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FAITH THERAPY COUNSELING AND LIFE COACHING
Faith Therapy is a biblically derived and integrated method for psychological healing and spiritual growth based on the process of salvation by faith. Biblical models, principles and methods are used to identify the root cause of a problem, remove any hindrance to spiritual growth and develop the faith necessary to overcome the problem. The tenants of Faith Therapy were derived directly from the Bible, as God provided greater insights over a period of years. It began with an attempt to understand how the process of salvation or wholeness was achieved by faith in God. As this revelation began to unfold through the story of Abraham, the father of faith, it led to a widening understanding of additional models, principles and methods that effectively dealt with more and more of these deeply rooted psychological problems.
Faith Therapy is biblically integrated, because it has been derived directly from the Bible and embraces all aspects and doctrines of the Bible as a whole. It attempts to integrate all the principles of the Bible into a coherent, holistic approach for healing the entire person, including mind, will, emotions and spirit. In dealing with complex problems, it uses a narrative approach because it relies heavily on a biblical world-view and a study of numerous biblical narrative stories, using a types and shadows interpretation of the Bible. These narratives provide the advanced biblical principles and psychological truth that serve as strategies for therapy or healing. Faith Therapy focuses on dealing with the root cause, which is a lack of faith, not just the symptoms of the problem. It also addresses the overall growth of psychological and spiritual wholeness over the life span of the client. It suggests that the overall orchestration of the process of healing is the job of the Holy Spirit and that the counselor is enlisted for a limited time to address specific blockages in the process of salvation.
Faith Therapy provides the basic foundation for both Bible-based counseling and life coaching.
HOW ARE COUNSELING AND LIFE COACHING DIFFERENT?
Although Bible-based coaching is probably a subset of counseling, counseling as a whole is focused primarily on dealing with relationship problems, helping clients overcome significant psychological obstacles, or conquering besetting sins which make living a successful Christian life impossible. Bible-based coaching focuses on helping people who have already experienced some success in their Christian lives, who have a reasonable knowledge of the Bible, and who have a deep desire to become all that God has called them to be.
Bible-based coaches provide assistance in spiritual growth, the development of Christian character, determining a specific calling, and helping clients accomplish what God has called them to do in this life as effectively and successfully as possible. Bible-based coaches are trained, experienced, reasonably mature Christians who personally mentor others in their Christian life helping them to determine God’s direction for their life, praying for them, and taking a personal interest in their success in running their race on this earth.
What Makes Faith Therapy Unique?
Faith Therapy is unique in that it is based solely on the process of biblical salvation by faith. After determining the root problem and helping the client to realize that he cannot resolve it without God, the most fundamental step in the healing process is leading the client to accept Christ as his Lord and Savior. Once Christ has been accepted, the Holy Spirit orchestrates the process of salvation or wholeness. The Christian counselor’s job is to help the client remove any roadblocks to this process and assist him to grow in Christian maturity once the roadblocks are removed. In addition to bringing relief to the presenting problem, faith therapy views all problems as symptoms of deeper life issues, which are rooted in a lack of faith in God to meet the client’s most basic needs. Bible principles and models are used for the overall direction of therapy to overcome the original presenting problem, since relying on God’s Word builds faith in God—the ultimate answer. These models focus directly on areas where faith is needed to overcome a particular psychological or spiritual vulnerability. In this process, numerous methods, ministries and counseling modalities are applied: preaching, teaching, intercession, prayer, worship, discipleship, confrontation, deliverance, compassion, insight therapy, faith healing, the gifts of the Spirit, prophetic ministry, Theophostic Prayer Ministry, mentoring, support groups, supportive relationships and many others. Faith Therapy is best applied within a dynamic body of believers in a local Church, where faith is taught and put into practice on a daily basis.
Faith Therapy, as it is applied to Bible-based life coaching, is also unique because it was derived directly from the Bible based on a number of stories about discipleship. It, therefore, provides a uniquely Biblical methodology for life coaching.
On What Psychological Model is Faith Therapy Based?
As I have already stated a number of times, Faith Therapy has been derived directly from the Bible. Therefore, this question really becomes, “What is the basic psychological model on which the Bible is based?” According to the Bible the basis of most psychological problems is sin or “missing the mark.” In fact, it was the sin of Adam and Eve that is responsible for all sickness and pain in the world. If we accept the fact that, as a minimum, sin is the basis of at least all psychological problems that result from our free choices, then what is the basis of sin? It is based on our free choice to try to direct our own lives in order to meet our needs without God. Each of us is driven to meet our most fundamental psychological needs of the self: love, security, worth and significance. Attempting to meet these needs of the self, in our own strength, is called self-centeredness or selfishness, and it lies at the core of our sin nature. These needs provide the motivation for everything that we do or attempt to do in the flesh. The flesh wars against the Spirit for the control of the soul in order to fulfill the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). What I have just described constitutes what I call the “basic need model” and it provides the psychological basis for Faith Therapy.
How are Psychological Symptoms Related to Root Problems?
Just as a doctor tries to determine a medical problem from the symptoms of his patient, the Faith Therapist begins with the symptoms of the presenting problem, which many times are some of the manifestations of the flesh.
Ga 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
From these, the counselor determines the function of these manifestations and the lies and misperceptions that underlie them. These lies and misperceptions are indications of the root problem, which is an attempt to meet one or more basic needs through the flesh. Underneath these is the true cause—a lack of faith in God to meet the client’s needs.
Once a hypothesis concerning the root problem is determined and verified, biblical principles are applied to replace the lies with the truth of the Word of God and to change the way the client perceives the problem. In complex problems, applicable biblical models are identified and used to guide the course of the therapy. The goal is to remove the blockage to the process of salvation or wholeness, and to build the faith of the client in order to overcome the root cause of the problem.
What Are the Primary Areas of Application?
Faith Therapy provides for the integration of Christian counseling within the framework of the process of salvation by faith and for the direct application of faith to resolve deeply rooted psychological and spiritual problems. This direct application of faith is especially effective in treating fears, anxiety, insecurity and stress. It specifically leads the client to accept Christ as Savior and Lord, and addresses problems that arise out of selfish attempts to meet the core psychological needs of love, security, worth, and significance through the flesh. However, through the application of counseling models and the development of counseling plans based on biblical principles, it is effective in addressing all spiritual and psychological problems.
What Resources are available About Faith Therapy?
The four books listed on this page provide the text books for the
basic courses in Faith Therapy. A list of the chapters in each book is
presented on the right sidebar of the Answers by Topic page of this
website. Additional video classes provide more detailed information on
critical counseling and life coaching subjects. A total of 13 courses
are currently available on DVDs at our Self-help Bookstore page.
The contents of each DVD and video course may be viewed either via the
hyperlinks on the Self-help Bookstore page or on the left sidebar on the
Home Page.
Training courses, certifications, and Bachelor's and Master's
degrees from LOGOS Christian College and Graduate School using this
Faith Therapy methodology are available on our Word of Life Counseling
Training Institute website at www.freechristiancounselingtraining.com.
Faith Therapy is also used by Life Christian University as the basis
of their counseling curriculum at their main location and at a number of
their extension campuses. Their website is www.lcus.edu.
