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The Christian Counselor's Medical Desk Reference
Dr. Charles Hodges Jr. and a team of contributing physicians, health care professionals, and biblical counselors answer questions and offer solid biblical principles about counseling individuals with medical issues and address a variety of specific problems. Biblical counselors and pastors often have questions when a counselee is struggling with a mixture of physical, emotional, and spiritual difficulties. The Christian Counselor’s Medical Desk Reference 2 nd Edition helps counselors understand how some medical conditions impact counseling needs. Inspired by Dr. Bob Smith’s first edition, this book will help to guide counselors in offering specific reminders of gospel truth to counselees as they journey the road ahead. The first section offers guidance for the extra challenges inherent with certain medical diagnoses. The second section examines the challenges associated with a variety of physical and mental conditions such as autoimmune disorders, PTSD, Alzheimer’s, bipolar disorder, clinical depression, and more, helping counselors better understand the specific counseling needs that often accompany each condition.
- GenresCounsellingHealth
448 pages, Paperback
Published February 17, 2023
20 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
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February 21, 2023Thank you @newgrowthpress for my free e-copy of The Christian Counselor’s Medical Desk Reference by Charles D. Hodges Jr., M.D.
This book was a wealth of insightful information. Since I am not a counselor or a medical professional, my review is strictly as a reader. If you are looking for a casual book about counseling friends wisely, this is not it. This book is a very medically technical book written for medical and counseling professionals as they counsel actual patients with actual diagnoses. However, I think everyone can benefit from knowing these things!
This book features a host of doctors and counselors weighing in on a wide range of specific issues, each chapter covering a different diagnosis. I felt that some chapters were more helpful than others and, while I didn’t necessarily agree with all that was said in each chapter (some solutions seemed over simplified to me and God DOES give us more than we can handle—that’s why we need Him!,) I felt like this book still had a lot of value and wisdom to it. I appreciated that each author was dedicated to helping their patients physically and spiritually, seeking to point each patient to Christ regardless of their diagnoses and reminding them that they have the power of the Holy Spirit and are not alone in their suffering.
I learned a great deal of information from reading this book and received a lot of food for thought and further research. If you’ve read it, I’d love to chat about it, especially if you are coming from a medical or biblical counseling background!
This book was a wealth of insightful information. Since I am not a counselor or a medical professional, my review is strictly as a reader. If you are looking for a casual book about counseling friends wisely, this is not it. This book is a very medically technical book written for medical and counseling professionals as they counsel actual patients with actual diagnoses. However, I think everyone can benefit from knowing these things!
This book features a host of doctors and counselors weighing in on a wide range of specific issues, each chapter covering a different diagnosis. I felt that some chapters were more helpful than others and, while I didn’t necessarily agree with all that was said in each chapter (some solutions seemed over simplified to me and God DOES give us more than we can handle—that’s why we need Him!,) I felt like this book still had a lot of value and wisdom to it. I appreciated that each author was dedicated to helping their patients physically and spiritually, seeking to point each patient to Christ regardless of their diagnoses and reminding them that they have the power of the Holy Spirit and are not alone in their suffering.
I learned a great deal of information from reading this book and received a lot of food for thought and further research. If you’ve read it, I’d love to chat about it, especially if you are coming from a medical or biblical counseling background!
June 5, 2023
This is a reference guide for counseling individuals with medical problems, and as such it is a helpful and well researched resource. Its stated goal is to be a tool for those helping those who struggle and are looking for hope. Opening chapters consider general principles when counselling those with a medical or psychiatric (DSM-5) diagnosis. Then detailed chapters explore a wide range of medical and psychological challenges. There are numerous contributing authors, and as such it resulted in varied tones. Some were gentler, more compassionate, and more client-focussed. Others seemed harsher, and quick to call certain challenges sin, and I was left wondering about their compassion with a client struggling with such challenges.
I would have liked to see more consideration of the impact of trauma in people’s lives (this was only touched in with PTSD), and how it can impact both medically and psychologically.
Despite some concerns, overall this is a helpful resource. A counselor’s awareness of medical challenges that clients face can only further enable their understanding of their client, and their ability to helpfully work alongside them.
I was given an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. A more detailed review can be found here: https://musingsinadelaide.blogspot.co...
I would have liked to see more consideration of the impact of trauma in people’s lives (this was only touched in with PTSD), and how it can impact both medically and psychologically.
Despite some concerns, overall this is a helpful resource. A counselor’s awareness of medical challenges that clients face can only further enable their understanding of their client, and their ability to helpfully work alongside them.
I was given an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. A more detailed review can be found here: https://musingsinadelaide.blogspot.co...
October 26, 2024
I have a mixed reaction to this book. On the positive side, the book is a very helpful catalogue of various medical issues of which Biblical Counselors need to have basic knowledge. This is a great resource to help you identify which counseling problems need to be referred to a medical doctor but also to help the counselee respond biblically. So, in that respect, this is a fantastic book.
The book, however, seems to accept "mental disorders" as a legitimate category of medical problems. Moreover, medications were noted as being accepted treatments for "mental disorders" without providing a biblical response that "mental disorders" are not physical entities. The opening chapter came nearest to addressing the issue, but the author appears to leave the door open for many of the DSM constructs (like bipolar, depression, schizophrenia) to be legitimate medical conditions which presently, have no scientific evidence. In a chapter on Bipolar disorder, the author gives this quotation, "the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." But how far do you take that? There is no evidence unicorns exist either. Since the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, then we should affirm the existence of unicorns until the evidence is found?
The book, however, seems to accept "mental disorders" as a legitimate category of medical problems. Moreover, medications were noted as being accepted treatments for "mental disorders" without providing a biblical response that "mental disorders" are not physical entities. The opening chapter came nearest to addressing the issue, but the author appears to leave the door open for many of the DSM constructs (like bipolar, depression, schizophrenia) to be legitimate medical conditions which presently, have no scientific evidence. In a chapter on Bipolar disorder, the author gives this quotation, "the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." But how far do you take that? There is no evidence unicorns exist either. Since the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, then we should affirm the existence of unicorns until the evidence is found?
March 31, 2023
Phenomenal! That's one word that comes to mind as I wrap up this book. This book is so timely and informative. I can't highly recommend it enough and if I had the ability to somehow get every believer to read it, I would. Written by a team of medical doctors and registered nurses, the content covers a whole range of critical topics to consider when it comes to medical issues and counseling.
The book begins by establishing a solid argument for the sufficiency of Scripture for counseling issues related to medical issues. Dr. Charles Hodges, the editor, begins the book by answering the question, "What is Medical About Mental Illness?" This sets the stage for much to consider as the book unfolds. Worldviews matter in this discussion. Understanding the makeup of humans as being more than just a biological being is critical as well. Early chapters, such as Dr. Dan Gannon's chapters on, "Counseling People With Medical Illness,"; and Martha Peace's chapter titled, "When Should a Biblical Counselor Consult a Doctor?" both help the counselor understand the necessity of having a close relationship with a doctor while also knowing full well that God's counsel stands as totally sufficient, even as one battles medical problems. Following that introduction section, the book turns to very specific topics that one will face in counseling. Such topics are:
1. Depression
2. Life-altering Anxiety
3. ADHD
4. Autism Spectrum
5. The Brain on Medications
6. A Biblical Perspective on Psychotropic Medications
7. Alternative Medications
8. OCD
9. Schizophrenia
10. Bipolar Disorder
11. PTSD
12. PMS
13. Postpartum Depression
14. Suicide
15. Marijuana and CBD usage
16. Dementia
17. Sleep Disorders
18. Rheumatology.
As one can see from the list of topics, this book is incredibly practical, and frankly, one that provides great insight to the way that a counselor can use the Word of God to confidently and effectively counsel poeple in each of these struggles. Not only that, but once a reader understands the foundational thoughts regarding the sufficiency of Christ, he/she can then read each chapter as a stand alone chapter, in that, he/she can then read a chapter on a topic that piques his/her interest or a chapter that particular information is needed on.
I highly, highly recommend this wonderful book to you.
The book begins by establishing a solid argument for the sufficiency of Scripture for counseling issues related to medical issues. Dr. Charles Hodges, the editor, begins the book by answering the question, "What is Medical About Mental Illness?" This sets the stage for much to consider as the book unfolds. Worldviews matter in this discussion. Understanding the makeup of humans as being more than just a biological being is critical as well. Early chapters, such as Dr. Dan Gannon's chapters on, "Counseling People With Medical Illness,"; and Martha Peace's chapter titled, "When Should a Biblical Counselor Consult a Doctor?" both help the counselor understand the necessity of having a close relationship with a doctor while also knowing full well that God's counsel stands as totally sufficient, even as one battles medical problems. Following that introduction section, the book turns to very specific topics that one will face in counseling. Such topics are:
1. Depression
2. Life-altering Anxiety
3. ADHD
4. Autism Spectrum
5. The Brain on Medications
6. A Biblical Perspective on Psychotropic Medications
7. Alternative Medications
8. OCD
9. Schizophrenia
10. Bipolar Disorder
11. PTSD
12. PMS
13. Postpartum Depression
14. Suicide
15. Marijuana and CBD usage
16. Dementia
17. Sleep Disorders
18. Rheumatology.
As one can see from the list of topics, this book is incredibly practical, and frankly, one that provides great insight to the way that a counselor can use the Word of God to confidently and effectively counsel poeple in each of these struggles. Not only that, but once a reader understands the foundational thoughts regarding the sufficiency of Christ, he/she can then read each chapter as a stand alone chapter, in that, he/she can then read a chapter on a topic that piques his/her interest or a chapter that particular information is needed on.
I highly, highly recommend this wonderful book to you.
July 6, 2023
This revised and updated edition is significant. Dr. Hodges and his team of writers lean more toward the medical field (as opposed to the biblical counseling field) than Dr. Smith did. The first edition is worth reading as is this one. The two are significantly different, in my opinion. Both are of great value to the soul care ministry.
A caution for this edition:
Generally, empiricism, as the basis for truth, is the greatest challenger to the core scriptural belief and authority of this work. The seeming “realities” of observable data (“verifiable” tissue damage or dysfunction) can appear to dominate the basis for one’s foundation for authority. Divine revelation must be the thrust or momentum from which we evaluate and prescribe godly counsel.
We can appreciate what God has given as common grace to medical science (and practice) while holding to the infallible vantage point of God’s Holy Word. In considering the whole person, both the inner and outer man are sufficiently addressed under God’s Word.
A caution for this edition:
Generally, empiricism, as the basis for truth, is the greatest challenger to the core scriptural belief and authority of this work. The seeming “realities” of observable data (“verifiable” tissue damage or dysfunction) can appear to dominate the basis for one’s foundation for authority. Divine revelation must be the thrust or momentum from which we evaluate and prescribe godly counsel.
We can appreciate what God has given as common grace to medical science (and practice) while holding to the infallible vantage point of God’s Holy Word. In considering the whole person, both the inner and outer man are sufficiently addressed under God’s Word.
February 19, 2023
This is such a great helpful resource for counselors, both biblical and Christian counselors alike. As someone who plans on counseling people with chronic illnesses and disabilities I’m so glad a resource like this is out there to turn back to and rely on. Written by medical professionals who are also biblical counselors these people see counselees through a different eye than most and it is so helpful to read! Will definitely be relying on this in the future when I start counseling!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews