Powlison (2015) shares six crucial issues related to Christian counseling. The first issue involves faith
and counseling practices. The counselor-counselee relationship intertwines faith and practical
applications. The second issue is change motivation. Biblical change begins in man’s heart, and
everything flows from it (New International Version (NIV), 2011, Proverbs 4:23). This inner change
can be endorsed and encouraged by a counselor. The counselor-counselee situation is the third issue
and embodies suffering and responsibility. A suffering person failing to take responsibility operates as
a victim. A victim perspective leaves little room for the need of Christ and therefore, little opportunity
to heal and be cured. In the trusted counselor-counselee relationship, the counselee is accepted,
encouraged, and educated to take responsibility for their response to sufferings and move towards
spiritual maturity. Expanding the audience of Christian counseling, the fifth issue, implies the Great
Commission and Jesus’ directive to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (NIV,
2011 Matthew 28:18-19a & Mark 16:15). Many people can ease their suffering through a Christian
faith and perspective. The ability to hear and accept a new perspective requires an honest, trusted
guide - a Christian counselor. The integration of Biblical and secular counseling requires the
recognition, appreciation, and utilization of the “best” each system offers is the final issue discussed.
Secular counseling offers theories and methods derived from observing human behavior which
references God’s Works (Truth). The common thread throughout these issues is the counselor-
counselee relationship.
Originally, Christ is the Counselor and humankind is the counselee. Christ demonstrated love through
His relationships. Christians should exemplify Christ as compassionate, righteousness, and responsible
counselors seeking the well-being of the counselee within the “fence of love” (Powlison, 2015). A
counselor encourages, exhorts, and enlightens the counselee towards spiritual growth and maturity
(Crabb, 1981). The art of counseling others involves speaking the truth in a loving manner (NIV, 2011,
Ephesians 4:15). This conversational style encourages the counselee to hear and apply God’s Truths.
This life-altering love and healing where Christ is made visible through the counselor-counselee
relationship accomplishes therapeutic change leading to spiritual maturity (Rennebohm, & Thoburn,
2021). Therapeutic change is curing the soul. Truth, love, skill, and institutional structure are
necessary for the curing of souls (Powlison, 2015). The process of healing souls has been directed
primarily by the secularists initiating the knowledge and skills of interviewing, probing, and corrective
conversation. These tools are helpful in a Christian counselor-counselee relationship. “Wise
counseling” integrates evangelical faith with modern psychological theories, methods, and roles
(Narramore as cited in Powlison, 2015). Christ exemplified in a Christian counselor-counselee
relationship addresses all Powlison’s crucial issues. Therefore, I chose the issue of counselor-
counselee relationship as the most urgent.
References
Crabb, L. (1981). Effective biblical counseling: A model for helping caring Christians become
capable counselors. Zondervan.
New International Version (NIV)Bible. (2011). Zondervan.
Powlison, D. (2010). The Biblical Counseling Movement: History and context. New Growth Press.
Rennebohm, S. B., & Thoburn, J. (2021). Incarnational psychotherapy: Christ as the ground of being
for integrating psychology and theology. Pastoral Psychology, 70(2), 179–190.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-021-00940-x
