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Rating: 
Summary: wrong assumptions and insulting attacks!
Review: I am a Christian counselor, and I am disappointed with this book in how it evaluates Christian counseling. This book is intended to be a textbook, but it is full of bias, bad logic, and wrong assumptions toward Christian counseling and Christian psychology.
The author claims that Bible is sufficient to deal with every kind of emotional and psychological problem. Therefore, psychology, especially those developed by the anti-Christian psychologists, should be expelled out of churches. Psychology will only degenerate the power of the Holy Spirit in the realm of healing the emotional problems. The author attacks Christian psychologists, saying that they made a compromise. They replaced biblical wisdom with secular wisdom. Yet I don't know any Christian counselor or psychologists who do not uphold Bible as their ultimate authority. The author assumes that ALL Christian counselors think that secular psychology is superior in dealing with emotional problems. This can't be further from the truth.
The author also attacks secular psychology as money-making business. It encourages people to pay money to get years of counseling only to be addicted to it. This is a very obvious bias. It is very clear that NOT ALL psychologists are business-oriented. Many of them are sincere in trying to helping people. Saying that they are all going after money is an INSULT.
Also, the author assumes that psychology is not true science, therefore is psudo-science. It is true that a lot of concepts of psychology cannot be verified by scientific method (How can you prove the existence of id, ego, and superego by science?), but it does not mean that every kind of counseling cannot be proved effective. There are many researches that evaluate the outcomes of certain counseling techniques. Some of them are ineffective, of course, but many of them do have positive outcomes. The author ignores these researches and say that all counseling methods are ineffective and cannot be scientifically verified.
Many of the counseling techniques used by Christian counselors, according to the author, are strange and unbiblical. The author then gave several examples of such techniques that I don't know any Christian counselor would use. I wouldn't use those techniques either, and I am a Christian counselor. This is a bias.
The author wants this book to be a textbook in counseling class. I believe that it's not objective enough to be a textbook. Sorry. Only one star.
Rating:
Summary: narow minded
Review: I am a conservative Christian (Baptist), but I found this book frustrating. I found the attitude and approach of this book arrogant, insulting, and blind to the condition of many people. The book is more about individual (or church) accountability/discipline/mentoring then counseling.......helping people get over obstacles.
The authors just seem to deny that "problem" are anything other than choice of disobedience. The book does give an understanding of pneuthetic counseling,and their stance that it is the only true counseling; but it attacks and belittles all else, which I felt made it read like a bully.
Jay Adams does a much better job of intelligently presenting the pheuthetic view, as does the book "Pshychobabble" by someone else.
Rating: 
Summary: Leave Freud at Home
Review: Simple and engaging, yet very informative. I recommend this book to any Christian counselor who feels the Bible alone is not fully equipped for counseling. MacArthur makes a very strong argument for its adequacy and confronts all doubters head on. A great introductory resource for new pastors and counselors.
Rating:
Summary: Leave Freud at Home
Review: Simple and engaging, yet very informative. I recommend this book to any Christian counselor who feels the Bible alone is not fully equipped for counseling. MacArthur makes a very strong argument for its adequacy and confronts all doubters head on. A great introductory resource for new pastors and counselors.
Rating: 
Summary: Up-Front and Boldly Biblical
Review: Thank God for restoring His counseling to His people. Pschology has polluted our fellowships for too long. I'm so glad that there is an awakening and restoration to the ways of the Lord. We do not need to incorporate a lost world's philosophy into the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. This book is uncompromising and boldly states the truth. The Bible is sufficient for all situations. Let's hold up the Sword of the Lord in this time against the lies of the enemy of our souls. He has spead his hopeless poison long enough.
Rating:
Summary: Back to the Bible for solid counseling principles.
Review: This book is rooted in the authors' foundational belief in the "sufficiency, superiority, and practicality of Scripture for dealing with all the issues of life." The information given proceeds from many years of biblical counseling practice as well as insights gained from personal biblical study and teaching others.
All aspects of biblical counseling are addressed from the "Theological Foundations of Biblical Counseling" to "Biblical Counseling and the Local Church." This is a basic guide to the principles and practice of counseling as a unique Christian ministry. In other words, the material is Scripturally accurate and is not based on humanism or secular theories of psychological counseling.
The book is divided into four parts. First, the historical background of biblical counseling is presented covering the paradigm of the English Puritans up to the Twentieth Century. Second, the theological issues of the sinfulness of humanity and God's answer to it through Christ's atonement are discussed in regard to counseling. Third, the process of developing a relationship whereby counseling can take place is practically examined. Fourth, how biblical counseling can be practiced effectively within the local church setting is offered.
This comprehensive volume provides essential help for pastors and local church leaders as well as others in the body of Christ who wish to become confident and effective in counseling those who seek their help. In fact, it is a textbook used in some biblical counseling seminary courses. However, it is just as valuable as a resource in the local church and for personal study.
In addition to a Table of Contents, this work includes an Appendix that has a Personal Data Inventory form useful for gathering background information from a counselee. An Index of Authors, Index of Scriptures, and Index of Subjects is provided along with a notable List of Contributors.
- D. Garland
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Summary: Showing how the Bible IS sufficient!
Review: You will not be disappointed with this reference book. It was written by the faculty of The Master's College and is an important resource for anyone who is getting into counseling people from the Bible. I think it is one of the foundational works for a biblical counselor to read. At the end of it, you will find FAQs that will be very helpful to your work.Be aware that if you are into psychology at all, you will not agree with this book. Its stance is that the Bible is completely sufficient in and of itself to help people find the answers to mental and emotional problems.
Rating:
Summary: Showing how the Bible IS sufficient!
Review: You will not be disappointed with this reference book. It was written by the faculty of The Master's College and is an important resource for anyone who is getting into counseling people from the Bible. I think it is one of the foundational works for a biblical counselor to read. At the end of it, you will find FAQs that will be very helpful to your work. Be aware that if you are into psychology at all, you will not agree with this book. Its stance is that the Bible is completely sufficient in and of itself to help people find the answers to mental and emotional problems.
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