Introduction
Psychology refers to the scientific study of the behavior and minds of human beings
(Barlow, 2014) . The discipline is multifaceted, and it consists of several sub-fields that include
human development, sports, health, clinical, cognitive processes, and social behavior amongst
offers ( Field, Sterling, & Davey, 2014) . Notably, psychology strives to explain, describe,
change, and predict the mental processes of human beings ( Field, Sterling, & Davey, 2014) .
Accordingly, counseling psychology is an area of specialty in the field of professional
psychology that focuses on enabling interpersonal and personal functioning throughout the life of
human beings (Whittington, Lake, & Davey, 2015) . Correspondingly, Christian counseling is an
approach that combines the tenets of counseling psychology and religion in order to improve the
mental health of patients. In this light, the fundamental intent of this particular paper is to review
Paul’s scenario from the perspective of mental health and Christian counseling. Paul is suffering
from anxiety disorder, and Christian counseling can enable him to improve the status of his
mental health.
Analysis of the Main Issues
The analysis of Paul's scenario reveals that he is suffering from an anxiety disorder.
Perhaps, Paul developed the disorder because he was raised by strict parents who expected him
to perform exemplary well in academic work as well as extra-curricular activities (Sanders,
2013) . Arguably, the implementation of that particular approach to parenting geared towards
facilitating Paul to develop a good work ethic and a culture of excellence. As a result, Paul’s
work ethics enabled him to hone his leadership and communication skills to the extent that the
local churches and city officials have issued several awards him in recognition of the
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distinguished services that he has offered to the community. Unfortunately, the parenting style
that was used to raise Paul had an adverse effect on his mental health because it made him to
develop anxiety disorder. In particular, Paul’s mental health disorder deteriorated because he
became a perfectionist. Indeed, the pursuit of perfection makes Paul extremely anxious when he
is executing tasks because he wants to deliver exemplary work at all times. Unfortunately,
human beings are not designed to be perfect, and that is one of the primary factors which makes
Paul highly anxious because it is highly challenging, if not impossible, to deliver excellent work
at all times.
Additionally, Paul's mental health has been deteriorating because he feels the need to
open up and share the struggles that he faces ( Field, Sterling, & Davey, 2014) . However, Paul
does not know the best way to go about it because he is afraid that his peers in the church he
attends for they are likely to insist he continues praying for deliverance over the torment. Indeed,
Paul's opinion is well informed, considering that he once opened up to one of his friends in the
church he attends. Unfortunately, the recommendation that was issued to him did not solve his
problem after he implemented it. In consequence, Paul has continuously been suffering in silence
because he is also afraid to share his struggles with his parents because they might not be
empathetic. Accordingly, Paul's mental health is likely to continue deteriorating until he receives
the appropriate intervention.
Insecurity is one of the primary causes of anxiety disorder and Paul needs to appreciate
that God reminds his children in Ephesians 2:10 that he created them as masterpiece (New
International Version, 2012) . In effect, they are capable of handling all manner of situations
effectively provided they seek strength from God. Accordingly, Paul’s mental health is likely to
be deteriorating due to the sins of the heart that he has been committing (Barlow, 2014) . Thus, it
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is prudent for him to go for biblical counseling in order to minimize the rate at which he is
committing sins of the heart because the devil is making him to feel inadequate.
Counselee’s Preference, Goals and Motivation
Jeremiah 29:11 reiterates that God has great plans for all human beings (New
International Version, 2012) . Thus, it is highly probable that Paul feels that he needs to open up
about his issue to someone who can help him improve his life. As a result, it is likely that Paul
will be courageous enough to ignore the stigma, which is often experienced by people who go
for Christian counseling because his faith in Christ enables him to appreciate God is always in
control no matter the experiences on is through (Davis, 2011) . Besides, Paul is motivated to go
for Christian counseling because he wants to stop committing sins of the heart. Indeed, Paul
might be harboring anger in his heart because of the manner that he was brought up. Perhaps,
Paul feels like he would not be suffering from anxiety disorder if his parents inculcated the
culture of excellence and hard work in a fashion which is sensitive to his feelings. Learning from
the case of Abel as described in Genesis 4:4-5, Paul appreciates the essence of forgiveness, but
he needs to undergo biblical counseling in order to realize that objective (New International
Version, 2012) . Similarly, Paul could also be motivated to go for Christian counseling because
he feels like his success makes him glorify himself because of his insecurities. 1st Corinthians
10:31 confirms that all things should be done in honor of God (New International Version,
2012) . Thus, biblical counseling will enable Paul to address his insecurities in a manner that will
make him refrain from feeling his success has only been brought about by his prowess at a
particular craft.
Counseling Approach for Paul
Christian counseling is the most suitable approach for facilitating Paul to recover from
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anxiety disorder. As a result, the Christian counselor should commence the treatment process by
fostering a healthy relationship with Paul. The fundamental intent of this particular move is to
ensure that Paul can fully trust the Christian Counselor. Indeed, trust is not given but earned a
factor that makes it necessary for the Christian counselor to conduct himself or herself in a
fashion that will convince Paul to trust him (Sanders, 2013) . Currently, Paul is a little bit
cautious in terms of opening up because he is afraid that he will receive generic advice from his
fellow Christians. Due to that particular aspect, it is critical for the Christian counselor to
reassure Paul he or she will conduct his or her duties professionally throughout the process of
treatment (Whittington, Lake, & Davey, 2015) . Nonetheless, the Christian counselor should also
inform Paul that he or she will be referring to the tenets of Christianity during the different
counseling sessions. The disclosure gears towards minimizing the overall likelihood that Paul
will feel like the counselor is not objectively listening to the issues that he will raise during the
counseling sessions.
Additionally, the Christian counselor will employ cognitive behavioral therapy because it
is highly likely that Paul is suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (Whittington, Lake, &
Davey, 2015) . Notably, generalized anxiety disorder is a form of anxiety disorder in which the
victim experiences chronic anxiety, exaggerated tension, and worry even in situation there is
little or nothing to provoke it. The implementation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy will
facilitate the Christian Counselor to equip Paul with skills that enable him to manage his worries
directly (Barlow, 2014) . As a result, Paul will progressively master the art of applying those
skills effectively over time. In consequence, the move will facilitate Paul to enhance his
proficiency in coping with stress in the long run. Thus, it is highly likely that Paul will resume
taking part in activities which he had abandoned because of the anxiety disorder once he attains
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fully recovery.
In particular, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy will facilitate Paul to be identifying negative
thoughts whenever they cross his mind ( Field, Sterling, & Davey, 2014) . The proper
identification of negative thoughts can facilitate an individual to be well aware of the reason they
are anxious at any particular moment. Correspondingly, cognitive behavioral therapy will enable
Paul to learn how to challenge negative thoughts (Whittington, Lake, & Davey, 2015) . Arguably,
challenging negative thoughts will allow him to ascertain whether or not his thoughts are
realistic. In the event that they are objective, it is vital for Paul to consult individuals who can
help him address the challenges that he is facing effectively. Similarly, Paul can also look for
answers by himself if he does not feel extremely overwhelmed. On the other hand, Paul can
recite Bible verses such as Romans 8:25 and Psalms 23:4 during the moments that he realizes his
thoughts are unrealistic (New International Version, 2012) . The recitation of the bible verses will
facilitate him to restore his confidence in Christ because he is always in charge of all situations.
Above all, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy will also enable Paul to enhance his proficiency in
substituting negative thoughts with objective ones (Barlow, 2014) . In effect, Paul will be in a
position to minimize anxiety when handling various tasks. Thus, his mental health is likely to
continue improving as he masters the technique.
Furthermore, the Christian Counselor will also examine Paul’s general mental health in
every counseling session. The core intent of the examination is to ascertain whether or not Paul
is positively responding to the treatment. In the event that Paul is not responding as expected, the
Christian counselor has the prerogative refer him to a clinical psychologist ( Field, Sterling, &
Davey, 2014) . Consequently, the clinical psychologist will review Paul’s mental health in order
to ascertain whether or not his ailing from depression before prescribing antidepressants to him.
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However, it is vital for Paul to inform the clinical psychologist about his allergies in order for
him to recommend the most suitable medicine.
Role of Accountability in Counselee’s Life
Indeed, accountability is an integral facet of the Christian counseling process because it
seeks to prevent the counselee from relapse. In most cases, people tend to assume that only
recovering drug addicts are prone to relapse (Barlow, 2014) . However, that is not the case
because all individuals who are working towards transforming their lives through behavior
change are capable of relapsing ( Field, Sterling, & Davey, 2014) . As a result, it is vital to note
that relapsing refers to a situation whereby a person goes back to his or her old ways of life after
making substantive progress in terms of behavior change.
Philippians 4:13 claims that people who have faith in God are capable of doing all things
because he will strengthen them (New International Version, 2012) . Due to that aspect, it critical
for Paul to believe God will facilitate him to undergo treatment without relapsing. Nonetheless,
the Christian counselor needs to conduct relapse prevent in order to improve Paul’s overall
likelihood of fully recovering from anxiety disorder without relapsing (Whittington, Lake, &
Davey, 2015) . Relapse prevention is considered the implementation of a cognitive-behavioral
approach that seeks to minimize a patient’s likelihood of relapsing (Barlow, 2014) . In effect, the
core objective of this particular approach is to facilitate patients to identify the high-risk factors
that increase their susceptibility to relapsing. For instance, work-related stress is a high-risk
factor that has the capacity to make Paul relapse. Thus, it is essential for Paul to have
accountability partners who will help him to refrain from relapse.
The Christian counselor should be Paul’s primary accountability partner because she or
he will be well aware of the challenges that he experiences. Accordingly, Paul needs to ensure
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that he attends all the counseling sessions faithfully and maintains the policy of full disclosure
throughout the process (Sanders, 2013) . By doing so, the counselor will be in a position to help
Paul learn how to effectively cope with the challenges that made him develop the anxiety
disorder (Barlow, 2014) . Correspondingly, Paul’s prayer partner can also be his accountability
partner as he undergoes mental health treatment. The primary role of his prayer partner will be to
encourage Paul to continue being optimistic that God will see him through the process of
recovery. Most importantly, Paul and his prayer partner should draw inspiration from Romans
8:25-27 because God reassures his people that he will always be with them even at their points of
weakness (New International Version, 2012) . For that reasons, Paul should fret when he is
undergoing treatment because God knows the process is challenging, and he is committed to
helping him go through it successfully, so his faith in him should remain unwavering.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Paul should be encouraged to visit a Christian counselor in order for him
to improve his mental health. Indeed, Paul’s situation is not unique, considering that the world is
characterized by a substantive increase in the number of individuals who are suffering from
different forms of mental health disorders. Anxiety is one of the most prevalent forms of mental
health disorders throughout the world, and it is often brought about by the fear of failure.
Arguably, a majority of millennials grew up in households whereby parents expected their
children to be exhibit performance that is above average in nearly every activity they participated
in. As a result, Paul needs to be reassured that he is not alone, and his parents were not strict
because they hated him. It is highly likely that Paul’s required him to perform exemplary well in
the activities he indulged in because they wanted to instill a culture of hard work and excellence
in him. However, not only did the approach have positive outcomes, but it also had adverse
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implications on Paul’s mental health. Currently, Paul is ailing from an anxiety disorder, and the
Christian counselor will equip him with skills that enable him to improve the state of his mental
health. The process of recovery will be lengthy because the counselor will employ a three-stage
approach. Nonetheless, Paul’s mental health is likely to gradually improve if he cooperates with
the Christian counselor during all the three stages. Due to that aspect, the Christian counselor
will strive to establish trust during the first few sessions in order for Paul to open up completely
during the counseling sessions. Thus, it is necessary for the Christian counsel to be empathetic,
objective, flexible, patient, confidential, professional, and well prepared during all the counseling
sessions for Paul’s mental health to significantly improve.
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References
Field, A., Sterling, C., & Davey, G. (2014). Complete Psychology. New York: Routledge.
Barlow, D. H. (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Clinical Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
Davis, M. (2011). The Features of Christian Counseling. New York: Xlibris.
New International Version. (2012). NIV Pocket Pastel Pink Soft-Tone Bible. London: Hodder &
Stoughton.
Sanders, R. K. (2013). Christian Counseling Ethics: A Handbook for Psychologists, Therapists
and Pastors. Illinois: InterVarsity Press.
Whittington, A., Lake, N., & Davey, G. (2015). Clinical Psychology. New York: Routledge.