The Art of Christian Counseling
OUTLINE

Jim McStudentman

Liberty University

Course and Section # PACO 507 XXXXXX Sub-term XXX; Deadline: XXXXXX Instructor’s Name – XXXXXXXX Date of Submission XXXXX

I. Introduction:
Our value is priceless, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed…but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (NIV, 1 Peter 1:18–19). With this in mind, the Christian counselor understands the beauty and value of God’s work.
II. What is Important for Understanding Human Personality?
A. Personality
“All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord” (NIV, Proverbs 16:2).
The personality is a reflection of multiple constructs within a person. The “forces” that shape may be viewed as a series of 5 “concentric circles diagramming the self” beginning with the “Core of Self” as the innermost circle (Hawkins, COUN507a, TB SO1 200720, Slide 2)
B. Motivation
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (NIV, Psalms 51:10). “It is not…events either past or present which make us feel the way we feel, but our interpretation of those events. Our feelings are not caused by the circumstances of our long-lost childhood or the circumstances of the present. Our feelings are caused by what we tell ourselves about our circumstances, whether in words or in attitudes” (Backus & Chapian, 2000, p. 17).
Our interpretations can be misguided. “Satan’s first and foremost strategy is deception” (Anderson, 2000, p. 23).
“Nobody other than you has the power to make you miserable. That power is yours alone” (Backus & Chapian, 2000, p. 68).
C. Human Development
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” (NIV, Psalms 139:13–14). Based on the concept that our “personality traits come in opposites,” Erik Erikson identified major points in life that we all face crisis, and must make decisions on how to handle these crisis (Harder, 2002, p. 1).
The process of development and the journey of life involve maturity. “Maturity involves two elements: (1) immediate obedience in specific situations and (2) long-range character growth” (Crabb, 1977, p. 23).
D. Individual Differences
Our culture encourages expressed individuality unlike eastern and communist societies that emphasize the sum of the collective body is greater than the individual.
In every system, there is individuality because every individual was created to have a unique relationship with God.
III. Where are Problems Developed?
A. Working Definition of Health
“The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short” (NIV, Proverbs 10:27).
“Taking time to rest has implications that benefit our minds and our bodies. Resting also affects our relationships and spirituality” (Hart, 1999, p. 120).
B. Working Definition of Illness
“There is a way that seems appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (NIV, Proverbs 14:12).
“Misbeliefs are the direct cause of emotional turmoil, maladaptive behavior and most so-called ‘mental illness’” (Backus & Chapian, 2000, p. 17). “Your thoughts…can change your biochemistry” (Backus & Chapian, 2000, p. 26).
C. Psychological and Spiritual Illness
Anxiety on a cognitive level is: “1. Fear in the absence of real danger. 2. Overestimation of the probability of danger and exaggeration of its degree of terribleness. 3. Imagined negative results” (Backus & Chapian, 2000, p. 68). On a physiological level, it “is not the presence of some phenomenon