Implicit Integration Of Counseling

The practice of counseling draws primarily upon empirical research from the social sciences. Theological constructions comes from a variety of sources including philosophy, church history, and Scripture. When individuals look for counseling, they normally ask the counselor what they can do to change things and wonder why their life is turning out the way it is. Counseling, in a nut shell, helps clients develop skills to cope with the different situations in their lives while theological reflection can help clients make meaning of these same dilemmas.

The integration of counseling practice and theology can take two forms: explicit and implicit integration. Explicit integration occurs in the interaction between the counselor and client, which

Some researchers have developed marriage counseling, which is an approach that draws upon findings from empirical research on marriage, and brief therapy. Although explicit integration pretty clear to the client, implicit integration may not be so readily discernable. A counselor engages in implicit integration when theological assumptions and commitments direct and shape how the counselor understands the client and the client’s problem. Implicit integration happens within the counselor. Christians who counsel in secular settings may be limited to implicit integration. In other words, being mindful of not speaking on how the counselor feels about his/her religion. Even pastoral counselors may engage in implicit integration when working with those who don’t want to bring up religious values. Implicit integration is cautioned by a counselor’s presuppositions about God’s role in human life and how these presuppositions shape the way a counselor relates to a client. The counselors job is to get to know the client as much as much with less talking. Counselor should only speak if it is nessessary. I will share four ways that a theology contributes implicit integration.

Therefore, a counselor wants to be a channel through whom the love of God for this client can flow. This means that a counselor would need to be participating in the life of God so that the ways of God and the goals of God are primary in the counselor’s life. In other words, an counselor would need to do the things that God would have them to do. If an counselor was to talk and live the life of a Christian, then they don’t need to change how they really are within a session. In a counselors mindset this would include inviting the client to be an active participant in the counseling process with emphasizes on collaboration, working on the goals that the client identifies, (which makes up a good counselor because that’s the number one thing is to actually listen to the client), a counselor should manage appropriately within the context of the therapeutic relationship, treat the client with respect and not quick to belittle them or think negative of them, developing skills of empathy so that a counselor can speak the truth in love, and being knowledgeable about and adhering to the ethical standards established for the profession of