and be able to identify and treat her phycological
disorder.Hawkins & Clinton (2015) identifies applying the use ofprayer and scripture with a
client (discussed all in chapter 11) and states that “on the consent form, we may want to list the
many spiritual interventions we may use, such as prayer, use of the Scriptures, and mediation”
(p. 317). The authors also continue to explain that “Christian counselors must possess a rich
knowledge of the bible and its relevance for solving the challenges of life” (p. 322) and that
“Christian counselors must become experts on the gospel and its implications” (p.319). I am not
a pastor, or an expert in the gospel…so. therefore, I would not apply prayer and scripture with
this client. According toNelson and Wilson (1984) they also developed guidelines to help
counselors to avoid imposing their religious beliefs onto clients. “We feel that discussions of
religion with psychotic, or delusional patients, in most cases, is not only inappropriate but
harmful” (p.21). Nelson and Wilson (1984) continued to explain that they “believe that praying
will always make one’s problems go away reveals a spiritual and psychological immaturity on
the part of the therapist” (p.21). In addition to those guidelines Christian counselors are held to
the ethical codes of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) and the
American Counseling Association (ACA). The ACA Code of Ethics (2014) and other ethical
documents that were discussed during the revision of the AACC 2014 Code of Ethics. The
AACC Code of Ethics (2014) was created and designed to hold Christian counselors responsible
and accountable to counseling clients. It also to set boundaries and limitations of what is
ethically acceptable and what is not ethically acceptable for Christian counselors. I personally
believe that religion and therapy should be separate.
What aspects from psychology would you bring into this case?First, “psychological
disorders are important in understanding suicide: as many as 90 percent of people who attempt
suicide are suffering from a psychological disorder. (Kring & Johnson, 2018, p.155).The aspect
of psychology that I would bring into the case would be Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that
is based on the theory that much of how we feel is determined by what we think. “A large
amount of literature indicates that CBT can help reduce suicidality. In a meta-analysis of 28
treatment trials, adults who received CBT reported less hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and
suicidal behavior than those who received no treatment or other forms of treatment. CBT has
been found to halve the risk of a future attempt among those who have tried to kill themselves
compared with treatment as usually offered in the community” (Kring & Johnson, 2018,
p.155).Therapists help clients understand the emotions and thoughts that trigger urges to commit
suicide. Therapists work with clients to challenge their negative thoughts and to provide new
ways to tolerate emotional distress. They also help clients solve problems they are facing. The
goal is to improve problem solving and social support and thereby to reduce the feelings of
hopelessness that often precede these episodes.
References
Hawkins, R., & Clinton, T. (2015).The new Christian counselor: A fresh biblical and
transformational approach.Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers.
Kring, A. M. & Johnson, S. L. (2018).Abnormal psychology: The science and
treatment of psychological disorders(14th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Nelson, A., & Wilson, W. (1984).The ethics of sharing religious faith in
psychotherapy.Journal of Psychology and Theology, 12, 15-23
We need not to try and push them back but to draws them in with a relationship of trust and
confidence in me, as a counselor.
Dr. Montinos;s – The Bible and the Christian Counselor
- Real source and power in jesus came from his prayer life
- We should pray because of our profession as Christian counselors
- We cannot violate the empowerment of the client’s ability to self direct
- Do not attempt to draw people to pray in ways that are not in line with their
spiritual development
The bible in Christian counseling – week 5 lecture 1.
According to McMinn, Scripture can be used to build a healthy sense of self in clients, nuture a
healthy sense of need in clients, and to build healing relationships.
Only use Scripture when it is in the best interest of the client.
Myers, M. (2020). CEFS 506: Week Five, Lecture One.The Bible in Christian Counseling
1. What would you consider the most therapeutic use of prayer with this
client? Why?
2. What would you consider to be the most therapeutic use of Scripture with
this client? Why?
3. As you consider the integration of psychology and theology, discuss how
you would integrate theology into this case. What aspects from psychology
would you bring into this case?
4. How do your responses to the first two questions mesh with your
response to the third? Do they integrate?
Most people choose counseling as a profession because we see it as a calling. According
to Clinton and Hawkins, we treat the client’s emotional needs as well as their souls (2015). In
order for a client to fully experience healing and to have a strong therapeutic relationship, it is
vital that trust is established first. I believe that it is important for us, as Christian counselors, to
pray, read Scripture, and experience the Holy Spirit in our own lives in order to suggest that our
clients do so. Prayer and Scripture are two spiritual techniques that have been proved to bring
about healing to many. The way we use Scripture and prayer in counseling will vary depending
on the client and his or her situation (Hawkins & Moitinho, 2018). As counselors, we are
obligated to adapt to what the client needs in order to help the client get better and be more self-
sufficient. It is important to note that there are times in counseling where we should not use the
bible at all with certain clients. According to Hawkins & Moitinho, the Bible is not always
helpful to all clients because many people are timid of the Bible or people in their life have
previously pushed the Bible onto them (2018).
The case with Chichima is a little tricky and it is also important to keep in mind the
multicultural needs of this client due to her being the child of Nigerian immigrants. I believe in
this situation, first and foremost, I would need to ask God for wisdom so I would be able to
effectively help this client in addressing her needs. I then need to know my client’s past and
current relationship with Christianity. Chichima is struggling with her Christianity due to an
abortion she had but knows that in order to heal, she will have to work it. The reading
mentioned that the thought of Chichima participating in any Christian practices scares her right
now. Due to Chichima’s situation and current relationship with God, we need to keep standard
A.4.b. of the code of ethics in mind. standard A.4.b. states that we are not to push our own
beliefs or values onto our clients (ACA, 2014). I, as a counselor, would avoid mentioning prayer
to her directly in the first few sessions until there is trust established. At first, I think it would be
beneficial to pray for Chichima on my own time in that she can get past her sin of abortion and
ask God for forgiveness. After trust is established between Chichima and I, I would ask if she
felt comfortable praying aloud before each session or if she would mind if I prayed aloud for her
before the session. If she declines, I could always see if she wanted to make use of silent prayers
or is interested in Christian meditation. Although, at no point would I pressure her into doing so.
Honestly, I do not think I would use Scripture in helping this particular client until later
down the line. I would want eventually to touch on the topic of forgiveness in Scripture once my
client was ready and developed confidence in me as a counselor. According to the verse, 1 John
1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness” (openbible.info, n.d.). After my client fully trusts me, I would reiterate to
Chichima that her sins are forgiven once she sincerely asks God for forgiveness. I would then do
my best to give her hope and for her to see God through me. She, in turn, could establish a
stronger relationship with God.
As I consider the integration of psychology and theology, I would
integrate theology into this case by praying for my client on my own time. I
would eventually integrate more theology in Chichima’s case when trust is
established by introducing her to Scripture of forgiveness, Christian meditation, silent prayer,
and prayer in the counseling sessions.
It seems like Chichima needs to work on her shame from her past mistakes. On the psychology
side, I would start by introducing Chichima to Cognitive behavioral therapy. This way she
would become aware of her negative thinking and it is proven that shame is reduced from CBT
(Hedman et. al, 2013). CBT can help with coping or grieving the loss of her child and ways to
manage her emotions. Shame is something that I had to work on in my sessions with my
counselor. My counselor also supplied me with many worksheets on shame that were helpful
and resulted in me learning more about myself. I would maybe add those into counseling
sessions with my client and ask if she’d be willing to work on some shame sheets together.
The first two questions mesh with my response to the third because I think some form of
theology can be used with Chichima once there is trust established in the therapeutic
relationship. Since she is scared of Christian principles right now because she believes she has
sinned from getting an abortion, it is something I would ease into when she is more comfortable.
I do believe that psychology and theology are integrated in this particular counseling situation.
CBT will help Chichima manage her emotions and she can come to terms with her abortion.
While incorporating theology, she could develop a stronger relationship with God and know that
she is forgiven for her sin of abortion.
American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA code of ethics.
https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf
100 Bible Verses about Forgiveness. (n.d.). Retrieved October 01, 2020, from
https://www.openbible.info/topics/forgiveness
Hawkins, R. & Moitinho, E. (2018). CEFS 506: Week Five, Lecture Three.The Bible and the
Christian Counselor
Hedman, E., Strom, P., Stunkel, A., & Mortberg, E. (2013). Shame and Guilt in Social
Anxiety Disorder: Effects of Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Association with
Social Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms. Plos One,8, 4.
4. How do your responses to the first two questions mesh with your
response to the third? Do they integrate?
The first two questions mesh with my response to the third because I think some form of
theology can be used with Chichima once there is trust established in the therapeutic
relationship. Since she is scared of Christian principles right now because she believes she has
sinned from getting an abortion, it is something I would ease into when she is more comfortable.
I do believe that psychology and theology are integrated in this particular counseling situation.
CBT will help Chichima manage her emotions and she can come to terms with her abortion.
While incorporating theology, she could develop a stronger relationship with God and know that
she is forgiven for her sin of abortion.
Theology and Psychology would be integrated in this situation. Mary experience feelings of
depression also some form of resentment, anger and hurt. The psychology part can help Mary
focus on healing as a whole and assisting her with her emotions while incorporating theology it
can help Mary gain a better understanding of her relationship with God and how she views him.
McMinn, M. (2011).Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling(Rev ed.).
Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House.
Prayer and the Christian counselor
Jesus taught his disciples how to pray.
Prayer is not only talking to God but growing in a relationship with Him.
Prayer is a way of emphasizing that God really cares.
That God is invested
We need to personally
Intimate communication with God
Pray for my clients daily and channel God to them correctly.
See God through. Me
Open the time spend together with prayer to set the context as triad because God is here with us
in the counseling session.
We have limitations as counselors but the Holy spirit can help us in our counseling sessions.
When I’m around you I feel like I’m in the presence of God.
Prayer and Christian Counseling – week six., lecture one
Chichima is a 20-year old single woman who is the child of Nigerian immigrants.She was referred for
counseling because of a recent suicide attempt in which she ingested some pills and then called a friend
when she started experiencing some symptoms of the medication.She was hospitalized for two weeks in
her local hospital’s psychiatric unit, and upon her release, she was referred to a local secular
counselor.Because of her Christian faith, she received a referral to the agency from her pastor.While in
the hospital, she was prescribed an antidepressant and will follow up regularly with her psychiatrist.
In her third counseling session with you, she divulges that 7 months ago, she found that she was
pregnant and decided to end the pregnancy through an abortion without telling anyone. The due date for
the baby was roughly the same time that she attempted suicide.
From your first two sessions with her, she shared that she is a Christian, but about five months
ago she pulled away from church attendance, much to the concern of her Nigerian parents who do not
know about her pregnancy and abortion.She felt that she could not pray anymore because she felt that
she had committed a terrible sin.She also reports feeling very uncomfortable praying because of the
shame she is carrying.She admits that she chose this agency because of their Christian worldview.She
knows that in order to heal, she will eventually have to work through the pregnancy and abortion, but the
thought of participating in any Christian practice scares her.
2. As you consider the integration of psychology and theology, discuss how you would
integrate theology into this case. What from psychology would you bring into this case?
In this Mary case, I will incorporate the person-centered therapy technique into Mary sessions.
The person-centered therapy will allow Mary to use her own understanding of her experience to
allow her to heal. It is important that Mary recognize her emotions from the situation that has
occurred. While using the person-centered therapy it will allow Mary to deflect some of the
things she question God with and allow her to reflect on how she feel.
2. How do your responses to the first two questions mesh with your response to the third?
Do they integrate?
Kara Kasmarcik DB #2
When interacting with clients in a counseling session, it is important to be cognizant of
their spiritual beliefs, as well as the client’s cultural background (Hawkins & Clinton, 2015).
When integrating prayer into treatment, we must carefully decide which forms of prayer to use as
well as under which circumstances it is appropriate. We must be aware of our own level of
training and our own personal belief system when considering prayer in counseling (Myers,
2020). When choosing which therapeutic use of prayer, I would use with this client, I would
consider her receptiveness to prayer, her identification as a Christian and the fact she reported
“feeling very uncomfortable praying because of the shame she is feeling.” I would consider
praying for her outside the session as the most therapeutic use of prayer. I would also likely
integrate silent prayer in session if she was receptive because I could pray for her silently while
she was with me and she could begin to have a private dialogue with God when ready (Myers,
2020).
The most therapeutic use of scripture for this client would be to focus on God’s grace. As
long as we repent and are truly sorry for our sins, which she clearly is expressing, we are
forgiven. Due to her belief that she committed a terrible sin when she had the abortion, she has
pulled way from God and her faith and has stopped going to church. I would focus on scriptures
that allowed for an understanding and forgiving God and seek to find scripture for those who are
suffering. 1 Peter 5:10 states, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in
Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong”
(NIV).
As I consider the integration of psychology and theology, I would integrate theology by
using prayer, meditation, scripture and the client’s personal belief system and spiritual
background in counseling. Although I would have to tread lightly at first, so not to discourage
her from continuing services, I feel that by showing hospitality and acceptance of her, she would
likely open up to the idea of theological integration. She did choose a Christian agency, which
leads me to believe she is not too far away from Christ to benefit from scripture and prayer in
counseling. I would integrate psychology by encouraging use of change-talk and positive
psychology to allow her the ability to see herself in a more positive light. She is expressing a
great deal of shame and guilt and working through those things would be beneficial.
The answer to my first two questions meshes with the third because it allows for me to
continue to use theology when working with this client. However, my first two answers did not
relate to psychological techniques. I do believe they integrate because speaking positivity and
allowing for forgiveness of oneself will allow for greater openness when speaking to God. It
allows for the client to begin to accept that although she may feel as if she has committed terrible
sins, both with the abortion and likely with the suicide attempt, she can forgive herself just as
Christ will.
References
Hawkins, R. & Clinton, T. (2015).The New Christian Counselor: A Fresh Biblical and
Transformational Approach. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publications
Myers, M. (2020). CEFS 506: Week Six, Lecture Two.Prayer for Psychological and
Spiritual
Health.Liberty University.
Hello Karalee,
Thank you so much for your post this week. I really enjoyed reading it and seeing your opinion
on whether prayer and Scripture should be used in Chichima’s situation. I agree with you in that
we, as counselors, need to know our client’s spiritual beliefs so we know how much theology can
be integrated into the counseling session. It is important to know whether it is appropriate to use
prayer and Scripture with your client, because we do not want to cross boundaries or make our
client feel uncomfortable. The client’s cultural background is also something that is important to
keep in mind. Chichima is the child of Nigerian immigrants and there is a possibility that
Chichima could be struggling with life in America as well. She could have grown up in a family
where her parents had a hard time with acculturation which, in turn, could have affected her.
According to McGoldrick, Giordano, and Garcia-Petro, many families feel helpless when
immigrating to the United States (2005). I believe that we have similar views in that I would
also start integrating prayer in this situation on my own time and pray that she is able to ask God
for forgiveness and know deep down that God forgives her. Therefore, she could forgive herself
for the abortion she had. Ultimately, I would pray that Chichima is able to develop a closer
relationship with God. I mentioned on my post for this week’s discussion that I would find
Scripture passages that specifically mention God’s forgiveness. Acts 3:19 states, “Repent, then,
and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the
Lord” (biblestudytools, n.d.). I do want to note that I would not introduce these Scripture
passages until Chichima and I have established trust in the counseling relationship. I really liked
your Scripture quote on God’s grace healing the suffering. Being someone who has struggled
with addiction, I truly believe God’s grace is the reason I have been sober for two years now.
Thank you again for your post and best of luck to you in the remainder of this course!
Forgiveness Bible Verses. (n.d.). Retrieved October 04, 2020, from
https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/forgiveness-bible-verses/
McGoldrick, M., Giordano, J., & García-Petro, N. (2005).Ethnicity & family therapy(Third ed.)
[VitalSource Bookshelf 9.2.1]. New York, NY: The Guilford Press. doi:2004029338
