Compare and Contrast Larry Crabb's Christian Counseling Methods with
Albert Ellis and Carl Rogers Secular Methods
Daniel Coffman
Liberty University
Part I: Goal of Christian Counseling
As I am writing this I am reminded of a conversation I had with someone in my Church that is involved with our Addiction Ministry. He started to tell me of an attendee in one of the Friday night group counseling sessions that was more discouraged when they left the meeting than when they came in. I was curious at the approach the group took and wanted to know what the facilitator does to foster an environment where people can and will talk about their issues. I found myself in disagreement with him over the process he described in reaching …show more content…
Paul said to the church in Thessalonica, “(11) As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, (12) That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.” (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 KJV). Crabb tells us that the light of consciousness reveals our wrong beliefs, (Crabb, p. 162). He also confirms Paul’s message to the Thessalonians that it is the responsibility of everyone in the church to care for each of its members, (Crabb, p. 162). Crabb goes on to describe his three levels of counseling in the church. Level 1 is counseling by encouragement; this is where everyone in the church is involved in counseling. Simply put, we need to encourage each other and lift each other up. Warm, genuine interest from people who care will go a long way towards helping someone that is experiencing personal anguish. This level of counseling stems from an attitude of compassion and concern for people in our “family” that are hurting, it depends on an awareness of painful emotions in those “family” members. Level 1 counselors should be aware of those that consistently demand attention without making an attempt to deal with the actual problems. These members need more exhortation rather than encouragement, (Crabb, p. …show more content…
These counselors, counsel by exhortation. People will sometimes respond to a problem circumstance is ways that only they understand, (Crabb, p. 170). The trust of a Christian must be placed in the propositional revelation of Scripture, (Crabb, p. 171). In contrast, Rogers teaches that people should do what they “feel” is right, following their gut instincts, this is wholly unbiblical. Crabb simply defines level 2 counseling as “consisting of the specification of a scriptural strategy for handling a given situation.” (Crabb, p.172). Crabb, specifies training for the level 2 counselors to equip them to bring order into disorderly live, (Crabb, p. 172). Most importantly, over anything else is the need for Level 2 counselors to have a working knowledge of the bible, without it, they cannot be Level 2 Counselors, (Crabb, p. 174). The requirements for such training are: Christians need to have a “broad familiarity” (Crabb, p. 174) with scripture who are involved in expanding that knowledge through personal studies. Crabb feels the focus of the training should be on 1) Basic principles of Christian living, 2) The ability to think through Problem situations and develop a biblical solution and 3) General interviewing
Albert Ellis and Carl Rogers Secular Methods
Daniel Coffman
Liberty University
Part I: Goal of Christian Counseling
As I am writing this I am reminded of a conversation I had with someone in my Church that is involved with our Addiction Ministry. He started to tell me of an attendee in one of the Friday night group counseling sessions that was more discouraged when they left the meeting than when they came in. I was curious at the approach the group took and wanted to know what the facilitator does to foster an environment where people can and will talk about their issues. I found myself in disagreement with him over the process he described in reaching …show more content…
Paul said to the church in Thessalonica, “(11) As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, (12) That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.” (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 KJV). Crabb tells us that the light of consciousness reveals our wrong beliefs, (Crabb, p. 162). He also confirms Paul’s message to the Thessalonians that it is the responsibility of everyone in the church to care for each of its members, (Crabb, p. 162). Crabb goes on to describe his three levels of counseling in the church. Level 1 is counseling by encouragement; this is where everyone in the church is involved in counseling. Simply put, we need to encourage each other and lift each other up. Warm, genuine interest from people who care will go a long way towards helping someone that is experiencing personal anguish. This level of counseling stems from an attitude of compassion and concern for people in our “family” that are hurting, it depends on an awareness of painful emotions in those “family” members. Level 1 counselors should be aware of those that consistently demand attention without making an attempt to deal with the actual problems. These members need more exhortation rather than encouragement, (Crabb, p. …show more content…
These counselors, counsel by exhortation. People will sometimes respond to a problem circumstance is ways that only they understand, (Crabb, p. 170). The trust of a Christian must be placed in the propositional revelation of Scripture, (Crabb, p. 171). In contrast, Rogers teaches that people should do what they “feel” is right, following their gut instincts, this is wholly unbiblical. Crabb simply defines level 2 counseling as “consisting of the specification of a scriptural strategy for handling a given situation.” (Crabb, p.172). Crabb, specifies training for the level 2 counselors to equip them to bring order into disorderly live, (Crabb, p. 172). Most importantly, over anything else is the need for Level 2 counselors to have a working knowledge of the bible, without it, they cannot be Level 2 Counselors, (Crabb, p. 174). The requirements for such training are: Christians need to have a “broad familiarity” (Crabb, p. 174) with scripture who are involved in expanding that knowledge through personal studies. Crabb feels the focus of the training should be on 1) Basic principles of Christian living, 2) The ability to think through Problem situations and develop a biblical solution and 3) General interviewing