Posts Tagged ‘counseling’
Book Review: Hurt People Hurt People
Posted by Nick Roy in Theories of Counseling Sunday, 18 April 2010 18:44 No Comments
Writing from personal experience, Dr. Wilson (2001) believes that, “what we learn in our families shape every area of our lives.” When children grow up in hurtful homes, they do not learn the basics of healthy relationships (Wilson, 2001, p. 124). Parents, who abuse and neglect their children in the many ways that Dr. Wilson describes, become bad examples for our children’s future relationships. It has been documented that 30% of parents who were abused as children will grow up abusing and neglecting their own children (Narang, D. S., & Contreras, J. M., 2000). This observational learning perpetuates the hurting people who hurt other people. There is much truth in that statement, as sin-broken human beings, we can all relate to a personal perspective having been on both ends of receiving and giving hurt to others. In her book Hurt People Hurt People, Dr. Wilson discusses and describes these hurts as “actions, words, and attitudes that are intentional and unintentional, visible and invisible, hands-on and hands-off, other perpetrated and others self inflicted” (p. 9). These wounds or injuries are typically described as physical, sexual, emotional, mental, verbal or spiritual neglect or abuse.
Book Review: Hurt People Hurt People
Popularity: 15% [?]
The Effects of Childcare on a Newborn’s Overall Development
Posted by Nick Roy in Pychology of Childhood Tuesday, 9 March 2010 12:35 No Comments
According to the NICHD Study of Early Child Care, “Maternal employment by the ninth month was found to be linked to lower Bracken School Readiness Scores at 36 months, with the effects more pronounced when the mothers were working 30 or more hours per week…” (Brooks- Gunn, Han, Waldfogel, 2002, pg. 1052). The text, in interpreting the same study, states that while there are some disadvantages to infant childcare, there is no difference in the attachment levels of infants in childcare versus infants cared for by their mothers; and at risk infants are actually cognitively benefited from high quality daycare situations. However, studies also show that longer maternity leave makes for a healthier relationship between mother and infant (Feldman, 2008).
What Advice Would You Give to Parents Who Were Deciding the Issue of Childcare for Their Child?
In a counseling situation, a careful examination of the family’s budget could determine the actual salary brought in by the second income and help clarify the best option for the family. In a two career family, careful attention needs to be paid to the actual costs of working. There are expenditures beyond the childcare fees, such as taxes, commuting, and wardrobe purchase and care. (Rankin, 2002)
As a counselor, this writer would lean toward encouraging mothers to find ways to stay home with their children. Titus 2 and Proverbs 31 list positive attributes of godly women, without making clear statements about whether or not women should work outside the home. In both passages, women are encouraged to place the needs of their husbands and children above their own aspirations. This principle, while not seemingly popular, is still possible to apply today, and a Christian counselor could help families seeking to do so think through all the options creatively.
References
The Bible. New American Standard Version.
Brooks-Gunn, J., Han, W., & Waldfogel, J. (2002, July-August). Maternal employment and child cognitive outcomes in the first three years of life: The NICHD study of early child care [Electronic version]. Child Development, Vol. 73, No.4, 1052-1072.
Feldman, R. S. (2008). Development across the life span. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Rankin, N. (2002) Taking parenting public: The case for a new social movement [Electronic version]. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield. Retrieved June 30, 2009, from http://www.handinhandparenting.org/csArticles/articles/000000/000045.htm
Popularity: 13% [?]
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% [?]
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% [?]
Worldviews and Educational Experiences
Posted by Nick Roy in Theories of Counseling Sunday, 28 February 2010 12:03 No Comments
In my own education and experience, Jerusalem was always stressed as imperative, yet it did not negate the significance of Athens. I don’t mean to say that these two schools were taught to me as equals. The Bible was taught as God’s Word; a filter to view the world around me. However, I was not taught that the Academy and the Church were fundamentally opposed to one another, but complimentary. As Entwistle (2004) states, “Indeed, the rallying cry of integration is that all truth is God’s truth, so that wherever and however truth is discovered, its author is God” (p. 16).
Nevertheless, this statement cannot be taken niavely or without recognition that the conflict between the Academy and the Church is apparent when one sees a distinction between allegiance to God and allegiance to man (Entwistle, 2004). For this reason, I agree with Entwistle (2004) that “secular” knowledge, meaning knowledge obtained from observation and methods outside of reading the Bible, is still knowledge of God’s truth and must be viewed from a larger, Biblical framework.
My personal religious background and my education were influencial in my perspective. I attended public and Christian schools and colleges. Specifically, in my Christian educational experiences there was much concern and care taken to teach a Biblical worldview while also teaching secular knowledge through a Biblical lens. This type of education allowed for integration of God’s “Two Books”: the Bible and the creative order (Brewer, n.d.)
References
Brewer, G. (n.d.). [Lecture 2: Defining integration: Key concepts]. Liberty University.
Entwistle, D.N. (2004). Integrative approaches to psychology and christianity: An introduction to worldview issues, philosophical foundations, and models of integration. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock.
Popularity: 5% [?]