Author: Langberg, Diane
Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Vol. 25(3), Fall 2006, pp. 258-266

Abstract:

As image bearers we reflect, assimilate and are shaped by the forces that surround us. Therapists are profoundly impacted by the suffering and evil with which they sit. We become like that which we habitually reflect. This paper explores the potentially negative impact of therapeutic work and the call of the Scriptures in the life of the Christian therapist to reflect the image of Christ in this world and in our work. Five disciplines are considered as aids in shaping the therapist to reflect the image of Christ: worship, truth, study, prayer and obedience. As these disciplines are pursued, the life of Christ becomes the primary shaping force in the life and work of the therapist thereby bringing his redemptive power to bear in the work of therapy.

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.

Authors: McDonald, Angie; Beck, Richard; Allison, Steve; Norswortby, Larry.

Journal of Psychology & Christianity, Vol. 24(1), Spr 2005, pp. 21-28

Abstract:

The relationship between early caregiver experiences and attachment to God was explored in the current study. Using the Attachment to God Inventory (AGI) developed by Beck and McDonald, the relationship between parent-child attachment and attachment to God was explored among a college population. In addition, parental spirituality and religious emphases in the home were investigated. Comparisons of the AGI with parent-child attachment measures support a correspondence between working models of parents and God. Respondents that reported coming from homes that were emotionally cold or unspiritual exhibited higher levels of avoidance of intimacy in their relationship to God, a trend consistent with a Dismissing attachment style. Overprotective, rigid, or authoritarian homes were associated with higher levels of both avoidance of intimacy and anxiety over lovability in relationship to God, a trend characterized by the Fearful attachment style.