Coping with Counseling Crises: First Aid for Biblical Counselors

by Jay E. Adams

This book will prepare the Biblical counselor to aid people facing the many types of crisis situations that they inevitably will encounter in a world of sin. The counselor will be shown how to help in three vital

·      To make a biblical analysis of the crisis situation

·      To take a personal inventory of his state, attitudes, behavior, and resources.

·      To follow biblical directions in responding to the issues in the crisis situation.

Dr. Adams demonstrates how to apply Biblical concern wisely and productively. He concludes the book with ten sample cases that may be used by students, either individually or in a class, to provide practice in applying the biblical principles of crisis counseling presented in the book. Questions and answers for role play accompany each case.

100 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 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

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

ADVICE FOR CHRISTIAN COUNSELORS DEALING WITH "CRISIS SITUATIONS"

Dr. Adams has written other books such as 'Competent to Counsel,' 'The Christian Counselor's Manual,' 'The Biblical View of Self-Esteem,' 'Self-Love, and Self-Image,' 'What about nouthetic counseling: A question and answer book,' 'Essays on Counseling,' etc.

He wrote in the Introduction to this 1976 book, "I delivered these lectures at Talbot Theological Seminary... Although a few emendations have been made for publication, the book is substantially the same as the lectures... My goal is to help prepare the Christian counselor to aid his people in facing many sorts of crisis situations that they inevitably encounter in a world of sin. My prayer is that God will use this book to that end." (Pg. v)

He summarizes early on, "Fundamentally, there are three elements to be considered in every crisis: 1. The crisis situation (real or imagined), 2. The individual who is in crisis, and 3. The response that he must make to the crisis issues... aid in all three areas, involves helping the counselee: 1. To make a biblical ANALYSIS of the crisis situation, 2. To take a personal INVENTORY of his state, attitudes, behavior and resources, and 3. To follow biblical DIRECTIONS in responding to the issues in the crisis situation." (Pg. 11)

He argues, "The reinterpretation of facts can be all important. For instance, if a man who is a homosexual looks on homosexuality as a sickness, the counselor will want to reinterpret the facts in biblical terms as SIN. That can be crucial. If homosexuality is hereditary, or if it is a sickness, there is no hope for change. If it is sin, there is all the hope that there is in Jesus Christ... 'Heredity'... points not to Christ... but up a dead end street... 'Sickness' points to the physician, 'sin' points to Christ." (Pg. 29)

He suggests, "Psychology does not prepare one to know biblical answers. That is another reason why CHRISTIAN counseling by pastors who know the Word is essential." (Pg. 53)

This book will be very help for counselors following Dr. Adams' guidelines.