Importance to conduct empirical studies on lay counseling

Presentism ordinarily occurs when ideas/philosophies of the here and now become intertwined with the past thus creating misconceptions of reality. Additionally, when we are examining anything with the intent of research, our first conclusions are usually subjective truths. These truths do hold validity under our own deductive reasoning, but we cannot adequately finalize the process until objectivity is met in full. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us all that we properly apply the practice of research because without immersion via investigation generic assumptions fall flat, and become contaminated with a plethora of one-sided truths. To put it differently, for appropriate research to take place, we need to dodge the forces which create personal bias, and utilize reflexivity which ultimately enables unprejudiced analytic thinking. Matthew 7:24-27 (The King James Version) states, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it”(Holy Bible ). With careful attention to the instruction Jesus Christ dictates here, the proper process of research is instilled within this lesson of the wise man and the foolish man. We must study His Word in order to hear Him, and then take action to become more like Him (Be-Christ-Like). Generally speaking, this takes place after thorough research occurs within ourselves that includes: prayer, immersion, reflection, confession, listening, reading, helping, studying etc… It is this writer’s contention that it is crucially vital to conduct empirical studies on the effectiveness of lay counseling because we do not want to build the church, more specifically, the body of Christ on the sand like the foolish man. We want to build upon the rock! Amen!! Furthermore, supporting evidence of the need to conduct more studies exists in the Journal of Psychology and Christianity. According to Garzon and Tilley, “Current findings on lay Christian counseling are very limited compared to paraprofessional counseling as a whole”(Garzon and Tilley).

Research on existing lay counseling approaches be used to further develop Christian ministries

Moving forward, existing approaches can be used to establish a solid foundation of the raw data gathered by the models themselves over the past few decades. For example, the Active Listening Approach has Biblical truths in its foundation, yet crucial variables such as the dual relationship code of ethics appear to be absent thus rendering seemingly inconclusive results in studies. “The approach combines Rogerian principles of empathy, positive regard, and supportive listening with prayer, scripture, and biblical themes as appropriate. No research was found on this or other active listening Christian approaches, although the developers voiced openness to this”(Garzon and Tilley). To put this in perspective, our relationships with the Lord mirror the Active Listening Approach. In His Holy Word, He repeatedly and explicitly announces His wanting a reciprocal open relationship with us. In order to carry out such a fellowship, it requires the surrendering of a person to God that involves daily focus in all aspects of life. Since the dual relationship ethical code is absent between God and humanity, a strong contention can be made that further research needs to done in this area because Biblical truths are absolute. “While most of the ethical guidelines followed by professional counselors do apply to lay helpers (such as avoiding romantic or sexual relationships with clients and helping them within the limits of the lay helpers competence, for example) some do not. An obvious example is the guideline to avoid dual relationships, which cannot be applied to lay helpers in general because many of them are involved in friendship counseling or peer helping relationships in the church”(Tan 435). Ultimately, some may feel more comfortable opening up to friends than total strangers. Naturally, the opposite is also true because the Lord is technically a stranger to us until we open the door of our hearts and let Him in. In brief, the vagueness behind the variables within the Active Listening Approach study needs to be reexamined, and put out in the field for further research.

Lay counseling & God’s Word

Finally, in the Bible we are instructed to help members of the body of Christ. I Corinthians 12:24-27 (The King James Version) states, “For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular”(Holy Bible ). With this in mind, local churches or other Christian counseling organizations can produce basic validation of current lay counseling approaches by getting more people involved in helping one another in church. A contagious revival like behavior begins to manifest when people are realigned with their identities in Christ because He works through each of us. As more churches begin to follow suit, more statistical data required to produce lay counseling approaches becomes available for researchers to analyze. As for us as individuals, being able to partner with a church or ministry will involve changing the seed in how we approach friendships. By starting there, God’s ministry and work will begin to bear fruit in the church itself. The real life application here to validity within Christian lay counseling approaches begins with the Biblical truth of reaping what we sow in our relationships. According to Garzon and Tilley, “in short, current data does not allow us to say definitively that lay Christian counseling works. Given the openness of lay model developers to collaborate on research, integration-focused graduate programs have an opportunity to address this important gap in the literature”(Garzon and Tilley). In closing, a submission can be put forth that the “lack of data” and the “gap” directly reflects the state the body of Christ today.

Works Cited

Garzon, Fernando and Kimberly A. Tilley. “Do Lay Christian Counseling Approaches Work? What We Currently Know.” Journal of Psychology and Christianity (Summer 2009): 130-140. 03 August 2018. <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228641190_Do_lay_Christian_counseling_approaches_work_What_we_currently_know>.

Holy Bible . Thomas Nelson Publishers , 1997.

Tan, Siang-Yang. “Lay Helping-The Whole Church in Soul Care Ministry .” Clinton, Dr. Timothy and Dr. George Ohlschlager. Competent Christian Counseling. Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press, 2002. 424-436.