" (1) Fearing its potential competition with Biblical modalities of understanding, some Christian patients may initially fear, even consciously avoid the modern practice of psychotherapy, seeing it as a mere scientific reductionism of the uniqueness of the human animal. Or, conversely, some may uncritically embrace counseling it as a better way of understanding the mind than the biology of the natural sciences, especially approaches as person-centered theory and transactional analysis. However, the authors advocate a more critical, theologically informed appropriation of psychotherapy in relation to faith, suggesting therapy's compatibility with orthodox Christianity through the conscious and flexible integration of psychology and theology, and present the author's justification of what they call responsible eclecticism, endeavoring as they do to understand psychology on its original terms, and then to examine how such precepts relate to Biblical narratives and moral behavior.

One of the most important challenges or concepts offered by this book's approach for effective Christian counselors is that a counselor must not view his or her faith and psychology as an either/or dichotomy. He or she can and must provide moral as well as psychic guidance to his or her patients. The Bible provides a moral and...

The individualism of psychology and the moral development of Christianity cannot be discussed separately; rather the two approaches must be integrated.
Furthermore, the book orients the counselor to the task of constructing biblical theory of counseling that bridges the gap between old forms of Christian counseling, stressing that rather than "casting out demons" (59) a positive view of the human soul in spiritual therapy by using Bible answers a need of social connection and development, moral guidance, and providing a foundation in an era against the modern ideation that we are owed or deserve things in this life. Such a mindset is antithetical to faith and to secular psychological health. (161)

Ultimately, this book functions as a valuable resource available for the care of souls and healing of persons. Even for secular counselors, it encourages advisors to help their clients answer not simply 'who am I' but shows them how to a function as a moral individual in a meaningful context. For Christian therapists and counselors it encourages them to see the Christian consciousness not as adversarial to the modern tradition, but as integral to it.