Insight & Creativity in Christian Counseling: A Study of the Usual & the Unique

by Jay E. Adams

Book by Adams, Jay Edward

Genres: Counselling, Christian Non Fiction, Christianity, Theology

134 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 1982

About the author

Jay Edward Adams is a Reformed Christian author. He has written over 100 books and these have been published in sixteen languages.
He received a Bachelor of Divinity from Reformed Episcopal Seminary, a Bachelor of Arts in Classics from Johns Hopkins University,a Masters in Sacred Theology from Temple University, and a PhD in Speech from the University of Missouri.
Adams' book Competent to Counsel launched the nouthetic counseling movement, a movement whose aim was to use strictly biblical counseling methods. He is the founder of the Intitute for Nothetic Studies.

Reviews

[Chyreece · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me so much hope! It has helped me combat laziness in my thinking as well as the fear of failing to counsel well. It has helped me see just how much freedom we have to counsel in a creative way. It has definitely helped me see the importance of insight and creativity, not only in counselling others, but in my own life as well.

[Meaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book on Christian counseling! It opens up a whole new world and challenges you to be much more serious about counseling your brothers and sisters - whether you are a "professional" counselor or not! It challenges you to both support all that you say with Scripture, but at the same time it begins to scratch the surface of the millions of ways we can implement and obey Scripture in our individual lives. It is intensely practical, striving to go beyond statements like "be wise with your money" and actually digging into why a particular individual isn't wise, what the spiritual root is, and what practical things they can do as they strive to obey God. (The practicals are given in the context of the counselee being convicted that they need to change - not as a "10 steps to a better you.") I highly recommend this to book to every Christian, whether you consider yourself to have the gift of counseling or not. (Maybe especially if you don't - you might be surprised to find this a very practical book on how to exhort your brethren and stir them up to love and good deeds!)

[Craig Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great challenge/reminder about how to continually grow as a counselor - the nature of people and the Word of God demand it. Insight and creativity were two great subjects to explore, and Adams did a good job explaining each and giving concrete examples.

[Keith Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps this volume is the single greatest contribution of Jay Adams to the Christian counseling and biblical counseling movement. Adams has written over a hundred books, all more or less helpful, but in this volume he really shines in giving the reader read helps for the counseling room. He guides the practitioner in moving from the unique challenges to that which is common. In doing so, he provides practical insight in overcoming lack of experience or lack of knowing how to proceed. Adams therefore provides a plausibility construct for the counselor: it is possible to have biblical insight in any given problem with the resources we have been provided. Secondly, Adams offers helpful ways to grow in one's creativity in the counseling room--even those of us who would not consider ourselves all that "creative". In the entirety of this work, Adams' contributions are practical, able to be enacted, and eminently useful.

[Chad Grindstaff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not read much of Adams, but this was a very practical and hope-filled book. Adams does a good job showing that all believers can (and do) engage in creativity and insight in the day to day and that it is good to bring that into the counseling room. It’s a short book, but well worth reading if you are thinking about (or already engaged in) any type of counseling activities.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for a class and it is the third book I've read by Adams. This was my favorite so far. I enjoyed hearing Adams speak about how to acquire the skills that make for great counseling. His discussion of creativity based on Hebrews 10:24 was very insightful. Clear and very practical.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, very influential. Change my perspective on developing as a counselor.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning and end were just ok. But the middle was quite good. Strange how he did that.

[Mak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical and punchy. Super helpful for one on ones. Adam’s’ paradigm of insight and creativity is quite useful.

[Sean Perron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for biblical counselors. One of Adam’s best works.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

as a Biblical counselor student this book has helped me get one step closer to getting a better understanding on 1. how to glorify God in my future work to come, and 2. how to help and love people the way God does.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all Jay Adams' works this is the one I probably enjoyed the most. It oozes years of counseling experience.