Culturally-Sensitive Care from a Christian Perspective Developing Christian Counselor/Therapist Identity and Political Competence Culturally-Sensitive Care from a Christian Perspective

The Bible teaches that the human race is divided ultimately into two groups Believers in Christ, saints, children of God, brethren, the Church, God’s people (Ro 8:16; 1Co 2:2; 2Co 6:15; Col 1:2; 1Pe 2:10; 1Jn 3:10). “Unbelievers,” “outsiders,” those “of the world” (Jn 15:19; 1Co 5:12; 2Co 6:14; 1Jn 4:5) It may sound arrogant to talk like this, and it can be, but Jesus Christ caused the division through his life and death. Christians are not better than anyone else, but this difference is due solely to God’s grace. Moreover, all are invited by God to become believers in Christ

Two saints developed a sociological theory based on the Bible’s teaching * There are Two Cities—the City of God and the City of Humanity—distinguished by different loves and ways of thinking and living, and the Christian’s community of identity is the City of God * The Two Cities are based on different worldviews and lead to “Two Sciences,” two different versions of the human sciences and humanities, with the X’n version flowing from divine regeneration

Christian Political Competence Polis: Gk. word for “city” So, Christian political theory goes back to Augustine Today our goal will be to promote Christian political competence within the fields of psychotherapy and counseling

How might the Two-Cities sociological theory impact Christian psychotherapy and counseling? Three options: 1. Christians should only counsel other Christians in the City of God 2. Christians should counsel everyone according to the current counseling rules of the City of Humanity 3. Christians should counsel depending on City the client resides in

But which City’s therapy assumptions should Christians use when working with those who live in the City of Humanity? Our answer will probably depend on where we were educated and so where we were socialized professionally

What does that look like? But which City’s therapy assumptions should Christians use when working with those who live in the City of Humanity? Ideally, to be a Christian means to live all of one’s life as a citizen of the City of God, according to its loves and worldview, including whatever therapy we do Conclusion: Christians can counsel as citizens of the City of God no matter who they counsel Christians sensitively adapt their City of God therapy framework respectful of the City of their client What does that look like?

A preliminary point: All good comes from God “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of change.” (Ja 1:17) “[God] did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” (Acts 14:17) God’s goodness towards humanity is called grace

Christian therapists can work with two kinds of grace Creation grace resources: the earthly blessings relevant to therapy that God gives to all human beings (Mt 5:45; Acts 14:17; Ja 1:17) Therefore, Christian therapists are always working with creation grace resources no matter the City of their client Redemptive grace resources: The heavenly blessings relevant to therapy that belong to Christians now because of their union with Christ (Eph 1:3) Therefore, redemptive grace resources are only used when working with Christians

Creation Grace Therapy Resources Creation grace resources include the use of any created modalities, including behavioral, cognitive, emotion, relational, and family; and any strategies and techniques that build up the capacities of the imago Dei, that God gives humans commonly. These include common factors, like the therapeutic alliance, transference, and insight.

Creation Grace Therapy Resources Creation grace therapy is practiced according to a “natural law” ethic—the norms written on the human heart (Ro 2:13-14) Natural law inclinations Thomas Aquinas suggested that human nature has five inclinations created by God: Towards the good Towards self-preservation Towards sexual union and procreation Towards knowledge of the truth Towards communion with others Creation grace therapy promotes these five inclinations

Creation Grace Therapy Resources Creation grace therapy can be practiced without undermining one’s Christian commitments and integrity, for example, not explicitly promoting non-Christian ethical practices (adultery) or the non-Christian religion or spirituality of the counselee, by using creation grace mindfully and sometimes explicitly Such therapy is exemplified in Integrative Psychotherapy by McMinn & Campbell, Minding Spirituality by Randall Sorensen, Towards Mutual Recognition by Marie Hoffman

Redemptive Grace Therapy Resources Redemptive grace makes possible value-added Christian therapy that is distinctive from secular therapy The same creation grace modalities, techniques, and strategies are used in redemptive grace therapy, but Christ will be explicitly involved in the therapeutic process through additional strategies such as healing prayer, divine forgiveness, guided imagery focusing on Christ and other Christian symbolism, theodramatic therapy, biblical counseling, Christ-centered emotion processing, as well as Christian spiritual practices, like lectio divina, prayer, and meditation

Redemptive Grace Therapy Resources Building on creation grace resources, redemptive grace therapy focuses Christians on reliance on God’s power; Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and exaltation; union with Christ; communion with God; working through one’s negative emotions through surrender, repentance, and active receptivity in light of union with Christ; putting to death the old self and building and strengthening the new self; and communion with the saints.

Redemptive Grace Therapy Resources Examples of redemptive grace psychotherapy and counseling include Transformative Encounters by Appleby & Ohlschlager; The Healing Presence by Leanne Payne; Gospel-Centered Counseling by Robert Kellemen; Wounded by Terry Wardle; 66 Love Letters by Larry Crabb; Christ-Centered Therapy by T. Zuehlke, J. Zuehlke, and N. Anderson; Psychology in the Spirit by John Coe & Todd Hall; and God and Soul Care by Eric Johnson

Christian psychotherapists and counselors are needed who are “Two-City Certified” Two-City competence would emphasize the need to assess the religious orientation and commitment of the counselee; and the importance of informed consent, where explicit Christian counselors would explain their Christian orientation Two-City competence also respects the “location” of where the counseling takes place, whether in a church or explicitly Christian setting, a Christian professional setting, or in a public mental health setting

Why is this Two-City distinction important for Christian psychotherapy and counseling? Over the last 50 years, Christians have been socialized unwittingly into secular practice according to secular ethical norms and worldview assumptions, for example, that God is either not involved in the therapy process at all or at least is optional; that one’s relationship with God can be legitimately separated from one’s psychological wellbeing and maturity; that human autonomy and self-determination is an unqualified good; that Christian therapists do not have the right to freely share their most significant therapeutic resources; that therapy with Christians has no different than therapy with non-Christians.

Why is this Two-City distinction important for Christian psychotherapy and counseling? Put most simply: So that Christian therapists think, love, and live increasingly as Christians with everyone they work with

Why is this Two-City distinction important for Christian psychotherapy and counseling? Becoming a Christian therapist is a lifelong, never-ending journey. Only Jesus is the perfect Christian therapist The goal of Two-City competence is to promote greater worldview reflection, authenticity, and integrity among Christian therapists, so that we do all our therapy more and more consistently according to Christian norms, values, and assumptions, and less and less according to naturalistic, humanistic, or post-modern norms, values, and assumptions, regardless of the City of our clients

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