Is Biblical Counseling Biblical?

Let’s see if we can nail some Jell-o to the wall. A few weeks ago, we talked about a story that broke about the ACBC de-certifying the women’s and counseling pastor at Grace Community Church in California due to the way he (mis)handled the issues facing some of the women he counseled. (According to the GCC website, he is still on staff.) While he was removed from ACBC’s list of certified counselors, GCC is still listed by them as an approved counseling center.

Rick Pidcock, writing for BNG, maintains the way the ACBC functions provides the atmosphere for abuse in its theological foundations. We’re going to try and sort some of those to understand when we hear someone talk about Christian or biblical counselling we know what they’re talking about. What they’re saying and what we’re hearing might not be the same thing.

Back to the Jell-o. Not every Christian or biblical counselor will fall within the parameters of my definition tonight. Truth is, I consider myself a biblical counselor, certainly a Christian counselor. But I certainly would not be classified that was by those who are part of the mainstream Christian/biblical movement. I call it mainstream because, in the South, with the prevalence of Fundamentalist/Conservative Christianity, it simply is.

How can something that sounds so good often be something less?

First, a brief discussion of nouthetic counseling?

(This is taken from the website of the Institute of Nouthetic Counseling, founded by Jay Adams, the recognized father of modern biblical counseling.)

What is now called biblical counseling was originally called nouthetic counseling.

The ACBC was originally called the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors.

While there are some who still hold to the NC label and others prefer the BC label, Dr. Heath Lambert, Assoc Prof of Counseling at Southern Seminary, calls them different sides of the same coin.

Westminster Theological Seminary says the difference is: The result is that Nouthetic counselors are more focused on the people they are counseling as sinners, and their responsibility for that sin. Biblical counselors attempt to understand those they are counseling as simultaneously perpetrators of sin and victims of sin, sinners and sufferers.

Focusing now on nouthetic counseling.

It derives from the Greek word νουθετεω (noutheteo) which means admonish, correct or instruct.

It holds all believers are to counsel (how INS translates the word) one another;

Romans 15:14 LEB

Now I myself also am convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to instruct one another.

While others do so formally as part of their ministry.

1 Thessalonians 5:12 LEB

Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and rule over you in the Lord and admonish you,

NC is based on three ideas.

Confrontation: The counseled is confronted with verses the counselor are appropriate based on the assumed sin of the counseled.

Concern: The INS says NC is always done for the benefit of the counselee.

There is always a warm, family note to biblical counseling which is done among the saints of God who seek to help one another become more like Christ. Christians consider their counseling to be a part of the sanctification process whereby one Christian helps another get through some difficulty that is hindering him from moving forward in his spiritual growth.

Change:

By change we mean that counseling is done because there is something in another Christian’s life that fails to meet the biblical requirements and that, therefore, keeps him from honoring God.

The ACBC covenant (copied from their website) makes plain their opinion of psychology, psychiatry, and those who practice them.

We deny that the findings of secular psychology make any essential contribution to biblical counseling.

God’s goodness allows that secular psychology may provide accurate research and make observations that are helpful in understanding counseling issues. Because unbelievers suppress the truth of God in unrighteousness the efforts of secular psychology at interpreting these observations lead to misunderstanding. Because their observations are distorted by a secular apprehension of life their efforts at counseling ministry will be in competition with biblical counseling. They cannot be integrated with the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

It is no surprise then that many (most?) of these counselors have little, if any, education beyond conservative/fundamentalist theological training.

Contrarily, I am apparently a Christian Integrationist in that I recognize the contributions of the mental health sciences and use them within biblical counseling and will refer counselees to mental health professionals when out of my depth.

Here is some counseling advice from the founder of this movement, Jay Adams.

“What about divorce? Separation?

Here is where I find it hard to give the biblical answer. If I had my ‘druthers,’ I’d say, “Yes” to either one or both of the above, but I can find no biblical warrant for doing so. Abuse is not among the legitimate reasons for divorce found in the Bible; and separation is never an option. (What Is She to Do?, INS website).

“In suicidal cases, when a client has such a low opinion of himself that he thinks the world would be better off without him, it only hurts to deny that his low self-esteem is valid. Counselors should acknowledge that he is probably right about the present worthlessness of his life and should attempt to discover how bad he has been. However, they should take issue with his proposed solution, and instead point him to God’s solution through repentance and holy living.” (Competent to Counsel: Introduction to Nouthetic Counseling, Jay Adams, 140-1)

“Did the daughter participate willingly in the sin and did she entice her father?” (The Christian Counselor’s Casebook, Jay Adams)

“A depressed person is useless in the kingdom of God.” (Critical Stages of Biblical Counseling, Adams)