7 Oct 2021 at 15:22
Manage discussion entry
The most important element for discerning the time to confront someone
in counseling is through prayer. My role is to be obedient to the Lord in
counseling His children. Prayer enables me to discern next steps while in
the counseling chair. I pray before, during, and after counseling. I also
look through clients' notes and past sessions prior to the current session
in order to refresh my mind. The Lord guides me when I am counseling as
I truly cannot do this without Him. I humbly admit that I do not know what
is best for His creation sitting in front of me, but He does. I know very
simply that I am to do what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the
Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;/in all
your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (New
International Version, 1973/1984).
Certainly, clients need to know that I care for them prior to the
confrontation; otherwise, as Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 13:1b, words
without love are like a “resounding gong or a clanging symbol” (New
International Version, 1973/1984). Thus, a prerequisite for confronting
someone’s sin is a trusting therapeutic relationship (“Counseling
Methods,” 2021). Finally, as shared in a recent lecture, “The good news is
that God is the one who is ultimately responsibility to work through the
relationship with clients to bring them to the point of confessing their sins
and reconciling themselves to God and others and ultimately to
themselves” (“Counseling Methods,” 2021).
As Entwistle (2015) mentioned through the words of the author Phillip
Yancey: “Only one thing haunts me more than the sins of my past: What
sins am I blind to today?” (p. 95). In Christian counseling, which I believe
is the setting for the deepest level of discipleship, these blind sins can be
unearthed. We truly need each other because God can use others, the
Bible, and the Holy Spirit to reveal sins to His people in order for them to
confess and have renewed fellowship with the Lord and others.
In terms of what approaches I use readily to confront sin while being a
counselor for my church is prayer. As the recent lecture clarified, prayer is
an excellent method for engaging in the spiritual battle on behalf of
clients (“Counseling Methods,” 2021). This approach also helps me to stay
closely connected to the Lord in the session, so I submit to His leadership
and wisdom for the client. I also utilize questioning as it does not matter
what I believe about the situation, but I need to access the clients’ beliefs
about the matter (McMinn, 1996, p. 139). From there, the session could
move to “acherit” to help the client understand the logical end of their
thinking (“Counseling Methods,” 2021). Then, the conversation may move
into direct censure as I have discovered the clients’ beliefs, and if they are
in contrast to the Bible, then I can bring up what the Bible says about that
area (McMinn, 1996). Again, this is not my dictates, but the directives of
the Bible. Furthermore, all clients that come to me are either members or
attenders of my church, so during the informed consent, I make it clear
that what I provide is biblical counseling. When I say biblical counseling, I
do not mean that I do not utilize psychology in my counseling, but the
primacy or foundation is the Bible. Psychology has methods that are
empirical and proven to work, so I enthusiastically employ those as well.
The model of integration of psychology and theology I employ is
Entwistle’s (2015) Allies model.
I do not readily utilize silence to confront sin as I do not have a poker face
(McMinn, 1996). I find it very difficult to showcase a neutral face. Further, I
may offer an empathic listening cue without knowing it, like nodding my
head, and the client could interpret this as approval (McMinn, 1996).
Pondering is not a skill that I have developed yet, but I believe this would
be helpful for me to utilize to bring about a greater revelation or
understanding of the clients’ thought processes, values, and beliefs
(McMinn, 1996). Finally, no confrontation is certainly an option for me to
utilize, and I do employ this method, if I sense God is directing me to
confront the sin at another time (McMinn, 1996). Again, the people I
counsel are His creations and children, so I submit to the Lord that He
knows best what His children need in each session.
References
Counseling methods related to confrontation and confession/[Kaltura
slides]. (2021, April). Liberty
University./https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/117651/pages/watch-
counseling-methods-related-to-confrontation-and-confession?
module_item_id=13237403
Entwistle, D. N. (2015)./Integrative approaches to psychology and
Christianity: An introduction to worldview issues, philosophical
foundations, and models of integration(3rd ed.). Wipf & Stock Publishers.
The Holy Bible, New International Version: Containing the Old Testament
and the New Testament.(1984/1973). International Bible Society.
McMinn, M. R. (1996)./Psychology, theology, and spirituality in Christian
counseling. Tyndale House Publishers.
