Basic Principles of Biblical Counseling

by Larry Crabb

"The local church should and can successfully assume responsibility within its ranks for restoring troubled people to full, productive, creative lives." "If we are to hope for success in such immense and seriously neglected responsibility, pastors need to return to the biblical model not of ministering to their people but of equipping their people to minister to each other by using their spiritual gifts." "Congregations need to regain that wonderful sense of 'koinonia' fellowship and pro practice true community."

Genres: Counselling, Christian, Psychology, Theology, Nonfiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published November 16, 1975

About the author

Lawrence J. Crabb Jr.

Larry Crabb is a well-known Christian psychologist, conference and seminar speaker, Bible teacher, and author of more than 25 books—including his most recent, When God’s Ways Make No Sense and two Gold Medallion award-winners Inside Out and Understanding People. He is also the founder/director of NewWay Ministries & most recently his "legacy ministry", LargerStory.com. In addition to various other speaking and teaching opportunities, Crabb offers a week-long School of Spiritual Direction held each year here at The Cove and the Glen Eyrie in CO. He currently is scholar-in-residence at Colorado Christian University. Larry and his wife of 50 years, Rachael, reside near Charlotte, N.C.

Reviews

[Jeremy Lay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had some ideas in it that didn't sit right with me, and could do with an update. Nevertheless, pretty helpful in unpacking biblical counselling. It was essentially cognitive behavioural therapy from a biblical perspective, with the key difference probably being the acknowledgement of sin within this framework. Had some good things to say, but would love to find an equivalent written this century with updates from scientific literature and how this fits with a biblical perspective.

[Daniel Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very dense. I appreciate the inclusion of many different popular secular perspectives from psychology, and how they can be helpful to understand certain things and unhelpful for others. Additionally how certain "biblically derived" methods can be unhelpful in certain circumstances.
definitely to read again, maybe a little slower next time

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, I find Larry Crabb's books very Biblical and very practical.
He understands human nature. In this book he discusses the varied
approaches to psychological counseling and explains clearly the positive
and negative benefits of each. One thing he said: "The problems of resentment, guilt, and anxiety seem to be the three central underlying disorders in all personal problems and they exist because we think incorrect thoughts. We believe that what God has provided is not best..." Crabb's approach always follows a Biblical approach: "In
Ephesians 4 Paul tells us to renew our minds and then to put on the new man, or, in other words, clear up our thinking, then shape up our behavior. The order seems to be think right, then life right." How
practical!!

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

ONE OF CRABBS'S MOST SIGNIFICANT "INSTRUCTIONAL" BOOKS ABOUT COUNSELING

Lawrence ("Larry") J. Crabb, Jr. is a psychologist, author, teacher and speaker, who is Spiritual Director for the American Association of Christian Counselors, and since 1996 has been Scholar-in-Residence of Colorado Christian University. He has written many other books such as 'Effective Biblical Counseling,' 'Finding God,' 'Inside Out,' 'The Silence of Adam,' 'Men & Women,' etc.

He wrote in the Introduction to this 1975 book, "I restudied what I had learned in graduate school... As a Christian committed to a biblical view of man, I could not make the psychological thinking in which I had been trained dovetail with basic biblical beliefs like the fall of man, his separation from God, his desperate need of divine assistance, the promise of love, joy and peace to those who accepted the free gift of eternal life... The truths of Christianity seemed to have little bearing on the activities in my counseling office and were at many points flatly contradicted by my professionally orthodox behavior. And that disturbed me. I determined that my belief in Scripture was rational and firm... and that my psychological theory and practice would have to conform to biblical truth... Prayer and intense thinking about my counseling efforts has resulted in the sketching of a preliminary model for counseling theory and practice which I believe to be consistent with biblical revelation." (Pg. 11-12)

He states, "I am convinced that the local church should and can successfully assume responsibility within its ranks for restoring troubled people to full, productive, creative lives." (Pg. 16) He summarizes, "In a sentence, my argument is this: the field of counseling needs a certain and meaningful unity. Science by itself can provide neither... The thought behind this book is quite simple: if there really is a personal God, then there is a truth about people and their problems which can provide the necessary foundation or framework for variety in counseling technique... And so it becomes the task of the Christian psychologist to provide a universally true and meaningful understanding of people that derives from biblical revelation." (Pg. 24-25)

He argues, "I do not agree with Jay Adams' wholesale dismissal of Skinnerian technology..." (Pg. 38) Later, he adds, "Jay Adams' simplistic assumption that specific personal guilt over definite willful sin is behind all emotional distress misses the more basic problem... People choose to do wrong things on the basis of faulty thinking about how to reach a goal. Unless that wrong thinking is corrected, the faulty thinker will continue to make similar wrong choices which he wrongly believes will meet his needs." (Pg. 50)

This book (along with his 'Effective Biblical Counseling') will be of great use to Christians wanting a "positive" approach to the integration of psychology and Christianity.

[Eric Rhodes · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been some time for me to come and re-read Larry Crabb. I thought it would be good to start with this book to see his insights on counseling within the church.

I appreciated the reviews of the various psychological approaches in history. While pointing out their weaknesses, he does include some positive thoughts they brought to counseling.

Dr Crabb also appears to be more “open” or “integrated” than other authors. However, he still keeps Scripture as the key foundation of his thoughts. I do agree with his view on the 2 basic needs of people of significance and security.

Dr Crabb shifts his focus to issue that root is how people think about their world and the false believes about God and how they interact with others. Fix the mind and you fix the issue. Or, how we believe drives what we do.

One concern is the lack of discussion on the church and it’s role in counseling. It would be been helpful to hear both how and why this is important.

Lastly, towards the end he shifts to client based counseling and sketches a few examples. Often, when we try to mirror these examples we find ourselves trying to get our approach correct rather then focusing on how we engage others. How do we shape the character of the counseling?

[Ethan Fossett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introductory book into the world of biblically-based counseling. The entire purpose of this book is to state the reality of an effective biblical approach to a person’s life problems. It’s short enough (111 pgs) that it should be read in one go, otherwise you risk not being able to piece together the sequential tools the author lays out for tackling mental health challenges, as well as retaining the information he provides about complex ideas and various schools of counseling. The short length is both a perk and an inconvenience, being that you’re left ONLY with the reality that there is an effective biblical approach to counseling rather than with an in-depth discussion on how to actually carry it out, although the author does touch on practical application of the book’s subject matter. I greatly appreciate his methodology of holding clients personally responsible for their actions and encouraging them to definitively and aggressively say no to sin in their lives rather than merely being aware that they shouldn’t sin.

[Ron Pendley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dated but great book that has an overview of biblical counseling. Easy to read and has some clear guidelines that help believers counsel. This book also has some helpful principles on the value of the Christian worldview over atheistic paradigms. Crabb majors on two components as basic human needs which counseling must address and that biblical faith answers satisfactorily: significance and security. Crabb points out the whole problem or mechanistic systems is that they address the question of order by saying that order magically appears out of random chaos. Believers can be assured that it makes much more sense to believe that an ordered creation comes from and ordered mind and so we can find meaning and purpose in this reality that we live in and healing comes from discovering our place in that order. We find our significance and security in a relationship with the ordered mind that created all that we see and we can help other find peace as we commune with each other and our creator.

[Mark Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief overview of different views on mental health (the basic problem, and suggested solution). Each critiqued but not unthinkingly dismissed.

Crabb then presents a psychological needs based approach to counseling; arguing for a ‘biblical’ understanding of our needs for significance and security. In addition Crabb engages with the connection with wrong thinking (beliefs) and wrong feelings and behaviors (sin).

I’m still working through what I thinking about it all but Crabb has certainly given me much to consider in only a short work.

I especially appreciate his aim to meet counseling needs through the local church by equipping the saints for the work of ministry of the gospel’s power for lasting change.

[Cameron M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good basic introduction to counselling with a Biblical foundation. Crabb integrates aspects of cognitive behavioural therapy while also challenging other counselling methods which are not based on man's basic needs for belonging and impact.

[Joyce Olij · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to everyone who really wants to help fellow church members. Wish I read this book years ago. Very helpful for giving biblical advice on encouraging others in need. Also liked the summary of Freud, Rogers, Both of them, Neither of them, and Existential thinking as the theories of mental health. I took a bit to read it, since I had to think about what I was reading and absorb it. Recommended!!

[Rhonda Shierling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was required reading for one of my Christian counseling courses. I read the original 1975 version, and I was impressed how the concerns facing Christian counselors in the 70s are quite the same facing Christian counselors today. The solutions presented by Dr. Crabb are applicable to daily situations, not just the counseling office.

The sections I found most interesting and helpful were those discussing our deepest needs. Everyone needs to be worthwhile, to have a purpose. Understanding this basic need for significance and how people react when this need isn't met has helped me in relationships in my women's group, at church, in my family.

The instructions for changing wrong thinking have also been very valuable to me and I expect them to be valuable in future counseling. I've begun to recognize in my own life how the root of my negative feelings and negative behavior is wrong thinking. By identifying the negative thoughts and replacing them with the right thoughts (what the Bible says), I am able to change my negative outlook, attitude, and feelings to positive.

[Emma Secton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es un libro bastante técnico. Y viene fenómeno para quien no tiene ni idea de cómo aconsejar bíblicamente. Creo que todo el libro se puede resumir en los últimos 3 capítulos, que es lo que más me quedó. Lo demás es más una defensa a la consejería bíblica por encima de la ayuda únicamente bíblica o únicamente profesional. Fue un poco pesado leerlo pero me dejó en claro algunos temas y pasos prácticos, como el que habla de la idea de que toda la congregación debe ser parte del ministerio de la consejería, de alguna u otra forma.

[Brandon Current · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read. Short book not so much about how to counsel as defining what "healthy" is from a Biblical worldview. Shows how what the Bible says about man, the image of God, and sin is the only sufficient means for creating a framework for an "ideal" and how to bring someone to it. Also rejects the notion that all of what has been observed by secular studies and theory is worthless. Rather seeks to place what is true from those theories into the absolute standard set by Scripture.

[Phillip Nash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Larry Crab! He takes psychology and really knows how to get God's truth out of a very secular field. We need more psychologists and counsellors to read him and learn from him.
Romans 12:1-2 opened up yet again as a key passage in the Scriptures for us.

[Jess]

A good start.