Liberty University - The Integration Model of Counseling
In what ways are your own beliefs
about integration similar and different from Liberty University’s? How might Liberty University’s integration
model be a challenge for you?
After watching Dr. Hawkins’
presentation, The Integration Model of
the Center for Counseling and Family Studies (2013), I don’t believe my
beliefs about counseling will be any different from the views of Liberty
University. While completing my
undergraduate studies at Liberty, my eyes were opened to integrating secular
beliefs with my own Christian values and how they can best be used in the
helping professions. Dr. Hawkins’
presentation could be best summed up by being motivated by his question, “What
does this person need? What is the grace
response?” (Hawkins, 2013). As a counselor,
I have to be guided by the Holy Spirit to use all of the resources I have
available (biblical and secular) to best help a person bring about a positive
and effective change in their life.
Through this process, God will create opportunities for me to introduce
the Gospel of Christ and share a message of salvation that will bring about
more healing and understanding.
Clinton and Ohlschlager (2002) include
a quote from McMinn (1996), who tells us that Christian counselors are
multitasking experts. Simultaneously we
must be able to process several ideas spanning multiple categories from
psychology, theology, and spirituality (McMinn, 1996). Psychologically, we have to view the problems
of the client from their perspective while being able to reflect emotions and
read body language (McMinn, 1996). We
must also understand the spiritual life of our client. Are their problems related to behavioral
habits or do they relate more to their spiritual development? These questions can be answered better by
using many techniques that have been developed by believers and non-believers (Clinton
& Ohlschlager, 2002).
Adopting a strictly secular
approach to counseling will exclude a spiritual approach to many questions that
can only be answered by having a spiritual relationship with Christ. Also, adopting a strictly Christian approach
to counseling will discount the countless hours of research and theories by
scientists such as Erikson, Piaget, Freud, Jung, etc. While my personal beliefs may not be
consistent with their beliefs, I can see how the Holy Spirit speaks to me
through Freud’s explanation of the id, the ego, and the superego. Dictionary.com gives a definition of
integration as it relates to psychology, “the organization of the constituent
elements of the personality into a coordinated, harmonious whole.” For the Christian counselor, a coordinated
and harmonious whole must include psychology, theology, and spirituality to
bring an awareness of the necessity of having a relationship with Jesus Christ.
If you or someone you know are suffering from addiction and you are ready to seek help, contact Coastal Wellness Counseling now for a free consultation.
If you or someone you know are suffering from addiction and you are ready to seek help, contact Coastal Wellness Counseling now for a free consultation.
References
Clinton, T. E., &
Ohlschlager, G. W. (2002). Competent
Christian counseling. Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press.
Hawkins, R. (2013). The
integration model of the center for counseling and family studies [Video file].
Integration | Define Integration at Dictionary.com. (n.d.).
Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/integration?s=t
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