In choosing an approach, I took some time seriously considering the behavioral, strategic, and structural approaches that were used in formulating the HFA. My reasoning was that choosing HFA might seem to be too easy, since the course focused on this approach within both our textbook reading and discussion board writing. After researching each of these approaches and spending several days struggling to write a draft on the behavioral approach, I realized the HFA is the approach I should choose for this paper.
As a believer in Christ, my faith dictates the manner in which I approach every aspect of my life including counseling. At the same time, I have realized in my studying of psychology and counseling that finding …show more content…
During this time, I considered nouthetic counseling, which “is directive and involves caring confrontation to bring about client change in a biblical way, as developed by Adams” (Tan, 2011, p. 336). For me, I see a great deal of merit in this methodology, as the overall need for dependence on God’s Word is often lacking within modern therapeutic approaches. At the same time, God uses many different methods in reaching people at the point of their need through indirective means. As an example, J. Dwayne Howell and Susan H. Howell (2008) examine the use of concepts from cognitive therapy that are displayed within God’s changing of Elijah’s depressive thought process, which presented immediately following Elijah challenging the prophets of Baal and his subsequent run for his life (1 Kings 18:20 - 19:18). From this instance, the intervention that can be gained through the use of Scripture in an indirective manner would be beneficial. The other issue that I found with following the strictly nouthetic approach was that individuals that come seeking counsel will not always come with a biblical worldview. These individuals still need to be helped; and as a Christian, I should know different approaches that will meet these needs, while remaining biblically