“What is Jungian analytic psychology, and is it biblical?”……Without a doubt, there are many theories of psychology that are at odds with the Bible. However, it is possible to incorporate certain aspects of secular theory into Bible-based counseling. The key is to compare a psychological theory with the truth of the Bible; ideas and methods […]
“What is existential therapy, and is it biblical?”……Psychological theories are generally based in more pervasive philosophical concepts, such as naturalism or humanism. These underlying philosophies often cause Christians to reject a psychological theory. However, once psychological theories receive some biblical correction, Christian counselors can effectively use them to assist clients. Existential therapy is unique in […]
“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 […]
“Does the Bible mention schizophrenia?”……Schizophrenia is mentioned nowhere explicitly in the Bible. Schizophrenia is a psychological disorder characterized most commonly by hearing voices and having hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, and, at times, paranoia. Often mistaken for what was once called split personality/multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia is not associated with dissociative identity disorder. The symptoms can […]
“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 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 […]
“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 […]