"How to Help People Change" and "Telling Yourself the Truth" are two books about Christian counseling. These two books are critiqued and evaluated in terms of their theories in this three page paper. This three page paper is divided into three sections of equal length. The first section is a summary of the theories of Christian counseling. The second section is an analysis of strengths and weaknesses. The third is personal reaction.
Truth
Concise Summary of Theory
Christian counseling is usually rooted in both Biblical truths and in psychological research. In Telling Yourself the Truth and How to Help People Change, the authors discuss how to counsel from within a Christian theoretical perspective. Although these two books have different areas of focus, their core messages are the same: change is to be instigated by God and sustained in the light of Christ.
The authors view traditional psychological theories such as psychoanalysis as being helpful as starting points, but no longer relevant from either a scientific or a spiritual perspective. Therefore, Backus & Chapain (2000) and Adams (1986) infuse psychology with Christian concepts. Christian concepts, drawn directly from the Bible and its parables, can help the individual see his or her life in a new and more accurate light.
Specifically, How to Help People Change defines change within a Christian context, whereas Telling Yourself the Truth addresses "misbelief" therapy for a Christian foundation for personal happiness. Both these books address the need for change as the basis for counseling. After all, clients seek counselors when something in life is uncomfortable or painful. Christian counseling brings the person to a place of wholeness and serenity while fostering faith in Christ.
In Telling Yourself the Truth, Backus & Chapain (2000) claim that misbeliefs create unhappiness. Rather than focus on the misbeliefs, a proactive approach to change emphasizes true beliefs and faith. Belief in Christ, fostered by Biblical study, can lead a person back to happiness. In How to Help People Change, the author stresses the importance of bringing the client back to the Bible. The author, Adams, affirms the supremacy of the Bible over all psychological theories.
Evaluation of Strengths and Weaknesses
The strengths of the theories embedded in these two books include their respect for Biblical truth and their emphasis on Christian counseling. It is important to frame change in ways that are helpful for the client's spiritual development. Backus & Chapain (2000) show that a lot of misbeliefs actually come from erroneous Church teachings, such as that it is not Christian to be angry. By dispelling these myths and misbeliefs, Backus & Chapain (2000) help readers and counselors understand the truth of Biblical teachings. Similarly, Adams (1986) shows that it is not just helpful but necessary to read scripture and incorporate scripture directly into one's life rather than harboring mistruths about Christianity. The core strength of the Christian counseling theory is that helping others must be achieved within a Biblical construct, or else any change will be fleeting and meaningless. Christian counseling theories teach universal truths like love and compassion that transcend time, culture, or personal preference. Therefore, readers can rely on these teachings and their concurrent theories.
There are few weaknesses in the Christian counseling theory itself. The theory is immutable because of its emphasis on scripture. Incorporating gospel truth into personal change processes or in counseling to help others change is the only way to ground a life in Christ. Although Adams (1986) uses a style of writing that seems outdated and overbearing in tone, readers can see that the author is only trying to anchor the theory in firm Biblical teachings. The Backus & Chapain (2000) book is more current and relevant to modern Christian readers and will appeal to young people seeking new ways of blending daily life with spirituality.
Personal Reflection and Application
Change is rarely easy and often involves growing pains. These two books about Christian counseling theories help people to see how change can be managed in ways that deepen faith. I appreciate the way both books address the shortcomings of established psychology, which lacks spirituality entirely. In fact, I have found that scientific psychology sometimes shuns Christianity completely. It is impossible to develop a holistic method of healing without God, because God is a critical component of the human experience.
Applying the teachings in these two books is relatively straightforward. First, we must study scripture daily to internalize the Bible's teachings. Parables can always be applied to daily life. There are an infinite number of meditations and prayers that can be developed for clients in need of personal change. The change depends on humble assessment of current Biblical knowledge, and a willingness to go deeper into scripture to find answers.
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