Counseling and Faith

Counseling and Faith

Counseling has taken different forms as more people seeking the services of counselors as a result of the increase of emotional challenges in the 21st century. Despite the existence of various institutions and individuals that offer counseling services to persons affected by psychological problems, the common scenario that has been witnessed is the involvement of the clergy and psychology therapists to offer solutions to some of the mental challenges people are facing. This paper tries to establish the correlation between counseling and faith through comparison and contrast of counseling approaches. Specifically, the various ways psychological scientists and spiritual leaders approach counseling as well as their considerations for effective delivery of services. The literature review shows that both religious leaders and cognitive therapists have to contrast as well as similar approaches to counseling.Both approaches seem to offer the best solutions but the nature of the impact that is created through faith counseling requires further scholarly investigation.
Introduction
Almost each and every individual seem to have the interest in understanding their behavior and the action of those around them (Strickland 2006). Psychology is one the disciplines that help in understanding social behaviors and interactions. A person with psychological disorders may display different patterns in their expressed emotions. Counseling calls for the handler to possess the skills to connect to the people they support, guide and protect through affiliation.

This is a way to establish and maintain a positive relationship and belongingness which is the core value of religion and faith. Anxiety has been seen to be a major strengthening factor for one’s affiliation. Counseling through art therapy encourages self-discovery and emotional growth, regarded as an effective tool for the identification of mental illnesses and traumatic events (Strickland 2006).
Counseling and Faith Integration
Lay Christian counseling technique applies to religious services that assert doctrinal fundamentals; predictable with a standard statement of faith of Christian universality. However, Christian counseling approaches have a few studies with doctoral level, clinical brain science, graduate understudies or expert specialists as the treatment suppliers (Strickland, 2006). Essentially, clergymen and women use non-ministry guidance in their approach, which concentrate on a wide assortment of customer needs as opposed to concentrating on one literature. It has been documented that such approaches seek for solutions to the mental issues affecting people under the Holy Spirit’s driving, to reveal individual, familial, and tribal encounters that are thought to add more showing of the problems that are affecting those persons seeking counseling assistance (Garzon, et al., 2009). On account of the different remedial methodologies included, these studies are depicted under the blended class Cognitive behavioral therapy is a treatment of choice for anxiety disorders working by understanding connections between behaviors, emotions and physical feelings(Mann and Whitfield, 2008. According to Mann and Whitfield, the approach uses the principle that anxiety is the result of overestimating a threat and underestimating patient capacity to deal with the threat. The coordination of brain science and philosophy has developed since early works of the 1960s. It has turned into a development with diaries, proficient associations, and composed moral rules (Mann and Whitfield, 2008). Those rehearsing from a combination worldview are additionally likely acquainted with three different developments that investigate the relationship between brain science and religious philosophy. These approaches incorporate scriptural advising that aims at improving the Christian’s soul and mind. Christian healing ministries show a process of mending the Christian’s internal troubled life through supplication and also instilling of hope during a time of despair as can be seen in when Elijah’s hope was restored enabling to continue with the journey to the promised land with the Israelites (1 Kings 19:1-8).This approach is covered depicted in Lay Christian and Client Expectations for Integration in Therapy by Garzon, Fernando, and Worthington (2009). Cognitive therapy may be helpful in the treatment of individuals with personality disorders that are avoidant. An assumption is created that the patient has a fault in the arrangement of thoughts which is a causal agent for the disorder. It, therefore, focuses on changing the situation of distorted cognitive patterns through the examination of the validity of assumptions behind such erroneous arrangement of thoughts. The therapist examines the assumptions of the patient by asking for the friends and family who enjoy the patient’s company. Faith in counseling encourages description of past encounters that were fulfilling, showing the patient how they are valued and how social situations could be enjoyable. Here, the irrationalities of the fears of the patient are exposed enabling cognitive restructuring (Garzon, Fernando, & Worthington, 2009)
Limitations of Integration
Client-centered therapy is a common technique to counseling and psychotherapy that places much of the responsibilities to therapist non-directive role during patient treatment. The client here takes the part of the patient and determines the general direction of therapy. The therapist strives to increase the client’s insightful understanding of oneself through clarifying questions that are informal (Strickland,2006).According to Strickland, the therapist is expected open to the client, show unconditional positive regard to the client, and appreciation of patient’s perspective. Unconditional positive regard holds that the therapist will accept the client fully without disapproval of their particular feelings, actions or characteristics. They have to be willing to listen to the client without interrupting them, judging or giving alternatives. This makes the client feel free to share as well as explore feelings without worrying about personal rejection.
The therapist attitude has to possess some sense of empathy. They should try to understand the clients’ situation showing emotional sensitivity to the clients’ feelings all through the therapy session. The therapist has to be a good listener, careful and accurate while they give clients a chance to examine their feelings and thoughts. The major goals of client-centered therapy are increased esteem in oneself and a greater openness to the experience (Strickland, 2006). It seeks to foster the increase in correspondence between the ideal and the actual self of the client. This ensures better self-understanding, decreased defensiveness, lowered levels of guilt and insecurity (Strickland, 2006). On the other hand, faith discourages belief in man and encourages one to believe in God (Jeremiah 17:5–10). The biblical explanation tries to put a man in a situation that they will trust only God and not their fellow men. In the mentioned verse, Prophet Jeremiah cautions that:
“Cursed is the person who confides in man, who draws quality from the minor fragile living creature and whose heart moves in the opposite direction of the LORD. Honored is the person who confides in the LORD, whose certainty is in him. They will resemble a tree planted by the water that conveys its underlying foundations by the stream. It doesn’t fear when warmth comes; its leaves are constantly green. It has no stresses in a year of the dry season and never neglects to hold up under organic product” (817).
Client-centered therapy departed from the formally detached role of the therapist common to psychoanalysis and other forms of treatment. It promotes the idea of a supportive environment created by the personal relationship between client and therapist for treatment (Mann and Whitfield, 2008). Here, the parties are viewed as equals, rejecting the traditional, authoritarian relationship. Mann and Whitfield note that the attitude of the therapist matters most to the success of the therapy treatment. This is due to the extent to which the therapist controls the whole process of conducting a counseling session. Also, empathy constitutes the greater part of the therapy treatment. It enables the therapist to immerse himself or herself in the issues of the patient. Reflection of the client’s situation involves paraphrasing and summarizing what the client said in order to come up with a solution. Faith, however, involves two parties where there is no equality between them. One party assumes the position of a superior party while the other is ordinary and depends on the superior individual for guidance and counseling in the life activities (Garzon, Fernando, & Worthington, 2009)
Conclusion
Present discoveries on lay Christian counseling technique would greatly be confined in contrast with professional guidance and counseling techniques. Various lay models exist. Philosophers and psychologists have tried to understand human behavior in a scientific way examining the ways in which human perceive and interact with the world around them. Psychology is a branch concerned with the study of abnormal behavior in the society. Counseling involves psychologists and mental health professionals diagnosing as well as treating mental disorders. A behavioral psychologist will assume the deficiency or lack of positive reinforcement as the likely reason or cause of the mental disease. Stand out randomized holding up rundown control bunch consider has been finished, this on a mixed approach with a cognitive behavioral therapy part. Studies give some foundation confirmation of viability. These discoveries should be affirmed with well-outlined adequacy and viability so as to assist counselor (both spiritual and scientific) in conducting counseling sessions. Religious-oriented counseling relies on the beliefs of the counselor and the patient for meaningful results to be realized. In plain terms, current information does not permit us to say ultimately that lay Christian guidance and counseling works. Given the openness of lay model designers to team up on research, incorporation centered graduate projects have a chance to address this critical hole in the writings and literature.
References
Strickland, B. (2006). The Gale encyclopedia of psychology. Farmington Hills, Mich: Gale.
Garzon, F., Worthington, E. L., Tan, S.-Y., & Worthington, R. K. (January 01, 2009). Lay Christian Counseling and Client Expectations for Integration in Therapy. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 28, 2, 113-120.
Mann, N. & Whitfield, G. (2008). An introduction to cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders. Retrieved from http://fulltext.study/download/1072625.pdf. Elsevier ltd