Biblical Counseling Training for Lay Counselors

Session 01 - Distinctives For Counseling That Is Biblical (NIV based)

USE SCRIPTURES:

KEY VERSES: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

- - Biblical counseling uses Scriptures to facilitate an activity of God to effect transformational change in the counselee's life.  (Romans 12:2)

- - Biblical counseling introduces and utilizes God's Word, God's Spirit, and God's power to work on the thinking of the counselee.

- - In counseling, apply God’s Word to their problem(s).

- - Read the verse, explain it, apply it, assign it.

- - Have a good concordance in the back of your Bible, a quick reference guide, and mark your favorite counseling verses with red ink.

- - A recommendation is to use the New International Version (NIV) translation because it will be the easiest for them to understand while also being accurate in translation; assign them to get a NIV Study Bible, which is cheap at WalMart.

- - Do not use rebuking, which can be judgmental / legalistic / harsh, and counterproductive in Biblical counseling.

ADMONISH (Gentle Persuasion):

KEY VERSE: Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom,...".

- - 'Admonish' - to express warning or disapproval to especially in a gentle, earnest, or solicitous manner; to give friendly earnest advice or encouragement.

KEY VERSES: 2 Timothy 2:24-26 "24. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26. and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap....".

- - Do not quarrel, and not be resentful.

- - Use kindness.

- - Teach; gently instruct; admonish; correct falsehoods with truth; reason with; be direct and directive enough that the counselee clearly understands what God (and the counselor) want them to do, but not be demanding nor condemning.

- - Use patience, waiting for enlightenment, repentance, and escape or deliverance.

- - Give godly advice that aligns with Scriptures and not with the world or culture or humanistic wisdom.

- - Be a 'neutral' advisor who always takes God's side - serve and represent the Lord.

CHANGE - Expectation of and implement change:

KEY VERSES: Ephesians 4:22-24  "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23. to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24. and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

- - You want the counselee's presenting sinful behaviors and thinking to be terminated (put off, become former) and replaced with (put on) the new godly way of behaving and thinking in righteousness and holiness.

- - You want conformity to God's Word.

- - Therefore, enlighten them to God's Word in specific verses - what He tells us to do regarding a particular problem.

- - You want them to be working toward complete obedience to God's Word regardless of what their feelings are.

- - You want them to be adjusting their theology to align with what God's Word says (to become like Christ - not the counselor).

- - Biblical counseling does not utilize nor promote the mystical or charismatic approaches.

- - Identify, expose, and deal with ungodly habits, behavior patterns, thinking, speaking, etc.

- - Have and communicate an expectation of progress.

- - Encourage, reassure, and instill hope but do not make promises.

- - Implement ongoing accountability to God, to the counselor, to family members, to the spouse, etc.

- - Teach and train godly ways how to react and respond.

- - Enlighten them to God's perspective (how God sees things) and to future consequences or blessings from God.

- - Facilitate healing; stabilize crisis; mediate conflicts; offer coaching through difficult situations; advocate for the innocent and helpless; promote peace; etc. (i.e. use some secular counseling techniques as applicable and appropriate to biblical counseling).

- - Readily praise godly changes, and highlight accompanying good results.

- - Be flexible to the Holy Spirit's leading for each counseling session agenda.

- - Watch for any issues the counselee may have with God; no progress will be made until every issue they have with God is cleared up.

- - Utilize prayer as appropriate.

- - The counselee must be saved in order for biblical counseling to work.

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Works Cited:
Bible. “The Holy Bible: New International Version.” The Bible Library CD‑ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.
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Copyrights:
Scriptures taken from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Copyright © 2016 Mel W. Coddington, and permission is hereby granted that this document may be used, copied, and distributed non-commercially to non-profit organizations, individuals, churches, ministries, and schools worldwide, provided the copies are distributed at no charge and retain this sources documentation as supplied herein. This document is not for sale, resale, or for use as a gift or premium to be offered in connection with solicitations or contributions.
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File name: BiblicalCounselingTraining-Session01.___ (.htm, .doc, .pdf)
Translation used: NIV, quoted or referred to in various places within the lesson
Source: www.BelieverAssist.com
Updated: January 29, 2016