Author: Bryan Ray

Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Vol 25(1), Spr 2006. pp. 74-78

Abstract:

The article presents the practical experiences of the author as a Christian counselor. He cites two case studies to show how despite their extensive knowledge about certain theoretical orientations, the counselors have to model Christ for their clients. The first case study is that of Allison who was a 25-year-old Hispanic female. She had never been married, but was seeking someone at the time. She wanted to talk about “personal issues,” so immediately my mind wondered. Although Allison was accepted for her sin, her sin was not accepted. As the story of John 8 explains, Jesus told the woman to “Go and leave her life of sin.” He loved her the way she was, but he refused to leave her that way. The same concept must be evident in our work as therapists. This does not mean that we accept someone and we never confront the ways in which one sin can ruin our lives. How we do this must reflect the gracious God of the Bible. Another brief case study that illustrates this point is the story of Ben. He is a 14-year-old male who comes from a broken home. For Ben, I was a model of what it meant to be safe and positive. There was no other avenue for him to receive this. He had nowhere else to turn. I modeled a safe male figure in his life. We should be a model for love and grace for our clients.