In the Prayer and Christian Counselor video, Brewer and Peters
Woodrow Pipkin
Saturday Jun 11 at 1:36pm
In the Prayer and Christian Counselor video, Brewer and Peters (n.d.) write that prayer is a matter of forming a relationship with God and asking for our needs to be met. I would start by praying before the session with Danielle. Within the session, I would form a relationship with Danielle and ask what needs we could work on together. McMinn (2012) writes that the therapeutic relationship we form has the power to help people change. Prayer and forming a relationship with Danielle would be my starting points.
Brewer and Peters (n.d.) speak a great deal of not condemning our clients or standing in judgment of them. My assumption is that Danielle has felt condemned or labeled in some way that has a negative impact on how she is behaving. After establishing the relationship, I would ask Danielle to choose a topic she would like to address first. Based off the scenario, it does not appear that Danielle is being brought up in an environment that promotes autonomy or self-direction. Brewer and Peters (n.d.) write counselors should not be a deterrent to clients feeling of accomplishment and empowerment.
I would attempt to guide Danielle in building her self-esteem while dissecting her views on “religion.” I would work with her to help her see God as He really is and how she is loved and adored by Him. McMinn (2012) mentions the goal of building a person up is to better equip them to be able to work towards forgiveness of others.
Finally, I would ask Danielle if she would feel comfortable with me praying with her at the end of the first session. Somewhere during the first few sessions, if she allowed me to pray for her, I would ask her to pray for her situation. Brewer and Peters (n.d.) state that it is imperative that we set boundaries to not take away credit from the client, but more importantly glory from the Lord.
I would not push Danielle too hard, too fast. Like McMinn (2012) states about cognitive therapists, I would try to help Danielle change the underlying beliefs she has about herself. I would not ask for her to take ownership or confess her sins too soon, without understanding if her behavior is a cry for help.
In a secular setting, I must be very cautious in pushing my beliefs on a client. We deal with the “higher power” concept and have guidelines with using our belief systems. In a secular setting, I would ask Danielle about her beliefs. If she expressed that she did not have a higher power I can dig deeper and suggest Godly based programs or literature; however, I cannot limit my suggestions to only my centered beliefs. I could pray for Danielle before, after, and in silence, but only if she expresses my shared beliefs can I broach the subject.
Brewer, G., & Peters, C. (n.d.). COUN 506 Week Six, Lecture One: Prayer and Christian Counseling. [PowerPoint]. Lynchburg, VA: Liberty University Online.
McMinn, M. R. (2012). Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781414349237 (Links to an external site.)
Answer preview to In the Prayer and Christian Counselor video, Brewer and Peters
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