Christian Principles for the Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy

All approaches to counseling and psychotherapy rest on assumptions about human nature. Current theories are primarily derived from Buddhist, humanistic, and evolutionary perspectives where there is no God or faith. This book mines the riches of scripture to identify the dimensions of human nature as understood in the Christian faith that can illuminate the work of the practicing clinician. These dimensions of human nature serve as a scaffolding that organize the scientific findings from psychology and neuroscience while remaining attentive to the spirituality of the client. A neuro-psycho-spiritual approach takes a whole-person perspective, delving into the psychological, neurobiological, and spiritual layers of human experience that are relevant to clinical practice. The counselor and psychotherapist will learn how to utilize the dimensions of human nature found in the Bible and apply them to their clinical work through the treatment of Joe, a priest struggling with a sex addiction. Joe will serve as a guide to illustrate how Christian principles can serve as a roadmap to better understand how emotional healing can be facilitated.