Manual del consejero cristiano

by Jay E. Adams

La «consejería cristiana», o, dicho de otra forma, el tratamiento por parte del pastor, ancianos o líderes de iglesias, de los problemas morales y psicológicos de los miembros, se está transformando cada día más en una labor tan necesaria como difícil. El «aconsejar» cristiano debe estar al día y tener respuestas para las dificultades que plantea nuestra sociedad contemporánea, pero debe estar a la vez claramente fundamentado en las enseñanzas de la Palabra de Dios. La presente obra, abarrotada de nuevos principios y técnicas, aunque todas ellas con base fundamental en la Biblia, convertirá la práctica del aconsejar cristiano en algo mucho más racional y eficaz.

Genres: Counselling, Christian, Theology, Reference, Nonfiction, Psychology, Religion

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

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

[Liam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finally had to throw in the towel on this one. It was a difficult call for me because I do think Adams has some good things in this book. I thought his critique of the Freudian counseling framework that was so prevalent in his day, and his move to a more biblically based model was great. He also had some helpful more practical suggestions, such as the emphasis on goals and homework among some other aspects.

However, throughout the book I couldn’t help but have a sense that something ‘smelled off’ about how Adams prescribed counseling be done. I’m not a counselor, or an expert on it by any means. But after some thought on what exactly it was, I came to the conclusion that my largest disagreement with Adams was in his lack of grace and gospel in his counseling.

His advice throughout seems largely works based and behavioral, rather than being centered on hope and trust and satisfaction in God. While I agree that a large dynamic of life change is behavioral, the fountain from which all of that should come is in our hope, trust, and satisfaction (our affections - for either God or someone/something in God’s place). It seems to me that Adams has not focused on the center here, but is instead attempting to work downstream without much talk at all on how central gospel affections are in this process. This was the lynchpin for me, and it’s such a massive failure of the book that I can’t give it a positive rating, and I also probably won’t read anything else from Adams. (I do think the more modern biblical counseling movement has changed course in this regard. As far as I have read, the books/articles of figures like Paul Tripp (for example), in contrast, seem very gospel centered.)

There were other issues I had with the book as well. Adams subtle air of superiority to his counselees throughout the book seemed off - mind you, it was subtle. Though I’m sure he would agree theologically, there seemed to be little acknowledgment that he too, was a sinner. And as far as I could tell, little sympathy or affection for those whom he counseled seemed to come through in his words. Although he did have some interesting points on the issue, his flat dismissal of psychological illness was also concerning - but perhaps this is simply because the work is a bit dated. In addition, he was also very, very dogmatic about his method. The book was far more polemic than seemed necessary in this. I think the battle he had over Counseling in his day colored all his thoughts on it, and he grouped all counseling into just two camps - one right and one wrong - his method, and everyone else.

Having said all that, I think there was very little gospel centered teaching in Adams day, and that his views were formed in an environment that had very little out there in the way of anything gospel centered (and absolutely nothing in the way of gospel centered counseling as far as I know). Adams did pave the way for at least Bible centered counseling - even if he got much/most wrong in the process. That said - I’m a complete novice in this whole discussion - so, these are just my current considerations on a new topic for me.

In summary, I can’t recommend Adams, but he did trail blaze a new path in his day that wasn’t reliant on Freudian theory, making a way for better counseling methods.

[Haley Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned some very useful things in this book that I will refer back and certainly use in counseling. But be aware that I do not agree with all of hiss theology, and I also found some parts dull, and some parts repetitive (especially having read Competent to Counsel right before).

[Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foundational book for every pastor who by definition is a counselor. Here are a few convictions that were strengthened after reading this book:

Confidence in the Bible and Optimism in Counseling. First and foremost, this book makes clear that the Bible is totally sufficient to not simply convert sinners but sanctify saints. The Christian counselor therefore has an unassailable trust in the Bible knowing it records what God has spoken. That confidence in the counselor and optimism in the task then translates into actual specific help for those under our care. We must therefore strive to know the Book in order that the Book might know us, shedding light into our dark hearts so that we can then be the means of reflecting that same light on others’ hearts and lives.

Dependence on the Word and the Holy Spirit. There is no possible way a true Christian counselor, who is aware of the grand task before him, to come away and feel adequate in and of himself. The issues at hand in the lives of counselees are too big for him. Jay Adams, perhaps more indirectly than directly, makes clear that it is both a privilege to be the means of sanctification in someone’s life, but it is also true that it is, humanly speaking, impossible to be done in the flesh. The Christian counselor is utterly dependent on the Word of God and on the Spirit who inspired the Scriptures and is now resident within believers, working in them to conform them to the image of Christ.

The Need for Biblical Discernment. It is tragic to observe on what passes as “Christian counseling” today within evangelicalism is simply secular theory baptized with “Christian” terminology, sprinkled with various biblical proof-texts. (Of course this is directly tied to one’s confidence in the Word of God. These points are obviously all interconnected.) This reading has once again reminded me of the need to be discerning in an age of much confusion, especially within the professing church. And that discernment stems from knowledge and trust in the Word of God.

As I read the book I was, time again, confronted with the realization that much of what I am reading applies to me — to sinful patterns in my life and thinking; to erroneous presuppositions I have easily imbibed; to areas I have been completely ignorant of; etc. Even before class began I had an opportunity to put into practice some things I had been reading; although seemingly insignificant, it was a difficult and trying moment.

I read this book during my first semester in seminary. Then and now, I am reminded that these years are not a parenthesis in my sanctification but a determined time God has already begun to use in my pursuit of holiness. I am not to be a theoretician; I am a sinner in need of the same biblical counsel I will strive to offer, if not more so. I am not over and above the Bible as a self-appointed “sanctification guru”; I am a fellow sinner coming under the full weight and authority of the Word of God. And all this again underscores for me the necessity to submit myself to the truths I am learning in my Christian life. In the end, my usefulness in Christian counseling is directly tied to my personal love for and submission to the Word of God in every square inch of my life. Who is adequate for these things? Our adequacy comes from God (2 Cor. 4:5).

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who has heard of the author already has an opinion of the work; however, in spite of these assumptions, if one really reads Adams for what he is saying, the reader should walk away with the following concepts: (1) Adams believes that the Bible hold the answers for all of life’s problems. (2) All problems in life are either physical (the realm of the doctor) or spiritual (the realm of the pastor). (3) Adams believes that every believer should be able to assist others in applying the Bible to life’s spiritual challenges. To these ends, the now-aging work is directed. In a very clear and straight-forward manner, the writer lays out methods of dealing with all sorts of challenges. This manual serves as a substantial guide to the pastor, Christian counselor, or even a layman who wishes to be of assistance to those who need help to overcome a vast number of problems.

[Shannon Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great resource to have! Whether you are pursuing ministry as a Biblical Counselor or simply would like to be a better mentor/disciple-maker, you should read and have this book in your collection. Adams is very direct in his approach and does not sugar-coat the problems that people have. He makes sure that his readers are not left in confusion about the role sin plays in a person's life, both sins committed against the counselee and personal sins . Throughout the book he reminds the reader that when you see see sin as it is (rather than calling it an illness) you can then have hope for change. The contrast between Biblical Counseling and secular psychology is consistently displayed. There are examples in every chapter (or almost every chapter) of real life counseling situations that help the reader understand the subject of each chapter and the practical ways in which you can help a personal struggling with different sins.

About my rating 5 stars: that does not mean that I think the book is perfect. However, I do not give books 5 stars lightly. Books that I give 5 stars are books that really impacted me, have few flaws in my opinion (the things I disagree with are not major issues or not focused on in the book), and the book is simply written well (a book with good information that is poorly written will not help me much if it cannot hold my attention because it jumps around too much)

I recommend purchasing a couple highlighters when going through this book.

[Larry Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

all of jay adams' works are biblically, psychologically, and scientifically inept, wrong-headed, filled with bad theology and scientific error; in short, they are terrible.

[Zack · Rating 4 out of 5]

By necessity, this chunky textbook is redundant. But it is very helpful. Despite its by-now advanced age (for its genre), it is amazingly relevant at key points. Especially the chapters on getting started (20), goals and terminal dates (21), how to handle anger (31), and resolving sexual difficulties (35). Adams fulfills his stated aim in this book: to provide a concrete complement to the work he did in Competent to Counsel.

The repeated emphases on hope, the possibility of change, and the importance of Scripture in the counseling enterprise are refreshing. Though much of the basic material of the book is adequately covered in Competent to Counsel, the reuse of the material in this book was helpful. I didn’t appreciate the wholesale quotation of large passages from Competent to Counsel, though.

Without having the benefits or qualifications that come with being a specialist in the field, I can hazard the opinion that some of the information is dated, and in need of refreshing or correction. Regardless, the usefulness of the book as a whole (and in most of its parts) compels me to rate it 4/5.

[ThePrill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book after ‘Competent to Counsel’, under the impression that it was supplementary and would contain specifics that its predecessor had not (that was Adams’ aim in writing it). However, I think that it was actually more vague in many ways. Much of Adams’ focus is on marriage problems, which is fair enough, considering he’s hiding many real cases (with name and details changed). This book is less of a ‘how to counsel’ in giving advice, but more ‘how to counsel’ in the generic, methodical sense. It’s a playbook with positions labelled, but no real meaty plays.

I’d suggest that anyone who has read ‘Competent to Counsel’ probably does not need to read this one, as well. Maybe this book deserves more credit, but I was expecting a very different product. It certainly isn’t horrible, but unless you’ve never sat one-to-one with a pastor before, you don’t need this. On another note, at least one specific application he makes is just plain wrong, and he serves himself up for that.

[Kendall Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

DONE! DONE! DONE!

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains much biblical advice and helpful teaching. However, it is based on several preconceptions I don't subscribe to. 1. Reformed theology and maybe Fundamentalism. 2. The belief that man is only a body and spirit and that every problem is either a physical problem or sin. These beliefs lead to conclusions that I am uncomfortable with such as the teaching that depression is nearly always the result of personal sin or that a same-sex attraction is always a learned desire. I did thoroughly appreciate the emphasis on Scripture and its ability to solve man's problems.

[David Blynov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jay Adams does an excellent job contrasting the desire-oriented life with the obedience-oriented life. By framing counseling in this manner, Adams sets up counseling as an issue of personal responsibility for personal sin(s) that the counselee must personally address and work through. The role of the counselor is to help the counselee identify their sin, repent of it, and to guide the counselee through the sanctifying process of "taking off" sinful practices while "putting on" new holy ones. I particularly enjoyed the contrasts that Adams drew between Biblical nouthetic counseling and Freudian psychoanalysis, Skinnerian behaviorism, and Rogerian self-discovery. An excellent source for Biblical counseling that stands on its own two feet.

4.6/5

"God holds each one of us personally responsible for his thoughts, words, and actions regardless of external pressures and influences" (p. 4)

"There are, in the Scriptures, only three specified sources of personal problems in living: demonic activity (principally possession), personal sin, and organic illness." (p. 9)

"There are three sources of information available to the Christian counselor (the first primary and foundational, the other two secondary and derivative) from which he may draw hard-core data and on the basis of which he may make judgments, set goals, and project courses of action. These are (1) the Scriptures, (2) his (and others’) counseling experience, and (3) the dynamics of his own sinful heart." (p. 21)

"Hope in the Scriptures always is a confident expectation; the word hope never carries even the connotation of uncertainty that adheres to our English term (as when we say cautiously, “I hope so”)." (p. 39)

"In the solution to problems, many counselees seem to forget that prayer must be followed by the biblical course of action commanded." (p. 44)

"Emotions are organic bodily responses that are largely involuntary and are triggered by behavior, thoughts, and attitudes. The problem is not emotional but pre-emotional. The emotion is triggered by (1) immediate conscious thought and/or action, or (2) unconscious habit patterns that automatically release emotional responses. The solution lies not in direct attacks upon the emotions (drugs, alcohol, frontal lobotomies, etc.), but in rooting out the cause of the emotional response." (pp. 110-111)

"Fundamentally, the problem of the first sin amounted to this: Adam and Eve opted for the satisfaction of desire rather than for obedience to the commandment of God... deal. It is a clever “wile” of Satan to tempt men to think that they cannot do what God requires because they do not feel like doing it, or that they must do what they feel like doing and cannot help themselves." (p. 118)

"While all men are born sinners and engage in the same sinful practices and dodges, each develops his own styles of sinning. The styles (combinations of sins and dodges) are peculiar to each individual; but beneath them are the common themes." (p. 124)

"Christians do not accept the deterministic views of psychologists and psychiatrists, who think that early socialization or early environmental conditioning so fixes the course of his life that all of a child’s future behavior is virtually determined by those forces. While the Scriptures everywhere acknowledge the important place of habit and faithfully describe the hard struggle to put off old sinful ways, they also ring with the assurance that by the Word and the Spirit radical changes are possible at any point in life and regardless of what one’s background may have been like. There is hope for great change in the gospel of Jesus Christ." (p. 139)

"A simple biblical definition of love is: The fulfillment of God’s commandments. Love is a responsible relationship to God and to man. Love is a relationship conditioned upon responsibility, that is, responsible observance of the commandments of God." (p. 142)

"Because of his high calling in Christ, the believer must live differently. He must live a life consistent with that to which he has been called, and that life is a life that reflects Christ’s life." (p. 162)

"There is only one way to become a godly person, to orient one’s life toward godliness, and that means pattern by pattern. The old sinful ways, as they are discovered, must be replaced by new patterns from God’s Word. That is the meaning of disciplined living. Discipline first requires self-examination, then it means crucifixion of the old sinful ways (saying “no” daily), and lastly, it entails practice in following Jesus Christ in new ways by the guidance and strength that the Holy Spirit provides through His Word." (p. 182)

"It is by willing, prayerful, and persistent obedience to the requirements of the Scriptures that godly patterns are developed and come to be a part of us." (p. 187)

"When a counselee prays in faith for change, his faith should extend to works that are consistent with his prayer... one must rearrange his environment, associates, schedules, activities, or whatever other impediments in his life that might become an occasion for sin so that these, instead, become facilitators in learning God’s new way of life." (p. 195)

"When Paul wrote, “You are a new creature; all things have become new,” this is one thing that he had in mind: the Holy Spirit already has oriented believers toward God and His holiness, putting a new focus on all of life. But that does not automatically make them godly. Because of the work of Christ, they have been counted perfect in God’s sight, but in actuality are still far from the goal. Yet, the new life in Christ is oriented toward godliness; that is why at times the believer aches for it." (p. 210)

"The fact is that there are no damaging or destructive emotions per se. Our emotional makeup is totally from God. All emotions of which He made us capable are constructive when used properly." (p. 349)

[Jack · Rating 1 out of 5]

“Christian” behaviorism rooted in biblicism. Good book if you believe negative mental states are sinfully self-imposed and solely spiritual problems. Or, if you hold to the belief that you are the chief actor of “your” sanctification. And if you have those beliefs, you need to deeply consider your theology, and not further learning in the counseling of others.

To put it bluntly, looking to Christ, and looking at your sufficiency to look to Christ, are not the same. One leads to peace and one leads to self-righteousness. Adams theories have done much damage to the church. The lack of nuance in his reasoning (total disregard of common grace) and improper exposition is dangerous. This work is the result of American pietism, blind fundamentalism, and a lack of understanding of the redemptive story of scripture (in its proper context).

[D. Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I know of on the specifics of an official counseling ministry. It goes a long way in showing the value of official counseling ministry (as opposed to the unofficial capacity of counseling that all believers are called to). The book is loaded with good exegesis and practical applications for counseling – an invaluable resource. I don’t agree with everything, which is to be expected in a 463 page book that addresses dozens of the most controversial and difficult issues we deal with (I disagreed the most with the chapter on anger), however I still highly recommend this book. It is useful not only for counseling, but for simply learning principles of living the Christian life. Few books will teach you more about how to live as a Christian than this volume.

[Beth Peninger]

Originally I gave this title 4 stars. I am revising my stars to zero.

The reason I am doing so is that since reading this title, several things about my faith journey and expression have changed and I no longer subscribe to evangelical ideologies.

Additionally, I was trained to be a lay counselor using this bible-based (only) method and I have first-hand experience as a counselor and counselee that this method does more harm than healing, promotes toxicity, enables inequality between women and men, and more.

[Brian Pate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read most of this book in 2007 for a counseling course at BJU. I just finished reading it while preparing to teach Brazilian pastors.

This book was written in 1973 by Jay Adams (1929-2020), the founder of nouthetic counseling. Although the biblical counseling movement has evolved over the years, this classic is still full of biblical and helpful information. He emphasizes that the pastor is qualified to counsel, explains the process of change, and provides helpful chapters on anger, depression, fear, etc.

[Chris Comis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright. Good old Jay E. Adams and his one-million books on counseling, and counting. I like Adams because he seeks to be as biblically grounded as possible, but still manages to deal with all the secular pop-psychobabble you get from the integrationists, and such. He definitely paved the way for a lot of guys to turn to their bibles for counseling purposes.

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great guide for pastors and counselors from the father of the modern biblical guidance movement. Sound advice.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was awesome. It was full of PRACTICAL ideas on how to help people through Christian counseling. So many of these books have become arbitrary tours through common Christian terms without ever getting to the nuts and bolts of how to do anything productive. Lectures about how you should be praying and reading your Bible. The problem isn't that Christians don't know this, it is that they don't know how to do it well, or they (really) don't see the value in it.

If the other books are any indication we should simply be shouting the word "GRACE" at people through a megaphone until all their problems are solved. These books dissolve quickly into meaningless platitudes we share with one another.

This book, Jay Adams, finally gave some real world things you can have families, and people, do to help themselves and help their situation (God is the ultimate cause of change, but He doesn't tell us to do nothing, He wants us to work). He finally got into the muck of how to help people struggling with anger, fear, sex, guilt, and any number of other topics.

Instead of harping at me about how God is in control (which every Christian knows, even when we struggle with it, but is a meaningless trite when your world falls to crap and you need some help). Adams finally gives us some tools to try to help people. He gives us tools to SEE that God is in control. To help us show people HOW God is working. It isn't meaningless talk, but practical application.

[Luke Gibbons · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate this book, especially for its analysis of situations. There is much pastoral wisdom, especially in the diagnosis of sins underlying different behaviors. Contrary to what I’ve sometimes heard, Jay Adams shows a good amount of compassion for those who are stuck in these sinful patterns. I think I have learned more in this book to help with pastoral work than from any other single volume, except, perhaps Competent to Counsel. I gave the book 4 stars because I find that when it comes to some of the applications and solutions proposed Jay Adams’s council sometimes seems incomplete, or even occasionally counterproductive. His idea of putting off and putting on is helpful as far as it goes but I don’t think that it goes far enough. It appears to me that there is little suggested besides behavior modification to change a person’s deep rooted lusts, and lack of understanding of the power of the Gospel to change behavior. This is a major problem in my estimation, but many of the more biblical changes that came later through the biblical counseling movement were not yet there, and it would seem unfair to be overly critical on this point. In some instances, I also wondered if the responses suggested towards councilees were a little unnecessarily harsh as well. Perhaps we are more emotionally sensitive these days, but there are certainly some sentences I would not pronounce to a councilor, though, for the most part, I agree with the analysis.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟
A lot of practical tips for counseling that would definitely be useful for Pastors that regularly engage in counseling or are trying to get better at Christian counseling. I highly recommend this book and its series to any and all pastors. I only gave this book the rating I did because I am not a Pastor and I do not regularly counsel anyone. However, the book is fantastic and I am reading through them in order to learn and help friends and family that may be dealing with troubles and difficulties that are brought to my attention.

[Diona Sixpence · Rating 4 out of 5]

What to say about this book; first of all is it worth reading? Yes, and do you need an open mind when reading it? Absolutely! I understand mental health from an academic point of view and that makes sense so it was so fascinating to see it from the writer's faith based point of view. I would not say I agreed with everything but I am glad to have allowed my mind to open the way it did when I was reading the book!

[Parker Hilliard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Extremely helpful, convicting, and insightful— this book is a great start to achieving a basic knowledge of how to biblically counsel, after “Competent to Counsel’s” what is biblical counseling. It is old, and could use some updates for sure, but it is very well written and almost entirely applicable to the modern context.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Estoy un poco aburrida de los libros de Jay Adams, no porque sean aburridos o escriba mal, sino porque tiene demasiados libros que te hacen pensar que habla de cosas diferentes cuando vuelve a hablar de lo mismo. De los 6 libros que he leído de èl se podría armar un solo buen libro escrito claramente, hilado coherentemente y argumentado correctamente.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very helpful Christian resource! Highly recommend!

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read several times. Great teaching.

[Robert Fonseca Mota · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um grande manual para todos que querem ingressar no aconselhamento bíblico. Livro de cabeceira do conselheiro.

[Teri Moyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have for biblical counselors!

[Wesley Hadden · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this, I have become a devoted fan to Jay Adam. I just bought the rest of his books.

[Eric Durso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, solid, biblical, and practical.

[Heidi Leatherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good one!