Nouthetic Approach to Counseling

“No distinction exists in scripture between the psychologically-oriented and the spiritually-oriented inner man” (MacArthur, 2003). This is a standard recognized some 42 years ago by Jay E. Adams when he founded the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation. Adams felt that secular psychologists were wholly inadequate to counsel, and just about any Christian would be better equipped to do so, “All Christians may (indeed, must) do counseling. Yet, not all Christians have been solemnly set aside to the work of “nouthetically confronting every man and teaching every man” as the Christian minister is” (Adams, 1973). Adams developed his approach based on a specific verse the Apostle Paul penned to the Church at Rome, “And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another” (Romans 15:14, NASB). The word “admonish,” “…comes from the Greek noun nouthesia (verb: noutheteo)” (Adams, What is Nouthetic Counseling?). Adams peaked, so to speak, at an opportune time. The field of psychology during the 60 years prior to his development of the Nouthetic counseling idea had become filled with theories from men such as Freud, Skinner, Jung, and others that discarded Christianity or, in some cases, were antithetical to Christianity altogether. What does Nouthetic counseling look like within the framework described by Adams? First, to accurately understand a problem one must approach it through scripture. Second, there is a need to understand the role of the Holy Spirit in the change process. Third, the counselor must bring together the client’s problem and God’s solution. Fourth, there needs to be a Biblical plan of action to facilitate change. Finally, the client must commit to the Biblical plan. Following this pattern it is easy to see his contempt for secular psychology. Adams believes that, “Faith is absolutely essential” (Adams, What part does faith play in successful counseling?). The vast majority of the “pillars” of psychology do not. That is what makes his ideas so compelling and so controversial at the same time.

Integration of Views

With so many voices claiming that psychology and Christianity are incompatible, it has been a major relief to find that there have been practices in place that help to overcome the objection of incompatibility. Key in the argument that the two areas are not mutually exclusive is the fact that the use of scripture as the authority within the Christian counseling setting continues to be a part of the equation.

Relevancy

The approach of Jay Adams can be summed up with four key points. First, the problem is recognized as a moral issue towards God, or what we could call sin. Second, what guides the process is the belief that repentance leads to wholeness. Third, that upon the client recognizing their sinful behavior change will occur. Finally, the counselor is seen as a teacher to some degree, and their role is to educate the client on Biblical principles.

Potential

The potential for positive impact using this type of approach is immense. Why? The potential is great because “Christian psychology is one that is faithful to reality” (Myers, 2003). Truth is the relevant issue, or at least it should be. It seems that the vast majority of counseling approaches are built on empirical evidence, but primarily they are built on theories about what might or should work based on human ideas. Understandably, Adams, like others, was a fallible human being. However, he had something that most did not, he had the Word of God as his foundation for building, applying, and evaluating his concept of counseling.

A Good Education

Adams had a whole different idea about how counselors should be trained, “A good seminary education rather than medical school or a degree in clinical psychology, is the most fitting background for a counselor” (Adams, Competent To Counsel, 1970). His approach was not simply another view of the same basic idea in which he was in disagreement with some aspect of the field of psychology. These disagreements were, and are very common in many fields of study. What, from a historical point-of-view, made Nouthetic counseling such a huge paradigm shift in psychology was that it was based on the idea that theology provided all of the answers to whatever a mental health professional might encounter. Therefore, we did not need any more Rogerian, Freudian, or Jungian type of approach to the human condition. The Bible holds the answers, and Christians should be trained in God’s Word in order to be able to properly counsel.

The Scriptures

Christian counseling without the integration of the scriptures is not Christian at all. Historically, many people have sought out the priest, pastor, or preacher whenever they have needed some to talk to that could help them with whatever situation they were dealing with at the time. Those people were more than likely taken to the scriptures in order to help them understand their given situation within the context of what God expects from them, and what He will do for them as well. A problem is “understood only as it is evaluated Biblically” (Adams, 1974). He goes on to explain how the scriptures are a product of the Holy Spirit who is the “paraclete,” or counselor.

The Impact of Nouthetic Counseling

The potential for positive impact using this type of approach is immense. Why? The potential is great because “Christian psychology is one that is faithful to reality” (Myers, 2003). For Christian counseling to have any chance for success in the future, it must reflect the truth of reality. The Bible offers a very real look into the mirror of life. What is says about any given topic corresponds to reality. The explanations are not always as exhaustive as one would like, but they are thorough enough to bring understanding to a given topic. As far as counseling goes, one need only look to this passage from the Apostle Paul for confirmation about the use of scripture within counseling,

⁴ For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4, NASB).

The words of Paul give encouragement that no matter how far away from God the secular counseling world goes, we can have refuge in knowing that His word is sufficient, and that through using it we can teach and encourage others.

Impact of the Holy Spirit

Adams recognized that the role of the Holy Spirit and the revelation of God via scripture should be paramount to Christian counseling. The Holy Spirit provides to everyone the ability to recognize his or her own problems, and He also gives everyone the strength to change. Adams believed the client/patient’s presenting the problem needs to understand what God requires of them, and also He will give them the power to overcome the situation.

What Does Nouthetic Counseling Look Like?

What does Biblical counseling look like within the framework described by Adams? First, to accurately understand a problem one must approach it through scripture. Second, there is a need to understand the role of the Holy Spirit in the change process. Third, the counselor must bring together the client’s problem and God’s solution. Fourth, there needs to be a Biblical plan of action to facilitate change. Finally, the client must commit to the Biblical plan.

The Mechanics of Nouthetic Counseling

In his writing The Use of the Scriptures in Counseling part III, Jay Adams formulates his idea about what should happen when a counselor has discovered the problem patterns and found Biblical solutions. Adams says the next step is to establish a plan of action for change. He lays out what the plan should look like, and explains how the Biblical plan differs from secular plans. Within the writing Adams delineates how to formulate a Biblical plan. First he tells us that, “every point is consistent with Biblical presuppositions and principles” (Adams, 1974). Secondly he says the plan, “aims at Biblical goals” (Adams, 1974). Third, the plan should, “depend on Biblical methods” (Adams). Finally, the plan, “is pursued and accomplished from Biblical motives” (Adams, 1974). Adams then proceeds to explain that many Christians have trouble with his plan because they have never been taught to, “use the Bible practically to deal with such matters” (Adams, 1974).

Steps of the Plan

In step one of the plan, Adams explains that counselors must, “learn how to use the Bible practically” (Adams, 1974). This part of the plan must be consistent Biblical principles. He goes on to say that the while the principles are unchanging, how they are utilized can change. Along with this discussion, Adams emphasizes one big issue that plagues preachers and counselors is that while both are usually strong on what needs to be done to help correct the problem; they both fall woefully short on how to actually solve the problem.

Step two emphasizes that the goals for implementing change must be Biblical. This is where Nouthetic counseling makes another big detour from other types of approaches. Just about every other approach has the aim to help the client/patient reach goals that the client/patient sets. The Nouthetic counselor relies on scripture for framing Biblical goals with the emphasis on treating the whole person, and not just one aspect of the client/patient’s life.

Step three as described in the article concerns the methods. The tendency is for the counselor, according to Adams, to basically fall back on secular methods that appear to have the same result as Biblical methods. However, unless those methods lead someone to God, which Adams says the will not, they should not be incorporated in the treatment.

The fourth step relates to the motive of the client/patient. Adams concedes that there is no way to know someone’s true motives, but unless their intention is to ultimately please God there is no chance for change.

Finally, the fifth step of the process involves the work of the Holy Spirit to convict the client/patient through the scriptures to commit to this type of counseling action plan, “unless the counselee actually does what God requires, all else will have been in vain” (Adams, 1974).

Why is the Nouthetic Approach Important?

The most valuable thing to take away from this article is that as a Christian first and a counselor second, there is an overriding need to remain faithful to the Biblical principles God has shown us in and through His Word. Historically, within the field of psychology, the role of Christianity and the Bible, have been relegated to the bookshelf much like the odd books we collect and never read. Freud felt he did not need the Bible because man was at the center of his universe, and man could solve his own problems. Rogers believed all men are born good, and just need to actualize themselves. His idea contradicts the Biblical teaching of the Fall of man. Other approaches blame conditioning and learning, as if man has no soul, and is just a blank slate ready to be written upon. The Bible teaches that man is more than just physical.

Today this approach seems to be outdated, and as a complete system that may well be the case. However, there is always something to learn from Christian based approaches to counseling. Some ideas are good, and some are very dangerous. From the Nouthetic perspective hope is very important to share with the client/patient. People need hope, and throughout scripture we read that when God chastened, prophets spoke harshly, and apostles admonished that the prospect for hope was included at the conclusion of those encounters. The Nouthetic leaning counselor today can also share hope because the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not only good news, but it is great news. Secular approaches can offer outcomes, but they do not include much hope, “The medical model destroys hope. Discouragement and despair permeate the concept of ‘mental illness’” (Adams, 1970).

The Future of Nouthetic Counseling

The impact of Jay Adams on future counselors will probably be, unfortunately, slim at best. However, any worthwhile study should include Nouthetic counseling. It should, if for no other reason be part of a total integration because it does contain truth. The fact that the Bible can shed light, although not exhaustively but thoroughly, on any subject, and specifically human behavior should be reason enough to work toward integrating the principles that Adams set forth with what we can know empirically from the field psychology.

Christian Education

It seems that more and more people and more and more Christian universities are taking an interest in the field of psychology. With this interest comes the opportunity to study Jay Adams and his Nouthetic approach to counseling with the intention of drawing out the basic ideas. The most basic of which is relying on Biblical principles to guide counseling sessions. The Christian knows, or should know that the only lasting change comes through the grace of God in our lives, and without His help change is not possible.

But when psychologists attempt to change men, although they have no warrant

from God to do so, no standard by which to determine what are proper or deviant

attitudes or behavior, no concept of what a man should look like, and no power

by which to achieve the inner changes of the heart and thought that are so

necessary, I cannot help but be concerned.

(Adams, What About Nouthetic Counseling?, 1976)

References

MacArthur, J. (2003). Think Biblically. Wheaton, IL, USA: Crossway Books.

Adams, J. E. (1973). The Christian Counselor's Manual. Grand Rapids, MI, USA: Zondervan.

New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,

1995 by The Lockman Foundation

Adams, J. E. (n.d.). What is Nouthetic Counseling? Retrieved July 6, 2011, from Institute For

Nouthetic Studies: http://www.nouthetic.org/nouthetic-counseling/what-is-nouthetic-counseling.html

Adams, J. E. (n.d.). What part does faith play in successful counseling? Retrieved July 6, 2011,

Institute For Nouthetic Studies: http://www.nouthetic.org/nouthetic-counseling/adams-answers/67-what-part-does-faith-play-in-successful-counseling.html

Myers, D. a. (2003). Psychology Through The Eyes Of Faith. New York: Harper Collins.

Adams, J. E. (1970). Competent To Counsel (reprint ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Adams, J. (1974). Use of the Scriptures in counseling. Bibliotheca Sacra, 131(523), 195-208.

Adams, J. E. (1974). Use of the Scriptures in counseling. Bibliotheca Sacra, 131 (524), 291-301.

Adams, J. E. (1976). What About Nouthetic Counseling? Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.