“What is theophostic counseling, and is it biblical?”……The word "theophostic" comes from two Greek words which mean "God" and "light." Theophostic counseling is essentially "God bringing to light the truth." Theophostic counseling was originally developed by Dr. Ed Smith. The primary theory behind theophostic counseling is that many issues that require counseling, such as depression […]
“What does the Bible say about codependency?”……Codependency is a mental health designation for relationships in which people use one another to get their own emotional needs met, but in a selfish and destructive manner. Codependency is not a mental health diagnosis, but a symptom associated with many psychological disorders. Originally, codependent was a term used […]
“What is psychotheology?”……The term "psychotheology" is an adaptation of a theory from Sigmund Freud called "psychopathology" in which he suggests that our unconscious mind can influence our daily life by manifesting itself in dreams, forgetfulness, slips of the tongue, or various other behaviors. In psychopathology, the psychological creates the pathology. Similarly, psychotheology claims that the […]
“What is reality therapy, and is it biblical?”……Mental health counselors often disagree about the legitimacy of secular counseling theories; Christians have proven even more skeptical. Many secular theories are based on unbiblical philosophies that are unacceptable to Christians. However, not everything the theories posit is inherently unbiblical. When Christian counselors think critically about the theories […]
“What is inner healing, and is it biblical?”……"Inner healing" refers to an attempt to free people from the negative emotional effects of harmful experiences. Inner healing has become more popular lately in the Christian community (see our article on Sozo Prayer). "Christian" inner healing practitioners use various techniques that are also used in mysticism, including […]
“What is postmodern therapy, and is it biblical?”……Postmodernism is a worldview opposed to modernism. Rather than rely on scientific fact and a sense of absolute truth, postmodernists believe that:Reality is constructed. Reality does not exist apart from observation. Many Christians fear to engage postmodernism, as it clearly denies absolute truth and espouses relativism. However, certain […]
“What is psychoanalytic theory, and is it biblical?”……Psychology and biblical counseling have a history of opposition. However, there are Christian counselors who use certain techniques found in psychological theories while still giving biblical counsel. The key is to critically evaluate the psychological theory against the truth of the Bible to determine what may be helpful […]