Christian Counselling Essay

Christian counselling is never as straightforward as it may seem to be. With reference to the case study, Danielle seems to undergo through some spiritual and mental suffering. The fact that she has been mistreated since was at her young age makes the situation even worse. Counselling such an individual thus requires some reasonable caution. Anything less than that will end up worsening the already bad situation. It is first important to consider the fact that Danielle is non- religious and thus telling her of the Bible does not even make sense. The first step is to make her understand that there is a living God somewhere prior to other underlying procedures. This will not be an easy task owing to the fact that they were receiving a serious beating with the batterer referring to the scripture. It, therefore, appears ironical that the same scripture that is used to molest her is being used to comfort her.

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According to McMinn, the first step is to read the psychology of the client (McMinn, 2011). On doing that, one is able to understand what the client has interest in and how to deal with it. Additionally, the individual offering the service must be well accustomed to the situation. The scenario in question here is a bit sensitive and thus requires a professional touch other than the use of scripture and prayer. The problem has to be handled as it is and should focus on personal growth (Sunset Online, 2002) of the client. It is important to understand that Danielle has never had the opportunity to see her parents owing to the wrangles present in her family. It is therefore unjustified to begin feeding her with scriptures. The first step ought to be the provision of parental guidance before the spiritual aspect kicks in. The individual must be made to understand that there is still hopes in life regardless of her situation.

Thereafter, the scripture can then be put into contention. The manner in which however it is brought in determines the success of the counselling session. Scriptures that directly provoke the individual should be avoided by all means. It is possible that the scriptures will turn out to be a discouragement rather than a source of hope to the client. The interpretation of the scripture should as well give some hope. Apart from the scripture, use of prayer as a counselling tool is as much as sensitive as the scripture. It is unfair to involve unreligious individuals in lengthy prayer sessions. That way, you will be chasing them away from Christianity. The best way as a Christian counsellor is to indulge in private prayer asking God to help the client. That way may be more helpful than the rest. Consequently, the client has to be invited for scheduled sessions to countercheck whether they are moving on or still cling in their past life. It is important to note that inappropriate use of prayer and scriptures in counselling are likely to miss the mark.

References

McMinn, M. R. (2011). Psychology, theology, and spirituality in Christian counselling. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House.

Sunset Online. (2002). Guiding Principles of Christian Counseling. Retrieved from https://www.sunsetonline.org/dl/outlines/icc.pdf