Integration Study Guide
• Challenge 4: Confronting Dominant Views of Mental Health
o Beneath every technique is a counseling theory, and beneath every theory is a worldview. Christian counselors must deliberately look at the worldview assumptions that underlie our theories and techniques. Bringing the Christian faith into the counseling office requires us to evaluate carefully the goals of therapy and to challenge the views of healing that surround us in the mental health professions. Example of a worldview challenge facing Christian counselors: assumption that mental health requires us to feel good about who we are. This type of hedonistic, individualistic ethic is not compatible with Christian spirituality. It denies the spiritual life and the role of brokenness in healing.
• Challenge 1: Moving From the Two Areas of Competence to Three
o For interdisciplinary integration, two areas of competence are necessary and sufficient: psychology and theology. A third area of competence is spirituality and the process of spiritual formation. Spiritual training is experiential and is rarely found in the classroom. It is found in prayer and devotional reflection, in church worship, fasting, and solitude.
• Challenge 5: Establishing a Scientific Base
o Issues involving informed consent in respect to using religiously oriented interventions that are not listed on the APA's list of empirically validated psychological procedures. Another issue is using techniques not endorsed by third-party payers.
• Challenge 3: Expanded Definitions of Training
o Professional training in spiritual-guidance techniques is lacking, even in religiously oriented training programs. Just as personal training is essential for competent counselors, personal training (devotions) is important for those who see the spiritual life as an essential component of effective Christian counseling. Spiritual disciplines provide opportunities to experience God, a way for deep internal change, opportunities to develop habits of holiness.
• Challenge 2: Blurred Personal-Professional Distinctions
o The kind of therapeutic relationships that foster healing are not formed merely from well-chosen techniques but grow out of the person's inner life. In this sense, counseling is both professional and personal. The counselor is a dispenser of healing technology (treats specific symptoms with specific techniques). The Christian counselor is also a healing agent - one whose spiritual life spills over in interactions with their clients. A counseling relationship is professional: occurs at a specified time and place, a fee is charged, client discloses more than counselor, relationship is terminated at some point. A Christian counseling relationship is also personal: both counselor and client invest energy and emotion in the relationship, both brings personal histories and worldviews to the relationship, both pray for successful therapy outcome, both are brothers/sisters in Christ. Christian counselors need to be highly trained in counseling theory and techniques and in theology but also personally trained to reflect Christian character.
Entwistle writes that C.S. Lewis addressed the issue of supernaturalism and science in his book Miracles. Know how Lewis viewed this phenomenon.
• "Lewis argued that the ability to identify something as a miracle actually depends upon knowledge of the normal rules of nature precisely because the miraculous does not fit the expected pattern. • A miracle is not something that breaks the rules but is an intervention by which something new is introduced into nature (p.117)
McMinn cites research by Whiston and Sexton that reported one of the best indicators of success in psychotherapy is:
• A strong therapeutic relationship (p.13)
McMinn compares the apostle Paul and the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) to which psychologist and his theory?
• Abraham Maslow is likened to Paul's Fruits of the Spirit
Know the elements in McMinn's pattern for healing.
• Accurate sense of self • Accurate awareness of need and healing relationships
McMinn notes that two authors argued positions that appeared almost identical; however, they were diametrically opposed. __________ "argued that the concept of sin is the cause of virtually all psychopathology" whereas ___________ "argued that sin is the cause of virtually all psychopathology."
• Albert Ellis • Jay Adams (p.127)
According to Entwistle, when a Christian counselor is seeking to integrate psychology and theology in order to help a couple deal with marital conflict in a counseling session, the Christian counselor is practicing ________________ integration:
• Allies • Applied Integration
According to Entwistle, which model asserts that "All truth is God's truth"?
• Allies as Subjects of on Sovereign
According to Entwistle, in the ____________________ model "psychological and theological methods are utilized to gain a more holistic and unified understanding of truth." Chapter
• Allies as subjects of One sovereign
Know which of Entwistle's models best describes the approach of Liberty University's graduate counseling program.
• Allies as subjects of One sovereign
Consider this definition: The integration of psychology and Christianity is a multifaceted attempt to discern the underlying truths about the nature and functioning of human beings from the unique vantage points of psychology (in its various sub-disciplines, utilizing diverse methodologies) and Christianity (in theology, faith, and practice). Which of Entwistle's models best fits this definition?
• Allies as subjects of One sovereign (integration model) (p.175)
Consider the following: Psychology highlights the awareness of multiple determinants of behavior (genetics, social environment, reinforcement history, etc.). This might help us understand why one individual struggles with certain sins while the same sins are not tempting for another individual. Then too, theology reminds us of the pervasiveness of sin and that while each individual may struggle with different types of sin, we all struggle with sin in some form. This example of the interaction between psychology and theology interaction illustrates which model?
• Allies as subjects of One sovereign (p.176)
According to Entwistle, the neutral parties model views psychology and theology as distinct and not interacting that can be carried out through psychological neutrality and Christian neutrality. Know the names of the people included in the psychological neutrality group.
• Allport (p.220) • M. Scott Peck (p.221) • Thomas Moore (p.221)
McMinn notes that Dr. Eric Johnson suggests ways the Bible can influence Christian Counselors. Which term refers to "giving us standards for what should be?"
• Axiological rule (p.100)
According to Entwistle, the neutral parties model views psychology and theology as distinct and not interacting that can be carried through psychological neutrality and Christian neutrality. Know the names of the people included in the Christian neutrality group.
• Carter and Narramore • David Myers & Malcolm Jeeves (p.224)
McMinn writes about many different challenges that Christian counselors will face as they confront interdisciplinary integration. Know them well.
• Challenge 1: Moving From the Two Areas of Competence to Three o For interdisciplinary integration, two areas of competence are necessary and sufficient: psychology and theology. A third area of competence is spirituality and the process of spiritual formation. Spiritual training is experiential and is rarely found in the classroom. It is found in prayer and devotional reflection, in church worship, fasting, and solitude. • Challenge 2: Blurred Personal-Professional Distinctions o The kind of therapeutic relationships that foster healing are not formed merely from well-chosen techniques but grow out of the person's inner life. In this sense, counseling is both professional and personal. The counselor is a dispenser of healing technology (treats specific symptoms with specific techniques). The Christian counselor is also a healing agent - one whose spiritual life spills over in interactions with their clients. A counseling relationship is professional: occurs at a specified time and place, a fee is charged, client discloses more than counselor, relationship is terminated at some point. A Christian counseling relationship is also personal: both counselor and client invest energy and emotion in the relationship, both brings personal histories and worldviews to the relationship, both pray for successful therapy outcome, both are brothers/sisters in Christ. Christian counselors need to be highly trained in counseling theory and techniques and in theology but also personally trained to reflect Christian character. • Challenge 3: Expanded Definitions of Training o Professional training in spiritual-guidance techniques is lacking, even in religiously oriented training programs. Just as personal training is essential for competent counselors, personal training (devotions) is important for those who see the spiritual life as an essential component of effective Christian counseling. Spiritual disciplines provide opportunities to experience God, a way for deep internal change, opportunities to develop habits of holiness. • Challenge 4: Confronting Dominant Views of Mental Health o Beneath every technique is a counseling theory, and beneath every theory is a worldview. Christian counselors must deliberately look at the worldview assumptions that underlie our theories and techniques. Bringing the Christian faith into the counseling office requires us to evaluate carefully the goals of therapy and to challenge the views of healing that surround us in the mental health professions. Example of a worldview challenge facing Christian counselors: assumption that mental health requires us to feel good about who we are. This type of hedonistic, individualistic ethic is not compatible with Christian spirituality. It denies the spiritual life and the role of brokenness in healing. • Challenge 5: Establishing a Scientific Base o Christian counselors must demonstrate scientifically the unique interventions Christian counselors use in the counseling office and their effectiveness. • Challenge 6: Defining Relevant Ethical Standards o Issues involving informed consent in respect to using religiously oriented interventions that are not listed on the APA's list of empirically validated psychological procedures. Another issue is using techniques not endorsed by third-party payers. Chapter 1
According to Entwistle, Jay Adams and John MacArthur are antagonistic toward psychology. As such, they are examples of which subset of Entwistle's Enemies model?
• Christian Combatants (p.192)
Know McMinn's theoretical map for spiritual and psychological health.
• Cognitive Therapy
According to Entwistle, the ____________________ model filters "isolated psychological findings through proof-texts or worldview; accepts or rejects findings without engaging discipline or methods of psychology."
• Colonialists
What is one difference between Entwistle's Spies model and his Colonialists model regarding theology?
• Colonialists differ from the domestic resident version of the spies paradigm in that they adhere to a conservative or orthodox Christian theological system rather than a liberal, neo-orthodox, or more broadly "religious" position. (p.172) While the colonialist sees psychology as valuable, it is foreign soil that he has not worked • Colonialist paradigm involves selectively including rejecting and re-labeling psychological finding to reflect the theological perspective of the model builder
McMinn believes Christian counseling should primarily focus on:
• Empirically validated Christian counseling model of personality, mental health and therapy Chapter 1 - Read McMinn's discussion of challenge #6
According to Entwistle, the Enemies model of integration (Secular Combatants subtype) asserts that:
• Encourages the exploration of the unique content of both disciplines and the methodologies that they employ. • Emphasize the point that psychology and religion may say similar things they are perpetually distinct • Parallel models (p.218) • "Live and let live" • Same as Levels of Explanation Model (Eric Johnson) • Same as Parallels Model (Carter & Narramore, 1979) • "Pastors handle spiritual problems and mental health professionals handle emotional problems" • Religious or Christian commitments of these scientists/counselors are compartmentalized
According to Entwistle, the Neutral Parties model (also known as the Levels of Explanation model) asserts that: Chapter 10
• Encourages the exploration of the unique content of both disciplines and the methodologies that they employ. • Emphasize the point that psychology and religion may say similar things they are perpetually distinct • Parallel models (p.218) • "Live and let live" • Same as Levels of Explanation Model (Eric Johnson) • Same as Parallels Model (Carter & Narramore, 1979) • "Pastors handle spiritual problems and mental health professionals handle emotional problems" • Religious or Christian commitments of these scientists/counselors are compartmentalized
According to Entwistle, the model is based on the belief that psychology and theology/Christianity are mutually exclusive and incompatible with each other.
• Enemies Model (p.165)
The five models of integration discussed by Entwistle are:
• Enemies- take an either/or position on the psychology of human beings versus the theology of human beings (p.165) o Secular Combatants- psychologically committed persons who are opposed to religion. (p.167) o Christian Combatants- see psychology as an enemy which is opposed by sound doctrine, and they see the use of psychotherapy (and sometimes psychotropic medication) as incompatible with (and unnecessary for) those who live victorious Christian lives (p. 167) • Spies- employ procedures of severing the "useful" from the extraneous" parts of the one discipline, on the basis of values inferred from the other discipline (p.170) o Foreigners- seek to identify religious elements that have psychological benefits (p.170) o Domestic Residents- those who practice watered down religion and are interested in proclaiming its psychological benefits. (p.170) • Colonialists- borrow selective findings from psychology but they do so as outsiders and pilferers (p.172) • Neutral Parties- employ procedures that serve to segregate the parts of each discipline from each other and perhaps to compare the findings of the one model to the findings of the other model (p.174) o Psychological facts and theological facts are seen in parallel terms (p.174) • Allies as subjects of One sovereign- integration model- will utilize segregation, but only for the purpose of disciplinary distinctiveness and methodology (p.176)
According to Entwistle, there are two types of Spies: _________________ (psychologists who seek to identify religious elements that have psychological benefits) and _____________ (those who practice a watered-down religion and are interested in proclaiming its psychological benefits).
• Foreigners • Domestic Residents
According to McMinn, effective counseling requires an ongoing assessment of three areas. Know them.
• Goals • The Client • The counselor (p.56)
Which of Entwistle's models emphasizes God's Word over God's Works?
• God's Word reveals the Will of God (Bible) • God's Works reflected His deeds written through His creation • Colonialists (p.173)
McMinn believes there is a "healing motif" written throughout the narrative of human history that reflects a common pattern to healing and health. Know this "healing motif."
• Healing Motif: Self-sufficiency leads to brokenness which draws into community with God and on another
McMinn suggests that a comprehensive integration perspective on psychological and spiritual health involves the following components:
• Healthy sense of self • Healthy sense of need • Healing relationships
According to McMinn, this foundational competence for integration is insufficiently emphasized in most Christian counseling programs.
• Intradisciplinary Integration (p.8) • Spirituality and the process of spiritual reformation Chapter 1
Study and know well McMinn's personal and professional challenges facing Christian counselors. pp. 9-26.
• Moving from Two Areas of competence to three o Psychology, Theology, and to understand spirituality and the process of spiritual formation (p.10) • Blurred personal-professional distinctions (p.12) • Expanded definitions of training (p.14) • Confronting dominant views of mental health (p.16) • Establishing a scientific base (p.21) • Defining relevant ethical standards (p.23)
Know the personal and professional challenges facing Christian counselors according to McMinn.
• Moving from two areas of competence to three, Blurred-professional distinctions, expanding definitions of training, confronting dominant views, establishing a scientific base and defining relevant ethical standards
McMinn uses the term _____________________ counselor to describe a counselor who is able to consider simultaneously: psychology, theology, and spirituality.
• Multi-tasking
McMinn believes that "Christian counseling is more complex than other forms of counseling because our goals are ______________________."
• Multifaceted (spiritual and mental health)
Imagine that Albert Ellis has a recent conversion experience which radically changes his outlook on religion. Even though he now believes that religion is a valuable area of study, yet he also thinks that both psychology and religion need to remain separate fields of academic discipline. His position now is that clients who enter counseling talking about spiritual issues need to be referred to pastors or religious counselors, while clients that are talking about emotional issues need to be seen by secular counselors. Ellis is now embracing which position of Entwistle's models of integration?
• Neutral Parties Paradigm (p.218)
In his chapter on prayer, McMinn mentioned many ways in which counselors have used prayer in counseling. Know them.
• Outside of prayer as direct petition and prayer as worship • See question #52 for the other 7 types of prayer
McMinn describes five ways to confront a client. They are:
• Pondering • Questioning • Silence • Direct Censure • Not Confronting
Know the seven different types of prayer in counseling suggested by McMinn.
• Praying for clients outside of sessions • Silently praying for clients during the sessions • Devotional mediation outside sessions • Devotional mediation during sessions • Training with in-session prayer and homework • Occasional in-session prayer • Routine in-session prayer
Many who subscribe to the Enemies model (Christian Combatants version) believe that counseling is the church's responsibility and should not be done by:
• Psychiatrists or Psychologists
According to Entwistle, an epistemological assumption made by the Enemies model (Christian Combatants version) is that: (know all the assumptions).
• Psychology is the enemy of the Church (p.193) • The care of the soul belongs to the Church (p.196) • Christian faith is sufficient for psychological well-being (p.197) • MacArthur construed psychology as a pseudo-science and a rival gospel; in fact, he identified psychology as on the "three deadly influences that undermine...spiritual life" (p.200) • Psychology and religion (Christianity) are fundamentally incompatible. Rejection and Eradication—Reject that which opposes one's view and eradicate anything within one's system that has its roots in the external system. Nouthetic Counseling—people are not sick but sinful, the use of psychology is idolatrous, the care of the soul belongs solely to the church, Scripture is sufficient for all psychological needs
Psychology and theology both use this methodology in their disciplines:
• Rational Inquiry (p.136)
According to Entwistle, there are two versions of the Enemies model. The ____________ combatants are antagonistic toward religious belief whereas the ________________ combatants see psychology as the enemy.
• Secular • Christian
Freud, Ellis, and Maslow were antagonistic toward religion. As such, they are examples of which subset of Entwistle's Enemies model?
• Secular Combatants (p.186)
According to a chart that McMinn designed, there were several examples of a faulty sense of self. Know them.
• Self-absorption • Self-hate • Lack of self-restraint (p.44)
According to McMinn, in order for integration to move beyond the limitations of current scholarly conceptual models to more applied models that can be used in the counseling room, the Christian counselor must better understand . . .
• Sometimes Christian counselors act as if their methods have been scientifically validated or as if they do not need to be scientifically validated. These are dangerous views that sometimes alienate Christian counselors from their colleagues. Christian counselors who wish to be accurately understood in their profession must use the language of science that is common to their profession. Christian counselors must demonstrate scientifically the unique interventions Christian counselors use in the counseling office and their effectiveness. Research evidence regarding spiritual-guidance techniques in counseling is sparse and needs to be a high priority for the Christian counseling movement.
What is McMinn's view of the relationship between Christian counseling models and the scientific method?
• Sometimes Christian counselors act as if their methods have been scientifically validated or as if they do not need to be scientifically validated. These are dangerous views that sometimes alienate Christian counselors from their colleagues. Christian counselors who wish to be accurately understood in their profession must use the language of science that is common to their profession. Christian counselors must demonstrate scientifically the unique interventions Christian counselors use in the counseling office and their effectiveness. Research evidence regarding spiritual-guidance techniques in counseling is sparse and needs to be a high priority for the Christian counseling movement.
McMinn argues that Christian counselor's _____________________ matters as much to integration as the secular and spiritual techniques s/he uses in counseling.
• Spiritual Reformation
Know the examples of faulty healing relationships proposed by McMinn.
• Splitting • Dependence • Exploitation (p.44)
Millard Erikson, according to Entwistle, observed that there are three general views of the character of imago Dei. Know these views.
• Substantive view- in which the image reflects a particular divine quality, such as thinking (p.152) • Relational View- in which human relatedness (made male and female) reflects divine relatedness within the trinity (p.152) • Functional View- in which the task of dominion, tending, creativity or some other activity reflects the divine endeavors (p.152)
Know the ways Dr. Eric Johnson suggests the Bible can influence Christian Counselors.
• The Bible plays an experiential role in our lives providing a rich resource for wisdom and personal maturity • Scripture plays a foundational role providing a common starting point for understanding our basic assumptions and beliefs • It plays a contextual role that allows us to understand human nature, meaning, and purpose of life • It plays an axiological role giving use standards for what should be • Scripture plays an anthropological role providing awareness of the historical narrative of human sin and divine redemption • It plays a canonical role providing an unchanging standard of truth • Plays a dialogical role providing rich resources for discussion and comparison between psychological knowledge and special revelation • Plays a creative role allowing us to consider and explore concepts and ideas that might not be considered from a purely psychological worldview
According to Entwistle, the Enemies model of integration (Christian Combatants subtype) asserts that:
• The enemies model of integration asserts that an assumption of incompatibility in which an either/or choice between psychology (science) and religion (Christianity) must be made (p. 185) • Christian Combatants- The church perceives science (psychology) as the enemy (p.192)
Entwistle mentions five keys to a Christian Theocentric worldview. Know them well.
• The essential unity of truth is recognized as grounded in a transcendent God who created an orderly world • Human capacities are seen as God-given, to be guided by intellectual and moral virtues and resulting in adoration of God. • Reality is seen as a holistic unity composed of physical, social, psychological, and transcendent phenomena. • Human finitude, frailty, and the individual and corporate (communal) effects of sin are recognized as limiting factors in the pursuit and acquisition of knowledge. • Various means of epistemic inquiry (e.g., rational discourse, empirical investigation, etc.) are recognized as means of evaluating truth claims, though each has unique strengths, limitations and areas of application that make them relevant to different forms of epistemic application (p.106)
According to Entwistle, an integration problem for both scientists and theologians is:
• The limitations of finances, interest, and time are significant obstacles in gaining a sufficient level of expertise from which to do integration. (p.281) • You cannot just be "bilingual" you must have a thorough understanding of the other discipline. • Lack of clear definition of integration • human finitude • human sinfulness • lack of holistic theology • presuppositional stumbling blocks • lack of familiarity with the historical and philosophical issues • failure to see psychology as larger than clinical and counseling • failure to see theology as something other than scattered proof-texting • educational systems omit faith learning integration • philosophical gap • ethical guidelines • human resistance to change • lack of cross-disciplinary expertise
McMinn believes that Christian counselors who are best prepared to help people are:
• Those not only highly trained in counseling theory and techniques and in theology but also personally trained to reflect Christian character inside and outside of the counseling office (p.14)
When faced with the reality of fallen human nature, McMinn believes we are left with three choices. They are:
• To do nothing- to stand paralyzed in a state of shame and proclaim are worthlessness • Confess our fallen nature- find ways of making restitution when appropriate, accept forgiveness, and be restored to healthy relationships • Seek comfort- through means other than confession (p.182)
According to Entwistle, the most significant principle that allows for dialogue and interaction between psychology and theology is:
• To understand a theorist's model of the relationship of the relationship of psychology and theology, we must first understand his or her conceptualization of psychology and theology as distinct disciplines • We must be aware of our presuppositions (p.161) • The principle of two books: God's Word and God's Works
Know the examples given by McMinn of a faulty awareness of need.
• Victim Role • Bitterness • Cynicism • Helplessness (p.44)
Citing Walsh and Middleton, Entwistle points out that worldviews ask four basic questions. Know them.
• What does it mean to be human? What are the characteristics of human nature? What is the purpose of human life? What duties, obligations, and responsibilities do human beings have? • What is the nature of the world? • What's wrong with the world and why do things go wrong? Why does the world contain suffering and evil? • How can what is wrong with the world, and what is wrong with my life, be fixed? What gives meaning or hope to human existence?
A worldview according to Entwistle is:
• Worldview- a window through which an individual views the world, assumptions and beliefs that color what he or she sees (p.67) Worldviews shape how we understand our experience in the world and reflect our expectation about life.