Psychology Theology And Spirituality In Christian Counseling Summary

Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling written by Mark R. McMinn teaches Christian counselors the importance of Spirituality in the counseling office. Throughout the book McMinn provides deep insight on the integration of the three concepts; the author provides concrete cases that allow the reader to grasp the information by applying the scenarios to the text. To better equip Christian Counselors he uses cognitive therapy from a Christian perspective as foundation for his work. He stresses the importance of building an effective therapeutic relationship between the counselor and the client in order for therapy to be successful. McMinn uses a variety of religious interventions to establish psychological and spiritual health. Throughout the …show more content…
He states that "the counselor's level of spiritual maturity will provide an upper limit for the potential impact of prayer in counseling (McMinn, 1996, p.87). McMinn highlights the power of Scripture and outlines the specific effects it may have on the client. McMinn summarizes the chapter by noting "Our knowledge of God, self and Scripture are all interrelated, but our capacity to understand any one of these elements will add to our ability to understand the others (McMinn, 1996, p.124)." McMinn's study of the nature of sin and its role in the counseling practice is also very thorough. As he notes, "generally psychologists have been uninterested in sin, preferring to ignore it or to discuss the effects of the concept of sin (McMinn, 1996, p. 161)." Such an attitude has negative consequences, as in most cases sin can be a reason of depression, feeling of guilt and other negative feelings. He proposes the Christian counselor to understand sin from a theological and spiritual perspective. As he states, such a change can add necessary depth to the work of a counselor and encourage his clients to grow