RE: Instruction in Counseling: Biblical and Accurate

Modern secular psychology often suggests the counselor should never give answers, only ask questions. Why is this "discovery-only" method insufficient for a believer struggling with sin?

This approach does only half of the counseling. As counselors, we are not just listeners or facilitator of personal insight, but also a guide who lovingly points the counselee toward biblical truth. A believer who struggles with sin does not simply need help discovering personal feelings or desires, cause sin is a spiritual problem that requires biblical truth, correction, repentance, and guidance from God’s Word. In dealing with sin, one needs to know what God says about the issue and how to respond in obedience to Him.
From the start of the discussion, biblical counseling does not suggest that answers lies within, because the heart is deceptive. Biblical counseling teaches us that true change is possible because of the gospel. Believers need God’s truth to renew their minds and transform their lives. Biblical counseling is not centered on helping people find answers within themselves, but on helping them find hope and transformation through God and His Word.