What is Psychotherapy
January 21st, 2008[Editor's note: this is the 3rd post this month from guest blogger, Ed Welch, psychologist and faculty member at Westminster Theological Seminary and the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation. In this post, he muses about the prominence of psychotherapy when "normal" means of grace fail.]
Psychotherapy mystifies me. By that, I am not thinking about how it works; I’m thinking about why it is an essential and distinct category within Christian counseling practice. The Scripture addresses our entire world and worldview. How does psychotherapy manage to maintain its prominent position within Christian counseling?
Consider an analogy. Within pastoral care one counseling method has been to highlight demonic warfare and exorcistic strategies. If you are having unending quarrels with your spouse, and normal modes of ministry haven’t helped, the problem is that you are under demonic attack and demons have to be cast out. I admit that this ministry approach helps me to consider the place of the demonic in everyday life, but as I have observed this approach in action it sometimes seems that the reasoning goes like this: “I will apply ordinary means of sanctification first (e.g., turn, trust, love), but, for things I don’t understand and people who seem resistant, I have to go with the especially powerful methods of spiritual warfare. (I realize that this is cutting corners and raises a host of possible discussion topics, but I am just using this as an analogy).
With regard to psychotherapeutic methods within Christian counseling the reasoning might be similar: begin with Scripture, then, when Scripture is silent or the problem seems especially complex or recalcitrant, resort to the more powerful methodologies within psychotherapy. Instead of saying, “that is a tough one and I don’t know how Scripture addresses it, so I need more help in accessing Scripture” we assume our knowledge of Scripture is up to snuff and we look elsewhere for direction.
I am not saying that secular observations are useless. Sometimes they are useful, sometimes they aren’t. What I am saying is that the prominence of the psychotherapeutic may be connected to our own deficiencies in accessing and applying Scripture rather than inadequacies in Scripture. If that is true there is a nasty price to pay. The problem with the psychotherapeutic is that you can’t get from there to Jesus and the centrality of Jesus Christ and him crucified. When you finally move from the psychotherapeutic to the spiritual, Jesus can be an add on.
Here is a challenge for us. Let’s take data – especially data that tends to be overseen by the category of psychotherapy – and brainstorm on how Scripture accounts for it, goes much deeper, and guides actual ministry.
January 28th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us these past several weeks, Dr. Welch. I’ve enjoyed reading these posts, and I appreciate the time you’ve spent on them.
I think it might be helpful for us to cast this particular discussion in terms of the sufficiency of scripture. A common criticism integrationists (and Christian psychologists) often hear from biblical counselors is that they have a weak view of the sufficiency of scripture. You suggest that it seems to be common practice in integrationist circles to “begin with Scripture, then, when Scripture is silent or the problem seems especially complex or recalcitrant, resort to the more powerful methodologies within psychotherapy.”
I have a couple thoughts about this. First, I get the impression that biblical counselors such as yourself are hesitant to make use of psychotherapeutic techniques because they believe that it would jeopardize the doctrine of the sufficiency of scripture. But I wonder whether or not this is too reductionistic. Part of the beauty of the doctrine of the sufficiency of scripture is that, properly understood, it frees us to extend in relevant ways the life-giving truths of the gospel into both the common, mundane problems of everyday life, and the more complex problems that plague those who seek help from counselors. As you helpfully point out, it is more often a problem of accessing and applying scripture. But I’m curious… how is it wrong to use psychotherapy as a tool in both accessing and applying scripture? You suggest that “the prominence of the psychotherapeutic may be connected to our own deficiencies in accessing and applying Scripture rather than inadequacies in Scripture.” But it seems as though the flipside could also be true: among biblically minded counselors, the prominence of the psychotherapeutic may be connected to their determination to access and apply scripture. Whether good Christian counselors are always consciously aware that this is what they are doing is another thing. Perhaps a great number of Christian counselors take their doctrinal commitments for granted, simply assuming that they play a large role in their counseling, when, in fact, they don’t. But that seems to be a different issue entirely.
Although I’m still working on it, my understanding of the doctrine of the sufficiency of scripture is that it provides all the divine direction we need in order to understand the spiritual significance of the truths of the gospel. But I do not believe that the Bible tells us everything we need to know to be obedient Christians. We need to take the truths of scripture and extend them into the particular circumstances of our lives. This is where psychotherapeutic techniques (not to mention the activity of the Holy Spirit) can play a role. I believe that it is entirely possible “to get from [the psychotherapeutic] to Jesus and the centrality of Jesus Christ and him crucified,” if this is done in a matter that brings honor and glory to God and his Word. Although this can be done in a manner such that Christ becomes merely an “add on,” that seems to be beside the point. The point is that both the significance and relevance of the gospel often need to be illuminated in meaningful ways before fallen, sinful people (such as ourselves!) can see and embrace the truth. My contention is that psychotherapeutic techniques, when thoughtfully and discerningly applied by biblically-minded Christians, can fulfill precisely this role without us abstracting them from our application of scripture and regarding them as “the more powerful methodologies.” (Again, I recognize that this may not actually be taking place in many Christian counseling circles.)
I resonate with your challenge to take data that is commonly regarded as within the realm of psychotherapy, and brainstorm on how scripture accounts for it. We should certainly not be surprised to see scripture go deeper than psychotherapeutic categories. At the same time, I suspect that a similarly worthwhile endeavor would be to describe in psychotherapeutic and psychodynamic categories the uniquely spiritual truths we see in scripture. While it is important to recognize that spiritual reality is ultimate and fulfills all other realms of existence, perhaps it is also helpful to put “flesh” on our doctrine by exploring how our experience of these higher realities (or lack thereof) is in some manner grounded in the finite and intricate workings (or malfunctionings) of both our minds and bodies. (I think your new book attempts to do this… I can’t wait to read it!)
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, and I look forward to reading more.
January 28th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Thanks for the excellent thoughts on this, I really do appreciate the insight!
I was thinking about this recently, because Sciptures were written in the context of the Jewish community, might we learn that there was really no need for psychotherapeutic interventions in that community, because the psychotherapeutic elements was already embedded in the culture.
Communal living together with sharing of one’s resources (not just material) and wisdoms are a given in that community (or so I read), and this might simply mean that there is a good solid foundation of building good solid relationships. This might thus lead to less problems.
My take on why there needs to be psychotherapy in the first place is that we have lost the truth of community, we are consistently being isolated or are isolating ourselves. This thus create problems for us humans who are social creatures. We are unable to tap on the power of the community for the safe security of expression and exploration. Also, we are unable to form good solid relationships (which in my opinion, are usually therapeutic in nature).
This is my opinion. I would like correction and chastening should my opinions be unbiblical. Thank you!