Page 57 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 7

Foundational Discussions in Christian Psychology

to have attributed his person-centered therapy problems), and choose behavioral patterns in
in reaction to “dark Calvinism” taught to him keeping with stated commitments. While this
in childhood. model represents a third generation of beha-
Indeed it is true that we can trace human suffe- vioral therapy, it too prioritizes the voice and
ring back to original sin. Yet, counseling models insights of the client.
focusing on sin as the cause of human problems
too easily morph into searching for willful sin In addition, narrative exposure therapies such
as the cause of particular problems. You are de- as Narrative Exposure Therapy and Cognitive
pressed? It is because you sinned. You are an- Processing Therapy also prioritize the voice and
xious? It is because you sinned or lack faith. In story of victims of psychosocial trauma. While
my psychopathology course I ask my students to new perspectives are sought, they develop not
consider what it means to be an image-bearer of so much from the expert therapist who corrects
God. Typically, student responses include cha- perspective but more from a mutual bearing
racteristics such as reason, relationality, agency, witness to the story. Such witness often presents
self-less love, and the like. I then split the class opportunity to highlight hidden narratives,
in half to ask one group to develop questions consider new perspectives borne out of trauma
they might ask a first-time client if starting from (posttraumatic growth), and question distorted
imago dei as the ultimate reality. The other half perspectives gained during trauma.
is charged to consider questions they might ask
if starting from the Fall as ultimate reality. This These narratival and relationship-oriented
little project rarely fails to convince students that counseling methods ought to be foundational
starting points shape entire counseling relation- for every Christian counselor. Therapy is far
ships. I conclude by asking students whether less a “telling” than it is a “being with” ministry.
they tend towards being a creation counselor or We see this illustrated by Jesus as he interacts
a Fall counselor. Most students conclude that it with the man by the pool of Bethesda (John 5)
is tempting to look only at problems rather than or the woman at the well (John 4). We see relati-
client capacities and inherent value. But when onship and dialog take precedence over presen-
they consider times in their lives when they tation of a verdict; we see gentle questions re-
have been themselves most helped, most con- garding their narratives prioritizing respect for
clude that being respected, listened to, valida- the “sinner’s” voice. Essential to the Christian
ted (vs. blamed and exhorted) enabled them to life is the construction of a narrative about the
work through problems and take an active role identify of believers are in this world. Christian
in their own growth. counselors needn’t worry that such construc-
ting of narratives are done without regard to
Narrative Therapies and the Construction of truth. Those interested in narrative work done
Meaning from a distinctly evangelical frame may wish to
The essay only briefly speaks of narrative thera- explore Kevin Vanhoozer’s 2010 essay on theo-
py as an alternative to counseling starting from drama (narrative) shaped by therapists as “ac-
original sin. Berg provides little explanation of ting” or script coaches.
this model nor does he connect it to the emer- I thank Sam berg for the essay on addressing
ging therapies today that utilize narrative con- clients from a positive co-constructional per-
struction as central to the change process. Berg spective and urge that all counselors re-con-
cites Epston and White’s work and their focus sider starting assumptions that unnecessarily
on processes such as externalization of the pro- focus on the negative in the lives of those they
blem and support for the client to explore and help.
recreate her own story, agency, and identity.
Today, therapies like Acceptance and Commit- Vanhoozer, K.J. (2010). Forming the performers: How
ment Therapy (ACT) are being used to help cli- Christians can use canon sense to bring us to our (theo-
ents explore and examine explicit and implicit dramatic) senses. Edification, 4:1, 5-17. http://www.
christianpsych.org/wp_scp/wp-content/uploads/Edifica-
values, accept realities (much like externalizing tion-4.1.pdf

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