Working with Medical Professionals /Vs / Psychologists as a Biblical Counselor

Working with Medical Professionals /Vs / Psychologists as a Biblical Counselor

Working with a Physician: I will follow the following procedure if I suspect medical issues with the counselee and weed out my suspicion before counselling Scriptures.
History ----*** Physical examination ---- Medical Tests ---- Treatment if necessary
*** At this point the decision has to be made whether the patient had to go to a Medical Professional or a Biblical Counselor. I will gladly work with a Physician and explore all the possibilities to help the counselee. We need to know our abilities and limits well enough to know whether we should refer our counselee to a professional. While taking the case History look for the following: Chronic behaviour pattern, strong aggressiveness noted in attitudes, speech, thought, and actions, false guilt building up, lacking the ability to think about the consequences of their actions, threatening suicide, any dependence on drugs or alcohol, the person does not seem to be trying to get better, the counsellor getting the sense that they are manipulated, and the physical symptoms are tense and of long duration; Refer this counselee to a Medical Professional for a full Medical check up. This will not harm the counselee, but helps to weed out problems and sets Biblical counseling at the right road at an earlier stage.
Brandt (1988, p. 189) states that certain dysfunctions of the endocrine system can be chief sources of depression. Specific failures of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), the adrenal glands (affecting sodium and electrolyte balance), and pancreas (hypoglycemia) have all been related to the onset of depression. Lack of nutrition can also be an overlooked cause of depressive symptoms, and laboratory tests can identify any vitamin deficiencies. Emotional distress interferes with the proper absorption of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, which in turn can alter the availability of neurotransmitters. A thorough medical examination is recommended before any drug administration and Biblical counselling.
A word of caution to Biblical counsellors: Depression and mood disorders can be divided into: major depression, bipolar disorder, dysthymic disorder, and also cyclothymic disorder as the primary disorders of mood. Major depression, also called unipolar depression, is identified by sad, empty, or hopeless feelings; slowed physical and cognitive behaviour, including cognitive disorientation; change in weight, appetite and sleeping patterns; diminished interest or pleasure in activities and time spend with friends; and occasional to frequent thoughts of death and suicide. The presence of several of these symptoms for a period of exceeding two or more weeks is a symptom and sufficient criteria for a major depressive episode. Referrals for Medical professional help can be an important part of a Biblical counsellor. If the depression has its roots in helplessness and hopelessness, the Biblical counsellor can surely be a messenger of hope.


With knowledge gained from the world of Science and Medicine, Dr. Paul Brand probes deeply into the world of cells, bones, skin, muscles and nerves to show how the human body so authentically expresses spiritual reality and reveals the perfect aptness of Paul’s metaphor, the body of Christ. “The Body of Christ, like our own bodies, is composed of individual, unlike cells that are knit together to form one Body. He is the whole thing, and the joy of the Body increases as individual cell realize they are not to be isolated outposts.”1 - Fearfully and Wonderfully made; ‘A Surgeon Looks at the Human & Spiritual Body’; Dr. Paul Brand & Philip Yancey.
I will work enthusiastically with Christian Physicians and frequently will send the counselees for medical check ups and at the same time working with the psychologist, I have to think on the following.

First, psychology is not a true science and it does not deal with objective, measurable data that can be subjected for reliable tests and confirmed by the scientific method. It is a pseudo-science, and most of its cardinal doctrines are mere speculations, not reliable truth.
Second, unlike medicine and physics, psychology deals with matters that are fundamentally spiritual. The word psychology means “study of the soul”. Scriptures certainly claim absolute sufficiency in addressing these needs; 2 Tim: 3:16-17; Psa: 19:7; 2 Pet: 1:3.
A psychiatrist’s medical training could help determine if some one has a neurological problem or other associated organic problems which may contribute to a person’s problem in living. A psychologist may be able to help by doing an intelligence test for that particular individual. Very often psychiatrists and psychologists adopt the role of a psychotherapist by entering into the domain of the Spirit and the Word and ministry and counsel people in very unbiblical ways. I worked with a psychologist for 8 months after I finished my Master’s of Divinity in Biblical Counseling, so I can confidently mention this.
Psychotherapy is a money making venture and psychologists apart from doing this, influence the Christian church by selling books, conferences, videos, tapes and radio shows. They have gained the right to interpret human beings and their problems, the right to work with people experiencing problems in living and the right to endeavour to solve people’s problems in a Christian circle.
Popular Christian Psychologists are united in teaching that fundamental problems of people stem from low self - esteem, deep yearning for relationship, search for significance, unmet needs, wounds, trauma etc and destroys hope in Jesus Christ. This is in total contrast to what God’s Word teaches us: i.e. the fundamental problems of mankind stems from sin; i.e. the active desires, the thought pattern, and the intentions of the heart. My concern after working with the Psychologist is, that they confess their first love and commitment is for Lord Jesus Christ but deviate markedly from that professed commitment in their theory and practice. Very often I have realised that their verbal commitment to the Word of God coexists with deviant teachings from the enemies of the Word. This is very scary and the enemy has started the work from within and we can relate this with Jesus Christ talking about wolfs in sheep clothing.

Examples:
If I have a child to assess if he is ready emotionally, physically ready to enter grade one. I will take him to Medical Doctor for Physical questions; To the Principal and other grade one teachers for other questions and talk to other parents who may be a resource. Or I will talk to my mum who had trained and educated many godly children about the problems.
If I need a Career change and I want an objective evaluation of my strengths and weaknesses I will go to a Pastoral Counselor who could think through the motives for considering change as well as help me with other aspects of decision –making process. I will go to a possible career counsellor who could provide interest and aptitude testing and knowledge of the job market.
In a problem of depression, Pastoral counselling and Spiritual help is of ‘real’ help than Psychology. Heb: 9:14; “The blood of Christ….. that cleanses your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” We need not have to add a psychological theory to the unfailing testimony of God’s Word.

I will probably never want to work with a psychologist unless the person bearing the title is committed to Biblical counselling and their professional title is incidental. Scripture and popular psychology differ sharply in the area of insight. Therapists guide people away from any conviction of sin and lead them to blame others for their problems. It is an approach that fails to meet the true human need. These Therapists even move within the church more as people possessing secret knowledge and we have to be aware of this. God gives each person a conscience and therapists view the conscience as producing guilt and shame and so they say, should avoid. Scriptures on the contrary speaks of conscience as a reflection of God’s image in us, and should be used for God’s glory and for our good. God through His ‘common grace’ weaves His ‘oughts’ into each human heart, and even non-believers receive this common grace. His moral standards are woven into the very structures of our society and humans have a conscience to guide them towards decent behaviour and away from being evil. There are many Biblical counsellors who have degrees in psychology, neurology, medicine, nursing, education, and in my case chemistry, and their methods in their specialities they have rejected in favour of Biblical theory and practice.
Psychology can be a “useful adjunct” to Biblical counselling in two ways. 1. “For the purposes of illustrating, filling in generalizations with specifics” 2. “Challenging wrong human interpretations of Scriptures, thereby forcing the student to restudy the Scriptures.”2- Jay E. Adams


Notes and References:
1. Fearfully and Wonderfully made; ‘A Surgeon Looks at the Human & Spiritual Body’, Dr. Paul Brand & Philip Yancey.
2. Jay E. Adams, ‘A theology of Christian Counseling; More than Redemption: How sin affects Thinking’ (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979, p. 34-37)
3. John F. MacArthur, JR. Wayne A. Mack & The Master’s College Faculty, ‘Introduction To Biblical Counseling, “A Basic Guide To The Principles And Practice Of Counseling” (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1994, p.341; 368-369; 371-372; 374-375; 382-385 ;)
2. Jay E. Adams, ‘A theology of Christian Counseling; More than Redemption: How sin affects Thinking’ (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979, p. 34-37)
4. Lucibel VanAtta, ‘Women Encouraging Women’ (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1987, p.129-130)
5. Gary L. Almy, M.D., ‘How Christian is Christian counseling?’ The Dangerous Secular Influences That Keep Us From Caring For Souls, (Illinois: Crossway Books, Good News Publishers, 2000, p.43-51)
6. Jay E. Adams, ‘How to Help People Change’ The Four-step Biblical Process, (Grand rapids: Zondervan, 1986, p. 10-15)
7. David G. Benner & Peter C. Hill, ‘Baker Encyclopaedia of Psychology & Counseling’ Second Edition, (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1985, 1999, p. 338-340)
8. Jay E. Adams, ‘The Christian Counselor’s Manual, ‘The Practice of Nouthetic Counseling’ (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1973, P.71-98; 375-388)
9. Jay E. Adams, ‘Competent to Counsel, ‘Introduction To Nouthetic Counseling’ (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1970, p.78-100; 139)