Introduction to Christian Counselng

Christian counseling is as old as are the needs of men for direction. It is best called teaching, mentoring, comforting, encouraging, and correcting. The more biblically centered counseling is the more Christian based it becomes. The purpose of this book is to further enable you to be a better servant in comforting, healing, and instructing people who cry out for help. 

This introductory book is divided into three parts of six chapters each. The first part focuses on the Basic Principles in Christian counseling that distinguish it from secular counseling. The second part focuses on Practical Guidelines that, when applied, will enhance the mission of Christian counseling. The third part presents Case Studies in Christian counseling gleaned over many years of experience in helping people.

People who effectively help people have given considerable attention to acquiring sufficient understanding and application of some basic principles. The first twelve chapters of this book define those principles.

Part One

Fundamentals of Christian Counseling

Chapter One presents Guiding Principles in maximizing the course, helping people, and building a counseling approach. Chapter Two affirms the Distinctiveness of Christian Counseling. Chapter Three discusses the Nature of Christian Counseling by giving major attention to the five paradigms employed in Scripture. Chapter Four discusses the Basic Needs of People in three parts: 

An Overview of the Nature of Man Basic Needs as a Growth Process The Response of Christian Counseling to Basic Needs

Chapter Five considers the Qualities of a Christian Counselor by clarifying who should dedicate his life in the ministry of counseling and by defining the biblical anatomy of a Christian counselor. Chapter Six outlines the Preparation of a Christian Counselor by looking at four specific areas of preparation, by defining seven stages of spiritual growth, and by looking at ten preparation choices available to those who have a passion to help people.

Part Two

Practical Guidelines in Christian Counseling

Chapter Seven introduces the value of scheduling a Pre-Counseling Interview to better understand the counselee. Chapter Eight emphasizes the importance of developing a healthy Counselor and Counselee Relationship through establishing and maintaining integrity throughout the encounters. Chapter Nine proposes some ways by which Christian counselors can make the counseling enterprise one that is Productive and worthy of the choice of serious people. Chapter Ten affirms that counseling can be no more productive than the level of seriousness of the one being counseled. The Christian counselor must be prepared to teach and urge the counselee in accepting The Responsibilities of a Counselee. Chapter Eleven takes the reader on a visit of the varied approaches being used today to broaden and deepen the scope of helping people. A Christian counselor should stay on the edge of Advances in Christian Counseling. Chapter Twelve leads the reader through Questions That Counselors Ask in five areas of counseling concerns: personal, counseling, and family concerns, counseling logistics, and specific counseling situations. 

Part Three

Case Studies in Christian Counseling

The third set of six chapters shares some case studies that teach valuable lessons in Christian counseling. At one point or another most counselors will have these or similar experiences. 

Case Studies in Premarital Counseling. 

Case Studies in Marital Counseling. 

Case Studies in Parental Counseling. 

Case Studies in Member-to-Member Counseling. 

Case Studies in Wholeness Counseling. 

Case Studies in Leadership Counseling.