**  Please read the following articles together as a series,  in order to fully understand our position on these important issues.         Are Psychotherapies Coherent Science?           What Makes Counseling "Biblical"?           Medicine & Counseling: The Interface                Hopefully I'll be able to synthesize these articles into one article soon.  We agree that neurology, physiological psychology, comparative psychology (animal behavior / ethology), and limited dimensions of educational psychology (phonics validation, some testing, training of Autistic or Down's Syndrome children, etc.) are valid disciplines, which have collected some useful observations.  When such observations do not conflict with biblical principles, they can potentially enhance the application of biblical, relational truths.  This, by the way, was an important fact that saved my life a few times, back when I was a zookeeper, training carnivores (lions, tigers, & bears).  In contrast, however, there are hundreds of changing "psychotherapeutic" philosophies and practices, claiming to offer "scientific" facts for Solving People-Problems.  Yet they involve non-material variables, such as mind, will, and emotions, which are beyond the reach of coherent, experimental science.  Remember, Jesus claimed that Holy Scripture contains sufficient counsel for developing mature psychological character and intimate relationships.  That is the realm of biblical counseling.  Sadly, few Christians, and not nearly enough pastors, seem to know or apply God's sufficient, biblical counsel for the progressive sanctification of the soul (Greek = psyche).

We live in an age in which pseudo-Christian cults misuse biblical terminology, and in which professed "Christian" politicians justify their unbiblical lifestyles by redefining the normal meaning of common words like "is". Even when a person claims to be a "biblical" counselor, that claim alone doesn't tell you what they actually believe or do in counseling. So it's necessary for organizations and counselors to define what they mean by the use of relevant terms and phrases. 

Many counselors and organizations, like the AACC (American Association of Christian Counselors), once rejected the phrase "biblical counseling" to describe themselves, have now adopted that very phrase to market their newest version of counseling. Such a dramatic change begs a number of questions. What do they now mean by it? Has their counseling model significantly changed, now that they have changed its description? If their model and method has changed, then do they now believe that their previous model was "unbiblical"? Has their recent adoption of this phrase come about because of conviction through a systematic study of Scripture, or simply due to the fact that more and more people are asking for "biblical counseling" instead of "Christian" psychotherapy? These are vital questions everyone needs to ask, especially pastoral elders.

What makes a counselor truly "biblical"?  A biblical counselor is committed to helping hurting souls and families for God's glory. The counselor believes in and practice the sufficiency of God's living Word, for the non-physical counseling problems and relationships of the soul (psyche). A biblical counselor values the role of physicians when it comes to proven, biological etiologies, but the physician's realm is medical science not counseling. Counseling is the process of prayerfully and sensitively listening to another person (Prov 18:13, 17), helping them discern real soul needs, and providing practical, biblical advice about changing their attitudes and behaviors in relationship to God and others (Mat 22:36-40). Thus counseling is inescapably a religious endeavor, focused around the progressive sanctification of the soul. A biblical counselor believes that God's Word both warns against and prohibits the integration of nonbiblical psycho-philosophies, whether they be Confucianism, Buddhism, Freudianism, or any other psychotherapeutic theory and therapy for the soul (Prov 30:5-6; 1 Cor 4:6; Col 2:8-10).

By "sufficiency", a truly biblical counselor means that God did not have to wait for the help of modern, unregenerate men like Freud, Maslow, Rogers, Bowen, et. al., to provide for the fulfillment of God's promise and command of maturity in Christ character and intimate relational oneness (Gal 5:22-25). The New Testament repeatedly proclaims that the full provision of Christ's cross, Spirit, Word, and church relationships are more than enough to produce the fruit of abundant life and godly families (Col 1:27-2:10; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Peter 1:3). Scripture clearly sets forth the local church family as God's chosen counseling context to L.E.A.D. others into restoration and maturity under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, through loving, equipping, accountability, and discipline.

How do biblical counselors handle specific counseling problems like marital conflict, bulimia, anxiety, parenting, communication, addiction, etc.? These are topics for later newsletters, and already are addressed in the thousands of resources (books, articles, and tapes) available in the biblical counseling community.

Be sure to see our more extensive articles on issues related to counseling:

Are You Balancing Holiness & Love?
The Painful Pursuit of Pleasure, That Enslaves, but Never Satisfies (Updated Nov. 18, 2000)
Are Psychotherapies Coherent Science?  (Or religious philosophies, theologies.)
Medicine & Counseling: The Interface (Can biological factors stop the fruit of the Holy Spirit?)
Southern Medical Association (1998 Presentation - "When The Patient Asks Why Me?")
Counseling Questions & Answers (Answers to common questions asked by our emailers)
Cliché Counseling (Politically Correct New Age Psychotherapeutic Cliché Counseling - How NOT to help a hurting friend)
Classic Counsel (Practical advice from men like Jonathan Edwards, Baxter, Henry,...)
Should Christian Counselors Charge Fee$ ???  (Ministering and living by faith instead of selling the counsel of God)
Biblical Counselor Training:  A Five-Level Apprenticeship Program 
    (Equipping your church for soulcare: the personal ministry of God's Word)  
Critique of an "Evangelical" Seminary Counseling Program    (NOBTS, 35 pp) 
Suicidal Friend? What Can You Do? (Intervention and prevention)
Christ In You: The Hope of Counseling (A Person, not a program) 
A.B.C.'s For True J.O.Y. (Good News: profoundly simple, even for a child) 
Gentleness in Counseling  (Speaking the Truth in Love)