by Irene Chiang
[Abstract]
The integration of psychology and biblical concepts has been applied in the field of group counseling and therapy in many countries. In addition to secular counseling services, there are several organizations here and abroad providing counseling information and services based on an integration approach, and Scripture has been utilized directly in various group counseling settings as well. Although there are aspects that biblical and professional views do not agree, Christian and secular counseling for group do have similarities. This paper will discuss counseling and group involvement based on biblical terms, provide comparison and contrast of both, and present personal reflection from biblical and professional points of view.
INTEGRATIVE COUNSELING
Word Study
Words Related to Counseling
Counsel - assist, advice, or support (Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, 2005). 1 Kings 12:8-16; 2 Chron 22:5; Job 34:3, 4; Ps 16:7; 32:8; 33:11; 39:1; 40:13; 73:24; 119:24; 112:5; Roms 14:16; 1 Cor 6:12; 8:8-13; 10:23, 25-33; Col 4:5; James 1:19; Isa 9:6; 1 Jo 2:1; John 14:16-28; 16:7. Based on Old Testament, the counselor advised the king on issues regarding warfare and defense of the state (1 Kings 12:6-14; 2 Chron 22:5). God is symbolically identified as a counselor (Ps 16:7; 32:8; 33:11; 73:24), and His Word also serves as a counselor (Ps 119:24). In the Johannine writings, Jesus Christ represents an advocate or counselor in God’s holy court (1 Jo 2:1); he sent the Holy Spirits to his people (John 16:7) and revealed himself to his disciples after his resurrection (John 14:16) (Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, 2005). Therefore, the word “counselor” represents a function, and the function of the counselor is to counsel, assist, advice, or support people.
Advice – request, counsel, assist, or support (International Standard Bible Dictionary, 2005). Jud 20:7; 2 Sa 16:20; 16:23; 17:7; 19:43; 20:18; 24:13; 1 Ki 12:13, 14; 2 Ch 10:14; 25:17; Es 5:14; Job 5:13; Isa 16:3; 19:11; Jer 38:15; Eze 11:2; Da 4:27; Ac 5:40; 27:21. When Absalom and all the people of Israel entered Jerusalem with Ahithophel, he asked Ahithophel’s advice on what he and the people should do, and then Ahithophel offered his suggestions, which means that Absalom expressed his intent for Ahithophel to counsel and offer guidance to him (Sa 16: 15-23). The word also means “call for, ask for, or request” (2 Sa 20:18). In Chronicles, King Rehoboam abandoned the counsel provided by the elders, and talk to them based on young men’s advice (2 Ch 10:14). Here, the word “advice” also means take counsel and / or recommendation” (New American Standard Bible, 2005). In additions to its general meaning, it seems that the word “advice” means that a person takes counsel with, or advice himself (2 Ch 25:17; 2 Sa 24:13) (International Standard Bible Dictionary, 2005). Therefore, “advice” represents both offering counsel for others and with oneself.
Wisdom – the word means not only wise, but also in religious term, intellectual power with moral control (International Standard Bible Dictionary, 2005). Baruch 3:15-28; Job 22:7; 28:28; 31:16-20; 11:7; Eccl 2:11; 8:16, 17; 11:1, 5; Prov 1:7; 2:4, 5; 3:5-7; 3:27, 28; 4:7; 8:16; 9:9, 10; 15:33; 14:31; 19:20, 21; 21:30; 22:9; 28:11; 31:1; Ps 19:1; 37:21; 111:10; 112:5, 9; Sirach 3:24; 5:2, 3; 6:2; 10:12; 21:11; Eccl 4:13; The Wisdom of Solomon 1:5; 13: 2, 9; 17:1. Proverbs of Lemuel are openly referred to an author other than Jewish (Prov 31:1), and Sirach recommends that his students should travel overseas in order to see and learn new things from other countries (Sirach 34:10, 11; 39:4). However, in some biblical passages, being wise alone is not enough; under any circumstances, God’s unequivocal grace is necessary for intellectual people to cultivate true wisdom (Sirach 51:13-22; The Wisdom of Solomon 7:7; 8:21), because if people only rely on their own achievement, they are bound toward the wrong direction (Prov 3:5-7; 19:21; 21:30; 28:11; Sirach 3:24; 5:2,3; 6:2; 10:12; Baruch 3:15-28). The authentic wisdom must center in God (Prov 15:33; 19:20), begins from Him (Prov 1:7; 9:10; Ps 111:10; Sirach 21:11; Job 28:28), and ends in Him (Prov 2:5) (International Standard Bible Dictionary, 2005). Therefore, intellect with virtue is the real wisdom.
Help – helpmeet (Easton's Bible Dictionary, 2005); the sense that brings support, aid, or deliverance (International Standard Bible Dictionary, 2005). In Genesis, the term “help” means “wife” (Ge 2:18-20), a help that is a man’s counterpart and a help appropriate to him (Easton's Bible Dictionary, 2005). Mt 15:25; Mk 9:22, 24; Ps 20:2; 33:20; 42:5; 46:1; 115:9-11; 121:2; Isa 41:10,13, 14; Rom 8:26; Ge 2:18-20; 4:1; Ex 18:1-6; 2:23. As Adam had relations with his wife Eve, she then conceived and gave birth to their son Cain and expressed that she has gotten a child with the help of God (Ge 4:1). When the king of Egypt passed away, the people of Israel sighed because they felt that they had burden, and they cried out for help and support because their burden has risen up to God Himself (Ex 2:23). Also in Exodus, one of Moses’ son was named Eliezer because he said that “the God of my father was my help,” and God delivered him from the sword of Pharaoh (Ex 18: 1-6) when leading Israeli people out of Egypt (The New American Standard Bible, 2005). Therefore, “help” represents working together toward the same goal(s) and providing assistance for those in need.
Words Related to Group
One another – there are several terms in Greek that represent “one another.” “Allelon” means one another, “allophulos” means one of another nation, “prokrima” means favor one before another, “suzeteo” means inquiry one with another, and “sumpathes” means having compassion one of another (New Testament Greek, 2005). Ge 11:3, 7; 37:19; 42:1, 21, 28; 43:33; Ex 10:23; 16:15; 25:20; 26:3, 6, 17; 36:10, 13; 22; Le 19:11, 25: 14, 17, 46; Nu 14:4; Jud 6:29; 10:18; 1 Sa 10:11; 2 Ki 7:3, 6, 9; 2 Ch 20:23; Ne 4:19; Es 9:19, 22; Job 41: 16, 17; Ps 12:2. When the sons of Israel saw a delicate flake-like thing in the wilderness, they asked among themselves and wondered what it was. Moses answered that it was the God-given food for them to eat. He then followed God’s command and asked them to distribute the bread based on how many people were in each tent. This indicates that the term “one another” refers to a group of people. In Leviticus, the biblical passages mention that people should not steal, deal falsely, lie, wrong, or rule with severity over one another, which means that as a group, these people should behave appropriately and hold a decent attitude toward one another. Moreover, they should all fear their God (Le 19:11, 25: 14, 17, 46) and respect His authority (The New American Standard Bible, 2005). The term “one another” clearly shows a sense of community and cooperation.
Family - the union for life of one man and one woman in marriage as the foundation of the family (International Standard Bible Dictionary, 2005). Ge 1:27; 2:14, 23; 3:16, 18, 19; 4:19-24; 6:5; Mt 19:1-12; Mk 10:2-12; 5:17, 18; 9:13; 18:11; Lev 20; Ex 20:14; Dt 5:18. According to Scripture, the ideal relationship is monogamy, meaning a husband and a wife. God created the man, Adam, in His own image, and the woman Eva he later created also bore His own image. Together, they constitute a family (Ge 1:27). When a man gets married and leaves his parents, he should be faithful to his wife, and both of them should become one flesh, a whole entity (Ge 2:23, 14). The terms “a man” and “his wife” bond the sexes to monogamy - the dyad should become one flesh, and their marriage also lasts for a lifetime. Later, Christ stated that the husband-and-wife team is no more a pair but one flesh (Mt 19:6). Together, they represent the complete image of God (International Standard Bible Dictionary, 2005). Therefore, a family is one of the group formats.
Church – out calling (International Standard Bible Dictionary, 2005). Acts 7:38; 19:32, 39; Mt 16:18, 19, 21, 18:17, 18, 20; 1 Thess 1:1; 1 Cor 1:2; 2 Cor 1:1; Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Philem 1:2; Mt 18:20; 1 Cor 10:32; 1 Cor 12:28; Eph 1:22, 23 ; Col 1:18, 24; Eph 3:9-11; Eph 5:25 ; Eph 3:21. In the New Testament, the word “church” is a translation of the Greek word “ekklesia,” which means the designation of the regular assembly of the whole body of citizens in a free city-state that is called out by the herald to discuss and make decisions on public issues. This word does not apply to a concrete building, and it has never been used in the New Testament to explain an organization constituted by a number of congregations that have been organized together to form a denomination, either. “Church” is referred to as a municipal meeting in the city of Ephesus (Acts 19:32, 39), Israel (Acts 7:38), the body of Christ (Eph 1:22, 23), or a church in an area made up of a group of believers who meet regularly in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as a church of God. Generally speaking, the Church is the body of Christ, an organic entity. Jesus Christ gives his spiritual life to the Church to show his almighty power and grace through this institution (Chang, 1989). In all pastoral care, the Church is present as a safe environment that the healing power of grace is to be recognized. Christians have also been recognized for centuries that as they worship, they believe and so they live. The center of the Church’s existence is where worship stands at, and the formation of Christian identity occurs. Therefore, The Church is the fruit of God’s wisdom, the epitome of the Heaven on earth for the believers to experience what it is like in the kingdom of God (Lee, 1999).
Group Counseling from Biblical Perspective
Christianity does contain the elements and characteristics of counseling and psychotherapy. For those who have been hurt, many of them regain a positive attitude toward life after experiencing religious gathering such as prayer and worship, group counseling, and guidance from pastors or ministers. In fact, it is not uncommon for people to experience therapeutic effects by participating in Christian group counseling because the church provides care, support, and guidance within a group settings to counsel and help them with love, wisdom, and compassion. There are pastors, brothers, and sisters who listen to and share with one another, offering support on every aspect of human lives, just like a big family. The purpose of the church is to help, care, influence or even change the society as a whole, and based on the biblical point of view, if the Church recognizes its position within a society, its role would bring a positive influence toward the society.
Similarity and Difference between Biblical and Professional Views of Group Counseling
Similarity
Group counseling provides an opportunity for small groups of people to meet and share general concerns, explore personal issues, and learn new skills to deal with different issues and conditions guided by the leader(s) of the group. Group participants help each other by offering feedback and suggestions and giving feedback. They are not obliged to reveal more about themselves than they feel proper, but are expected not to disclose or gossip the content of group discussion to outsiders to keep the confidentiality. The role of the counselors is to make observations from a caring, open, flexible, warm, objective, trustful, powerful, patient, sensitive, and self-aware position. Group counselors also understand that each individual has different ways of expressing oneself, and they strive to create a context that is inclusive, safe, and respectful (Jacob, Masson, & Harvill, 2002).
Most of the clergy agree that it is possible to integrate religion and individual or group counseling to have a more profound and positive impact, and such possibility should base on certain theoretical foundation. It is true in Christianity that pastors and ministers are counselors in nature because of their advantageous position and role. Due to their unique relationship with the believers, they are able to act as counselors or coordinators for Christian families. When there are crisis or accidents such as illness and death, the clergy are almost always in the presence of these situations, especially in western societies. Therefore, the major responsibility of the clergy is to help people achieve meaningful awakening and real hopes (Crabb Jr., 1986).
Generally, both Christian and secular group counseling share one thing in common -the aspiration to assist people in overcoming their obstacles, solving their problems, finding happiness and meaning in their lives, and becoming emotionally and mentally healthy and stable individuals. Most mental health professionals, Christian and secular, have graduate degrees and have spent a lot of time and energy to learn knowledge techniques of counseling. Since the term “counseling” have various meanings such as providing advice, encouraging, helping, sharing wisdom and skills, setting goals, resolving conflict, and supporting one another, counselors frequently look into the clients’ past events in order to restore their present. They sometimes also travel around potential affects of chemical and physical imbalances resulting in physiological problems. Therefore, a key aspect of both Christian and secular counseling is to resolve and re-establish conflicts among people (“Christian counseling”, 2005).
Next, the purpose of group counseling or related guidance is to help group members ease their worries or difficulties. Through a group session, group members will gain a more precise understanding and insight to their issues or problems, improve their self-awareness, and discover new perspectives from other members’ situation. Normally, people join a counseling group because they struggle to develop a certain kind of ability, or they have trouble dealing with their present developmental stage due to emotional or other issues. Therefore, they encounter complications in work, life, and / or interpersonal relationship. Group counseling provides a setting for group members to listen to one another, offer support and encouragement, and for counselors to guide them through the process of problem solving and decision-making. The purpose of group therapy is to offer intervention to help group members regain their original and normal functions. Both Christian and secular counselors or therapists use psychological principles to solve emotional problems or functional deficiency (Tsai, 2004).
Difference
Secular counseling is rooted in humanism, and most frequently seeks to help people adapt and adjust to difficult circumstances. The processes are likely to include client education, behavioral techniques, and cognitive restructure; in other words, altering their thoughts. However, the ultimate goal will often be some sort of adaptation providing symptom relief to counselees (Jackson, 2004). Unlike biblical counseling, based on Scripture as the guiding principle, the leader of a secular counseling or therapeutic group utilizes theories and skills of psychology, psychotherapy, and counseling as the tool of guidance, without any reference from Scripture or application of biblical principles. On the contrary, Christian counselors bring their counseling to another level. According to a report by the International Association of Biblical Counselors, Christian counseling goes further and deeper into the core of the issue, and thoroughly discover those aspects that a believer might not follow the principles and commands of Scripture, helping this individual realize the importance of devotedly submit to God’s will. This is a contrast to the secular psychologically integrated systems (“Christian counseling”, 2005).
The foundation of Christian counseling is the Bible, and most often seeks to help people embrace the pain from their experiences through a close, personal relationship with Christ. Many processes of Christian counseling are similar to those of secular counseling, but the motivation of Christian counselor is definitely different from their secular counterparts. For instance, it is possible that Christian counselors utilize cognitive restructuring techniques to help their clients as well, but the purpose for such mind renewal will be a better knowledge and enjoyment of God, not derived from circumstances. In secular counseling, the client and / or the issue are frequently the focus. However, in Christian counseling, God is the main focus, and one crucial purpose is to help people grow a rich and precise view of God specific to the individual’s life (“Christian counseling”, 2005).
Although Christian counselors regularly apply skills from the field of non-Christian psychology and counseling, they acknowledge that the Bible, is the final authority, , not psychology (“Christian counseling”, 2005). According to the first foundation of Biblical-Ethical Foundations of the AACC Ethics Code, “Jesus Christ—and His revelation in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible—is the pre-eminent model for Christian counseling practice, ethics, and caregiving activities” (American Association of Christian Counselors, 2004, p. 5). Therefore, counseling is a “Spirit-led process of change and growth” (American Association of Christian Counselors, 2004, p. 5). A Christian counselor’s most important approach is to assist their clients in substituting biblical truth for error as they live their daily lives. They understand that true freedom comes from knowing, believing, and obeying the biblical truth, and when people are set free, they are fulfilling their true calling. It is mentioned in John 8:32 that “then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (“Christian counseling”, 2005).
If the secular counselor is particularly a Christian, it is possible that the morality of secular counseling will be biblical. Conversely, unless the morality of the secular counselor dictates otherwise, the morality of secular counseling is determined by situation ethics and the changing trends of the societal mores. However, the morality of biblical counseling will always be the unchangeable, solid rock of biblical truth. Next, secular counselors use human principles based on human philosophies, empowered by human efforts in order to satisfy human needs. On the contrary, Christian counselors use God-given principles in Scripture, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and the power of prayer to help the clients accomplish God’s consequences in the clients’ lives (Miller, 1999).
Since it is Christian counselors’ responsibility to help their group(s) learn the submission to God’s will in order to obtain true freedom, one controversial issue arises. One of the ethical guidelines of professional counseling, client autonomy, is valued since it promotes the counselees’ self-determination or ability to choose their own directions in life. It is essential in groups that members are aware of their right to make their own decisions without external guidance or pressure (Gladding, 2003). Therefore, the implication of the guidance from God is seen as a backlash toward autonomy. In many state or agency regulations, the reference and adaptation of any religious concepts are strictly prohibited from counseling practice. Christian counselors, when not working in a Christian setting, should be very cautious not to violate the rules; otherwise they will be at risk of ethical violation if they mention any biblical concepts during counseling sessions. Some have suggested to apply biblical principles in secular counseling without mentioning the source as a compromise.
Personal Reflection
In the training of professional counseling, trainees are always being taught to be neutral and not to bring their own philosophical or faith into a counseling situation or even impose those worldviews upon their clients. Next, most of the current mainstream or academic psychologists, psychotherapists, and counselors do not bring religious issues into their theory and practice. However, since appeasement is the nature of religion, religion itself does contain some characteristics of counseling and psychotherapy.
I think that counseling and consultation has been an important part in practical theology, and the subject of pastoral counseling, including education counseling, marriage and family counseling, emotion counseling, and grief counseling, is the core requirement for people who are educated and trained to become the clergy. For instance, there has been successful integrations of theology and counseling in Taiwan, such as Wesley Counseling Center in Taipei where the practices of group counseling, marriage and family counseling, children and adolescent counseling, and counseling education are well-known nationally. In additions, Christian Cosmic Light Holistic Care Organization, officially founded in 1998 by Christian Cosmic Light Communication Center, has for years been successful on providing nationwide holistic care, including group counseling and support service, to Christians and non-Christians in need.
I have talked to some friends and asked them how they feel about bringing spiritual aspects, not necessarily Christian belief, into counseling. Most of them consider that this will be a good idea for it can better help clients deal with their issues. Some of them said that integrating Christianity and counseling is wonderful, but others said that maybe not Christian belief exclusively. This is understandable since Christianity, a “foreign-and-western” faith, is still a minority religion in Taiwan. The mainstream religion here is Buddhism, and most of the people might not be Buddhists themselves, but they more or less agree with Buddhist worldviews and / or their family practice Buddhist rituals. It will be challenging for counselors with Christian worldviews to integrate biblical foundations and counseling to help their clients if they do not work in a Christian setting.
I have been searching for an organization where I can take my dance therapy internship and checked out some Christian organizations, but right now I am not even qualified to be an intern there, because one of the qualifications is that the intern must be a Christian (sometimes with recommendations from a pastor), and I am not technically a Christian, which means I have to become a Christian before I can work in a Christian counseling organization. Therefore, I switch my attention to secular organizations. Personally, I am currently comfortable to work in both Christian and secular settings, and I am willing to apply biblical foundations if possible; it is simply that I might not be able to officially do Christian counseling for the time being. To view this issue from another perspective, if I choose dance therapy as my main practice in the future, it is even more impossible to do it in a Christian setting, since there are so few places, all of them secular, provide dance therapy as an option. However, I do not think that I am able to counsel or practice dance therapy for sex offenders in either Christian or secular settings, and I have heard many female counselors express the same.
Moreover, I think one of the challenges for working in a secular setting in Taiwan is that the counselor had better have an adequate amount of knowledge of other religions, especially Buddhism, because it is the most influential belief system here, and when government officials hold ritual ceremonies in public, it is always in the Buddhist term even if the President is a Christian (three of our former presidents are Christians; two of them father and son). I have read some books about Buddhism and gained a basic understanding about the principles, not necessarily totally agree with those, so if the people I help are devout Buddhists, I will be able to understand their views better and provide assistance accordingly.
Another challenging for working in a secular organization is that the counselor needs to be highly tolerant as to religious views. The popular recognition of counseling in Taiwan is about ten years behind the western countries, and it is very common in Asian countries that people tend to take fortune telling (a big business here) as counseling. When people have difficulties, most of them will go to any temple to burn joss sticks and pray for Buddha or other Gods and Goddesses to solve their problems for them; for counseling, there are still those who consider that only seriously mentally-ill patients need it. In additions, online fortune telling has been attracting a huge number of young people, mostly women, as their way to cope with reality. This might be a little complex for non-Taiwanese to understand since the system of divination (as explained in Yi Jing, the Book of Changes and other related literature) is part of the ancient Chinese culture. Counselors here, Christian or secular, need to realize such phenomenon and do whatever they can to educate the public outside of their counseling rooms.
I started a electronic newspaper (in Chinese), Dance your Heart-the World of Dance Therapy, in January 2005 as my own way to promote dance therapy and counseling. I write my learning experiences here and abroad and briefly explain various counseling and dance therapy theories. There are nearly fifty subscribers now and I hope the number will grow steadily. Next, some friends are curious or interested in these two fields, and they ask me questions from time to time in order to obtain a better understanding. Asian people are more reserved, often repressed, that opening up to one or a group of strangers appear unusual for many of them, so it might take a longer time for the general public to increase their level of acceptance toward counseling and any kind of creative arts therapy than in western countries. It takes a lot of time and patience.
[References]
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Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology (2005). Retrieved August 12, 2005 from http://bible.crosswalk.com
Chang, L. S. (1989). Systematic theology. Hong Kong, China: China Alliance Press.
Christian counseling - Unique perspective (2005). Retrieved August 12, 2005 from http://www.allaboutgod.com/christian-counseling.htm
Crabb Jr., L. J. (1986). Effective biblical counseling. Winona Lake, IN: Bmh Books.
Easton's Bible Dictionary (2005). Retrieved August 12, 2005 from http://bible.crosswalk.com
Gladding, S. T. (2003) Group work: A counseling specialty (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
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Jacobs, E. E., Masson, R. L., & Harvill, R. L. (2002). Group counseling: Strategies & skills (4th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Lee, S. C. (1999). Be a good angel for your angels: The art of church life. Taipei, Taiwan: Campus.
Miller, W. E. (1999). Providing an alternative that is not an alternative. Retrieved August 12, 2005 from http://www.biblical-counsel.org/bcs-04.htm
New American Standard Bible, The (2005). Retrieved August 12, 2005 from http://bible.crosswalk.com
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Tsai, W. M. (July 2004). Faith and counseling. Religious research in Taiwan: tradition and innovation. Symposium conducted at the Annual Conference of Religion, Taipei, Taiwan.
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