Archive for February, 2010
Types of Prayer for Counseling
Posted by Nick Roy in Psychotherapy, Theories of Counseling Sunday, 28 February 2010 21:37 No Comments
Mark McMinn (1996) seven types of prayer that are appropriate for use in counseling sessions. They are arranged in order of increasing risk of misuse in counseling.
- Praying for clients outside of sessions. As counselors, we are committed to the health of our clients. Therefore, we have a spiritual obligation to pray faithfully for our clients. This type of prayer is the least risky for a counselor to use.
- Silently praying for clients during sessions. The counselor needs to use this type of prayer with care. McMinn (1996) recommends using it during pauses in the session in order for the counselor to ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit. The counselor should keep it brief and set other limits so as to not interfere with the counselors listening ability. Having a counselor engaged in silent in-session prayer at the same time the client asking the counselor a question could damage the client-therapist relationship.
- Devotional meditation outside of sessions. This type of prayer can be as effective in reducing anxiety or anger issues in a client. However, whereas in Eastern religions, the use of imagery and meditation is used to empty one’s mind, this type of meditation is used to fill one’s mind with positive thoughts from the Holy Spirit as the guide.
- Devotional meditation during sessions. This type of prayer is considered effective as part of cognitive behavior therapy when a counselor is trying to help a client modify faulty core beliefs.
- In-session prayer training. Clients learn the various types of prayer during the counseling session and complete homework assignments at home to strengthen their spiritual life.
- Occasional in-session prayer. This type of prayer may be beneficial for those clients facing acute stress or grief, such as for people coping with the loss of a loved one. However, praying with a client who is known to have a mental disorder, such as schizophrenia could be destructive to the patient and to the therapeutic relationship.
- Routine in-session prayer. This type of prayer is what Jesus condemned as it is praying for social effect. Most prayer should a private relationship with God. Routine in-session prayer runs the risk of becoming a ritual as with praying before meals is a ritual and social effect.
References
McMinn, M. R. (1996). Psychology, theology, and spirituality: In christian counseling. Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Popularity: 13% [?]
Prayer in Counseling Continued
Posted by Nick Roy in Psychotherapy, Theories of Counseling Sunday, 28 February 2010 12:05 No Comments
Mark McMinn (1996) describes four types of prayer that may be used in the field of Christian counseling. Counselors may silently pray for clients during pauses in conversations, counselors may also pray for clients outside of sessions. I believe these two forms of prayer are always beneficial and should be implemented by the Christian counselor. The final two types of prayer that McMinn (1996) describes are when counselors orally pray with clients during a session and when counselors encourage clients to pray outside of sessions. I believe these forms of prayer may be, but are not always appropriate. When prayer is unwanted or causes the client to become uncomfortable it actually becomes counter effective and may be detrimental to the process of helping and healing. We as counselors should be open to yet cautious when using prayer in counseling settings.
References
McMinn, M. R. (1996). Psychology, theology, and spirituality: In christian counseling. Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Prayer and the Holy Spirit in Counseling
Posted by Nick Roy in Psychotherapy, Theories of Counseling Sunday, 28 February 2010 12:05 No Comments
A counselor who is a Christian has the initial challenge to develop a powerful, personal prayer life. Such a spiritual and prayer life, or lack thereof, will directly impact the understanding, approach, and use of prayer in counseling. McMinn (1996) states that the use of prayer in session is not what should be in question, but what forms of prayer with which clients and under what circumstances. It is important to remember that seeking to help a client find and build a healthy sense of self, need, and healing relationships means that a counselor cannot use prayer as a coercive means to control or as a mask that the client can use to cover deeper issues (McMinn, 1996). Therefore, it is imperative for a client to be open and willing to take part in prayer and not be forced into participation.
Brewer (n.d.) indicates that possible negative impacts of prayer could be the development of dependency on the counselor rather than God, self-consciousness, putting on a mask, and breach of boundaries. To caution against these negative outcomes a counselor can use prayer for clients outside of the session, silent prayer in session, meditation outside of session, and imagery in session, to name a few (Brewer, n.d.). What are important are the comfort level of the client and the appropriate use of prayer suited specifically for the circumstances.
References
Brewer, G. (n.d.). [Prayer and Christian Counseling]. Liberty University.
Brewer, G. (n.d.). [Prayer for Psychological and Spiritual Health]. Liberty University.
McMinn, M.R. (1996). Psychology, theology, and spirituality in Chrisitan counseling. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House.
Popularity: 9% [?]
Family Relationships and the Impact on Adolescent Substance Abuse
Posted by Nick Roy in Theories of Counseling Sunday, 28 February 2010 12:04 No Comments
The following study investigates family relationships and the impacts on adolescent substance abuse. More specifically, the current study addresses the research question of whether family relationships impact adolescent substance abuse. Findings of the investigation reveal that peer relationships represent one the strongest individual predictors of substance abuse. More critically, results show that family relationships, specifically with parents, can significantly impact the nature of peer relationships. This, in turn, means that parents can exert a powerful influence, either positive or negative, on adolescent behaviors of their children especially in relation to substance abuse. Implications of these findings suggest that for a society that increasingly spends more and more time away from the home, reconsideration of values and norms is in order.
This is an ongoing research study as part of the Liberty University graduate psychology program.
References
Roy, N. J. (2009). Family Relationships and the Impact on Adolescent Substance Abuse. Liberty University. Available [Online]: http://www.galtmilemedia.com/docs/family-relationships-adolescent-substance-abuse.pdf
Popularity: 5% [?]
Spirituality, Therapeutic Relationships, and the Ministry of Counseling
Posted by Nick Roy in Psychotherapy, Theories of Counseling Sunday, 28 February 2010 12:03 No Comments
Suffering and pain can bring about great healing and transformation (Nouwen, 1975). Opposites shed light on each other, and therefore the beauty of healing is not seen as cleary unless it is against the backdrop of painful experience. Nouwen (1975) explains: “The paradox is indeed that new life is born out of the pains of the old” (p. 19).
Painful experiences that are a part of life give humanity a longing for healing, for “often it is the dark forest that makes us speak about the open field” (Nouwen, 1975, p. 19). The counselor is a guide for hurting people to help them come out of painful experiences and find healing. However, to rememdy the pain to quickly can short circuit the process and may cause dependency. The client who comes into counseling in despair gives the counselor the opportunity to promote solitude in the counseling session and to “speak about the fertile tree while witnessing the dying of the seed” (Nouwen, 1975, p. 53). The beauty of true life and transformation is that it comes out of death. It is the complete message of the gospel. Nouwen (1975) speaks of creating emptiness in a client in order for them to truly understand themselves, which drives them toward true living. It would not be wise to state directly to the client that pain must come first in an insensitive manner. Using professionalism and descretion over blunt verbiage would be best, but the message is still the same.
Reference
Nouwen, H.J.M. (1975). Reaching out: The three movements of the spiritual life. New York: Doubleday.
Popularity: 6% [?]