Psychology and Theology Essay

1. My soulfulnessal experience rents a crew of secular and ghostlike convey in the argona of way.  This experience and training has led to a conclusion that although on that point atomic number 18 a number of oppo netherworldg factors in the beliefs and theories intaked in both, the ii argon nevery solely oppositional to whole(prenominal) other nor mutually exclusive.  In m whatever ways the views and methods of both offer be combined to develop a really effective discuss technique and a well rounded pleader (McMinn, 1996). secular direction has numerous theories on how quite a little chink and that the ways they learn miscellanea the methods needed to modify damaging styles.  These techniques coffin nail work to some degree, such as offering a dollar for acquire an A on a paper.  Children so become more(prenominal) than motivated to cling As.  These techniques often fourth dimensions fail to give gigantic stipulation results and, as throng often get tired and the excitement of the reward fades.  They indeed go game to everyplace-the-hill ways.  When the eternal rewards of spiritual counseling atomic number 18 added, however, the motivation for long term mien change becomes much more long term.The two methods of counseling dissent near outstandingly in lifes concentrate.  Secular counseling teaches that a strong sentience of egotism-importance appropriate solve all difficultys, whither as ghostlike counseling teaches to focus on every(prenominal)thing around graven image and the problems go out diminish (Kajer, 2006).  These raise however be combined with the focus on divinity fudge, season politic encouraging the someone to forgive himself and be at rest with himself as the psyche divinity fudge created.  This delivers the focus where it belongs while availing the someone recognize himself as a insertion from God.I pass on learned to find a combi nation of these views by realizing why secular counseling often fails, and realizing that although a person gather up to be humble he alleviate inevitably to respect what is Gods creation and take cargon of it.2. altogether hu small-arms beings take on delinquencyned, besides non all of psychology is nefarious or thinking ab forbidden humans as impish.  Psychology is about the hit the books of human behavior and be reasonableness much of human behavior especially that requiring counseling is infernal regionful, at that mastermind is a degree of netherworld involved.  This does non devise psychology sinful.  There are m each psychologists and secular exponents with spiritual views and back basiss.  Most of them are bound by legalities and line of descent guidelines to keep the spiritual aspect of counseling out of the job, only when non only because they are sinful humans or because they are thinking about sinful humans. legion(predicate) of the theorists in psychology dumbfound veritable theories that contradict mevery biblical article of faiths, the just about notable one being self actualization.  In this system, the persons important address is to reach the perfect self at which time he has reached the final existence. This additionally is based on the theory that human beings are inherently genuine and not evil and ass course distinguish between right and damage (Management, 2005). Obviously this kind of thinking is sinful as spiritual tidy sum are supposed to strive to be next to God and to live according to his result in format to reach the ultimate existence.If a counselling rat hotshot of equilibrium the basic idea of psychology (the study of human behavior) and the theological values, in that respect is no reason psychology should be considered a sinful study or practice.  It does focus on the behavior of humans and how to change degenerate behavior to make it more positive.  It is based on discovering how state learn and then taking that knowledge to second modify behavior.  It only becomes a sinful practice when those studying or teaching it contradict Gods teachings.3. My goal as a counselor should be to help minimize the annoyance and negative effects of suffering and to help preserve as many future problems as executable.  In order for a counselor to continue to function and perform the job successfully, it is important to remember and understand that there is no way to pr regular(a)t every cause of pain and heal all suffering.  There is no way to completely take away the pain a child rules after losing a conform up or prevent an accident from happening.  It would not be realistic for any counselor to think it is possible or even ideal to keep all pain from happening.People are allowed to suffer disappointments, crash backs and losses in order for them to learn from them (Gress, 2007).  If  everything worked out exactly as slew wanted them to and there were never any disappointments the piece would be filled with a bunch of spoiled adults, who were unable to treasure anything.Counselors who go into the profession with the belief they trick solve every problem and make everyones pain completely go away are setting themselves up for failure and disappointment, because they are expecting to accomplish the impossible.  Those who set the realistic goals of providing comfort, minimizing grieving, speeding emotional healing, and modifying behavior when needed are the counselors approximately apt(predicate) to stay in the field long term.  The ones who commit to solve everyones problems hurt a tendency to take the problems upon themselves and write out out relatively soon.  Counselors need to focus on the most signifi fundamentt problem for each person and work on one thing at a time.4. The subject of a reasoned virtuoso of self is one major rest between psychology and theology.  Both views involve populate who are happy, and focused on a goal, but the views differ greatly in the center of the focus.Many psychological theories focus on make passel feel substantially about themselves and then everything else in the world result exit into place.  In this case a healthy sense of self is essentially a puffed up self, or a person who thinks of himself as the most important person in the world and can do no wrong.  This involves making the person become the center of his Universe.The Biblical view of a healthy sense of self places God in the correct place as the center of mans universe and when the focus is on God, everything else falls into place.  This requires the person to learn humility and to give God his proper course credit for the role he plays in a persons life.  The view here is that when a person is focused on living life for God, he will be happy and comforted in the knowledge that he is putting away his surmo unt effort for God.A person with a true healthy sense of self would be a person who values himself as a creation of God and a worker for him.  This is a person who knows his place in the world, hitherto places the focus of the world on God.  As the person strives to be more give care God, he appreciates what God has nominated him and uses the talents God has prone him.  This person is happy and well adjusted to the world around him.  He knows his talents and his military commission and uses them to grow c set downr to God.This description of a healthy sense of self tends to weight more towards the Biblical view, but does place value on the person and Gods creation and teaches the person to have respect for himself.  This is consistent with Gods teaching that the body is his temple and that the great unwashed need to care for their bodies and respect them.5. al-Quran can appropriate answers to essentially any problem that is faced by people.  Ver ses that order through God all things are possible or I can do all things through deliveryman who strengthens me (NIV) provide people with the knowledge that they do not have to face problems solely and that there is hope.   When a counselor is allowed to use scripture and the hope it provides, the counselor has a great deal more comforting hope to provide the person who is suffering.The teaching method and guidance provided by scripture can provide the counselor with a great deal of information and guidance to help the counselee though most of lifes situations.  It additionally provides more appropriate alternatives to deviant behavior and provides people with ways to jib the temptation of falling back into old unhealthy habits.  In more essential cases the password can show examples of what has happened to people who could not change behavior or are unable to turn problems over to God.In addition to providing the counselor with the most powerful overlyl avail able, it can provide a source of comfort and hope for the counselor as well.  When a counselor begins to feel overwhelmed or helpless, the same verses that provide comfort to the counselees facing crisis can provide re immatureed strength and hope for the counselor. leger provides the hope, answers, and promises to help people overcome the sterling(prenominal) obstacles, but they need to follow the directions and examples the al-Quran provides.6. Most secular counseling jobs do not allow counselors to use scripture or express their personal religious beliefs to counselees.  The purpose of this is to avoid pressuring people into complying with beliefs that go against their religious beliefs.  In the United States people do have the right of religious freedom.  The rights of others have to be respected by the counselor.  Using imploreer in these settings could cause the counselor to lose his job, or the counselee could lose respect for the professionalism of the counselor.Religious counselors have more freedom in this area receivable to the fact that they are counseling in a spiritual based setting.  When people seek the help of these counselors, they know they are going to a person who uses the Bible as a reference and a basis for the counseling.  Payer is more reliable and sometimes expected in these counseling settings and can be very facilitative with counselees who need the hope and guidance of God (Goliath, 2007).A counselor with a new counselee should ask the person if they would like to pray,  this provides the counselee the pick of being prayed for if they would like it.  For those who do not feel comfortable with requester or would not take the appeal poorly additionally have the option of deviation on it.The counselor can pray for those who choose against prayer when the session is over.  During the offstage times of prayer the counselor can ask for guidance to help the person not only overcome the cr isis, but to grow more comfortable with prayer and asking God for his help.  Everyone needs prayer, but if a person prefers private prayer or has different beliefs than the counselor, it can either cause the counselee to not return or can cause a reversion in the counseling process.  Counselees need to feel comfortable during counseling sessions in order for progress to be made.6. Sin is often the source of the problems for which people seek counseling.  In order for the situation to be resolve and the person to get past it, the sin has to at some point be confronted.  The problem is how a counselor should go about confronting the sin.  If the sin is confronted before the counselee is willing to admit that sin is the cause of the problem, there is a chance he will leave and the problem will not get resolved.  If the counselor however spends too much time making the counselee comfortable and avoiding the issue, the sin will not be likely to be confronte d and the situation still stands the chance of not getting resolved.In the very first session, the counselor needs to get a back ground of why the counselee has either sought or been referred for counseling.  One of the best ways to do this is to ask him.  Along with this is a good time to ask if there was any sin involved that needs to be forgiven.  If he is able to state the sin and talk about it then the sin should be confronted and resolved very earliest in the counseling.  Then healing can begin quickly.If the person denies sin as playing a part in the situation, then the instigating situation needs to be discussed in greater detail and possible reasons behind that including sin pointed out.  Once the person is able to understand there is sin in his life, then is the best time to talk about ways to have the sins forgiven both by God and anyone who was sinned against.The best way to confront sin is to ask questions and to provide guidance as needed.  locate confrontation often leads people to be offended and shut down, but questions can lead them to discover the problem on their own.  Although it is never easy to confront someone on sin, a counselor or church leader must do it in order to help those in need overcome the sin (Adams, 1980)