Counseling Wars: Counselors Conflicts
The modern nouthetic biblical counseling movement has a long history of conflict. This includes conflict with those “outside” the biblical counseling family—with Christian integrative counselors. It also includes inter-family conflict among/between biblical counselors.
In 2007, in “Cure of Souls (and the Modern Psychotherapies),” David Powlison addressed conflict among counselors head-on, asking:
“But how do we talk about the conflict constructively?” (7).
“How can we fairly characterize the different ‘sides’ in the current ‘counseling wars,’ so that matters are clarified not muddied? How do we speak the truth in love in pursuit of a just peace, rather than exacerbating quarrels and perpetuating self-serving caricatures?” (7).
While that article focused on conflict with those outside the biblical counseling family (with Christian integrative counselors and Christian psychologists), David’s winsome words of winsome have application for addressing conflict among biblical counselors.
How NOT to Handle Counseling Conflict: Don’t Become a “Zealous Polemicist”
We often learn best by first considering what not to do. Powlison helps us here as he talks about the danger of becoming “zealous polemicists.”
Reject Reckless Words and Disparaging Labels
Powlison illustrates some of the sneering labels used in his day: “psychology bashers”
To continue...read the full-length post originally published on this site.
