Theocentric

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Theocentric (God-Centered) Counseling and Care
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Definition of " Theocentric "
"Counseling and care that has God as the
ultimate center and source of the counseling and
care process."
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Center and Source of Care and Counseling

• CENTER-what does everything in my care and
• counsel revolve around? The center is...
• standard of counsel
• holds the process together
• the focus of all the parts

• SOURCE-where does all my care and counsel
• come from and where is it going? The source
  is...
• the beginning
• the end/goal
• sets the order and sequence

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The "First Question"
The "first question" indicates source and center
of your counseling and care.
You may not say it audibly but it is the first
question you ask as you begin to counsel.

• Four possible questions
• What does this person need?
• (The center/source is the counselee.)
• 2. What can I do for this person?
• (The center/source is the counselor.)
• 3. What can we do together?
• (The center/source is the relationship.)

• 4. WHAT IS GOD DOING?
• God is the center/source (active sovereign)
• Here and now

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Two Typical Questions About God-Centered
Counseling Care

• Does a person have to be a Christian in order
• to receive God-centered counseling?
• No, because God is working upon a life
• whether they are a Christian or not

• Do you do anything besides pray?
• Yes, God is concerned about the whole person.
• Therefore, the God-centered method seriously
• takes into account the whole person.

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9 Step God-Centered Method
First Step

• Must be done first
• Counselor perceives and experiences
• the presence, power, and action
• of God as center and source
• Unless the counselor is God-centered,
• the counseling process will not be
• God-centered

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9 Step God-Centered Method
Second Step

• Assess five important areas
• Spiritual condition (basic assumptions)
• Emotions
• Thinking/cognition
• Behavior
• Context (relationships/places/events)
• Must assess all five areas
• Begin counseling at the area of most need

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9 Step God-Centered Method
Third Step

• Assess the level of need (3 choices)
• Enrichment (prevention)
• Intervention (counseling)
• Crisis (immediate support)
• Begin at the appropriate level

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9 Step God-Centered Method
Fourth Step

• Monitor the areas of need
• Change when the area of need changes
• Use the five areas mentioned earlier
• Spiritual
• Emotions
• Thinking
• Behavior
• Context

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9 Step God-Centered Method
Fifth Step

• Monitor the levels of need
• Change when the level of need changes
• Use the three levels mentioned earlier
• Enrichment
• Intervention
• Crisis

All of the first five steps must be done in
order to be God-centered.
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9 Step God-Centered Method
Sixth Step

• Use of the language of the Word of God
• Language indicates source and center
• Other terms can be used
• Scripture is used at times that indicate
• source
• center

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9 Step God-Centered Method
Seventh Step

• Use of confession (personal source/center)
• Use of testimony (witness of source/center)
• At summary moments when source/center
• is indicated

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9 Step God-Centered Method
Eighth Step

• Use of devotion and worship in the midst
• of counseling
• Brings God centered focus to the counseling
• process

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9 Step God-Centered Method
Ninth Step

• Affirmation of the "mystery" of God's action
• "Mystery" refers to the hidden action of God
• Admission that we do not know all that
• God is doing

At least one of steps 6-9 must be done in order
to be God-centered.