Integration of psychology & theology Essay

The worldview of Christian counseling is that activity which delves into helping people grow constructively in all aspects of their lives through a caring relationship and it is done by counselor with Christian assumptions and values. Alister E. McGrath, in his book Christian Spirituality (1999) states that spirituality comes from Hebrew â€Å"ruach† which has a set of meanings from spirit, breath to wind. In counseling however it refers to the pursuit for an authentic and fulfilled life, that comprises; taking values of Christianity its beliefs and making them part of our life so that they provide the â€Å"spirit† , â€Å"breath† and â€Å"fire† for our lives . Epistemology refers to the study of source or origin of knowledge. In counseling this helps in knowing the nature of persons, their problems and realizing the appropriate ways of counseling them. Imago Dei simply means the image of God. This helps counseling to direct us toward the relationship us and God. We have the image of God and that is why we value others. Holistic counseling has something to do with mind body and spirit. In essence these are the salient components of a whole human being. Holistic counseling involves the trinity of health by providing individualized services and monitoring all areas of wellness and how they impact the others. Types of confrontation in counseling involve: 1) the personal belief system; personal attitudes, unique experiences, personal and cultural beliefs. This is how a person evaluates life, people and events. 2) Organizational belief system; this is personal beliefs of employees in different roles within the organization. 3) Objective standards; rules and workplace standards that make up objective baseline. 4) Factual reference base; factual knowledge, punitive measures, and realistic understanding of consequences. Therapeutic relationship interacts with particular strategies to hinder or attain a client’s objectives. The relationship is significant to effective therapy. The personality, character, church background professionalism and setting for counseling are very crucial ethical standards for practicing as a Christian counselor. Spiritual formation is a continuous process in Christianity. Hebrews 12:1 describes it as â€Å"running the race with perseverance. † This in essence is God’s endless grace in reality to mankind. The role of spiritual formation is to attract, care and build the clients in life groups Healthy sense of self has a lot to do with self esteem. Sense of self helps us communicate with other about our feelings. References -Alister E. McGrath. (1999) Christian Spirituality. New York: Mc Graw -McMinn, Mark R. (1996). Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christianity Counseling. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 6