Christian Counseling - Compare and Contrast

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Compare & Contrast Paper Brooke Estes Liberty University Intro to Christian Counseling; CCOU 201 June 16th, 2013 Part I: Goal of Christian Counseling In a world filled with quick fixes for instant gratification or “happiness”, some individuals that seek a counselor’s help may do so out of wanting to feel good or to be “happy” at every waking moment of their life. As Dr. Crabb pointed out, “there is nothing wrong in wanting to be happy (Crabb, 1977, p. 20)”. But, the goal of a Christian Counselor should not be that of promoting their patients happiness. It’s quite likely, that simply feeling good is temporary, and may actually be a mask to cover up what is really lying under the person’s exterior. Our focus as believers, for ourselves, is to love and worship God, to uplift Him in everything we do, to glorify Him in our lives, to love those around us, to be a light in a dark world, and to share God’s love with everyone around us. It ultimately comes back to us serving God and pleasing Him (Crabb, 1977, p. 21). As Psalm 144:15 states, “Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord”. Rather than seeking happiness, one should focus their efforts on seeking God. From there, true happiness will emerge. The goal of Christian Counseling is to, “free better people to worship and serve God” (Crabb, 1977, p. 22). When people worship God, happiness will most likely come. Similarly, the American Association of Christian Counselors states that our goal as Christian Counselors is to, “help others move to personal wholeness, interpersonal competence, mental stability, and spiritual maturity” (“About Us”, n.d.). Now, looking at the American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics, we find a counselor’s main responsibility “is to respect the dignity and to promote the welfare of clients.” According to
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