The Compass
Therapy approach integrates a model of counseling and therapy with Christian
orthodoxy. I pray that it enhances your counseling practice or quest for self-knowledge.
I recall the years in which I studied or received supervision in different
approaches to counseling and therapy. Psychoanalytic. Psychodrama. Existential.
Gestalt. Transactional analysis. Family systems. Cognitive-behavioral. I read
theory and learned techniques, while searching Scripture and praying for a
viable integration with my Christian beliefs. Some theories and techniques
enriched my way of understanding and helping others. Others didn’t. I kept what
worked, and what proved compatible with Christian orthodoxy.
For
instance, while I found aspects of Freud’s theory of value, I had to leave
other parts behind. The belief in the unconscious as a dark and pervasive
instinctual force contradicted my experience of people’s resiliency and
resourcefulness in the counseling process—not to mention the ingenious ways I
sensed the Holy Spirit helping people rebound from terrible pain or loss.
Gradually,
I evolved the bedrock assumption of Compass Therapy: the positive gains of good
counseling are an amalgamation of therapeutic principles empowered by Christ’s
healing love. Ultimately, therapeutic psychology and the Lord work together in
the counseling process, whether or not there are overt references to
Christianity. The Holy Spirit blesses people who humble themselves in seeking a
greater wholeness.
Whether you are a veteran therapist, student of counseling, or person undergoing therapy, I invite you to explore and enjoy the benefits of Compass Therapy provided in future posts.
To view the Compass Therapy book, click:
