Essay On The Integration Of Christianity And Psychology

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The two chapters for this week’s readings explored two of the five major views on the integration of Christianity and psychology. The Levels-of-Explanation approach is presented by Thomas G. Plante, and the Integration approach is explained by Mark R. McMinn. It seems that the two authors have quite distinct approaches when it comes to reconciling the relationship between psychology and theology in clinical practice. Plante (2012) appears to see theology as a supportive supplement to psychology. In that sense, he appears to prioritize psychology over theology when it comes to his clinical work, evident in his frequent reference to the importance evidenced-based practice interventions. For example, in working with Jake, the hypothetical client, …show more content…
In counseling, he seems to primarily discuss psychological interventions and discusses only theological practices that are supported by research. Generally speaking, it seems that his goal is to provide empirical support for the importance of spirituality and does not mention any tensions or contradictions between psychological research and theological inquiry. It appears that Plante focuses on the areas of spirituality that are empirically supported. On page 74, he explains the research data regarding the benefits of meditation and prayer (Plante, 2012); however, he seems to be quiet about areas that might be …show more content…
In addition, I found that McMinn addresses integration as it relates to the counselor and not just the interventions used with the clients. While Plante (2012) mentions saying a quick prayer in response to seeing the amount of symptoms the client seems to experience, he did not elaborate significantly on the clinician’s faith while Mark R. McMinn discussed that when he sits with a client who is experiencing significant pain, he yearn for redemption along with the client while he internally moans with the client. In addition, I found McMinn to be more strengths-based as he spoke of some of the things the client seems to do well, while Plante (2012) explained in regards to his symptoms: “To say that Jake has a lot of problems is an understatement” (p.

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