Selected Essays And Book Reviews
COUN 612 - Theories and Techniques of Counseling I
Lessons 19. Cognitive Theories: Larry Crabb {898 words}
1. Discuss the three types of counseling from Larry Crabb's point of view. Larry Crabb is a clinical Christian psychologist, who is close to a RET in Christian form. He wrote "Effective Biblical Counseling". His three types of counseling are: (a) encouragement (every Christian can listen, accept others, and provide advice), (b) exhortation (pastors, elders, and other lay counselors can teach biblical principles for biblical behavior), and (c) enlightenment (professionals and trained lay counselors (three hours per week for six to twelve months, minimum training) can deal with difficult or intractable problems using biblical (cognitive) therapy.
2. Discuss the goal of counseling according to Crabb. Counseling is not to help people be happier or less distressed. It is to help them please God by becoming more Christlike, as in Christian maturity. Maturity involves immediate obedience and long-range character growth. Immaturity is trying to shape our behavior to obtain acceptance from other people.
3. Discuss personality as seen by Crabb. People have needs, such as significance (purpose, importance, adequacy for a job, meaningfulness, and impact) and security (love and acceptance - both unconditional). Both give a sense of personal worth to individuals. Satan and the world program our unconscious mind, which in turn feeds our conscious mind, influencing our evaluation of events. The heart is basically self-serving. However, a person accepts Christ, receives a new self, and takes on the desire to feed biblical truth into the conscious mind, which combats the programming of the world. The conscious mind also affects the will, which allows us to decide to do biblical behavior. In addition, the conscious mind affects our emotions, with compassion and love being the biblical emotions that predominate, despite other feelings we may have. Biblical behavior affects compassion and compassion affects biblical behavior. The key, then, to biblical feelings, behavior, and thought is acceptance of Christ.
4. Discuss the general causes of problems from Crabb's point of view. The origins of problems are: (a) a threat to our needs for significance and security produces defenses, symptoms, and false beliefs about how to obtain that significance and security and (b) false beliefs produce the pursuit of wrong goals, which cannot meet our needs for significance and security adequately, thus continuing the cycle. The worsening of the problems are: (a) need = significance (without God, only power can be achieved; inevitably, this will result in psychological or physical violence) and (b) need = security (without God, only pleasure can be achieved; inevitably, this will result in immorality). The maintenance of the problems, which are wrong beliefs about how to meet needs for significance and how to maintain security, are: (a) behaviors aimed at reaching wrong goals and (b) negative feelings due to needs not being adequately met.
5. Discuss the theory of counseling from Crabb's point of view. According to him, the steps are identify problem feelings, identify (goal-oriented) problem behaviors, identify problem thinking, clarify biblical thinking about needs, once they are convinced secure a commitment that they will change, plan and carry out biblical behavior, and identify Spirit-controlled feelings.
5. Discuss the techniques from Crabb's point of view. His techniques are:
A. Identify problem feelings: use Rogerian listening methods.
B. Identify (goal-oriented) problem behavior. Ask the client: (1) what are you trying to accomplish with the behavior and (2) when was the first time that you remember feeling this way?
C. Identify problem thinking: Use Adlerian early recollection technique. Use the early recollection method to help the client recognize where he or she developed the belief that the best way to meet a need was through the behavior in which he or she is now engaging.
D. Teach clients that only God can completely meet their needs (changing client's assumptions or clarifying biblical thinking). Direct teaching usually produces apathy or anger. This is why exhortation or nouthetic counseling (change from old patterns of living to biblical, confrontation verbally, and concern springing from biblical love) does not work for everyone. Change the client's attitudes by identifying where the wrong assumption was learned (through early recollection). Encourage the expression of emotions surrounding the belief (allows the client to relax and feel accepted). Support the client as he or she considers changing assumptions. Teach the client what to fill the mind with. Use the tape recorder technique. The mind is seen as a tape recorder. Read cards of right or wrong assumptions.
E. Secure commitment: Is the client willing to behave consistently with biblical assumptions whether he or she feels like it or not? This is hypocritical to one's beliefs, but if you give in to your feelings, it is hypocritical to your Christian beliefs.
F. Plan and carry out biblical behavior. Plan together, talk about how plans worked out and how to make them work better.
G. Identify Spirit-controlled feelings. Notice evidence of change in the client's life and have him or her reflect on the change.
Tom of Bethany
"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
Index to Selected Essays And Book Reviews
Lesson 20. Cognitive Theories: Rogers
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