The power of the mind has long been acknowledged by scholars in different areas of knowledge. The mind controls all of the body, and so influencing the mind can put control in one’s person. Christian counseling is not an exception. Using the power of the mind, the basis on which a person thinks and therefore speaks and acts, one can be put into a better spiritual path. From this, one can make better decisions and ultimately live a better life. In counseling a person and considering the mind, it is worthy to see how it works. The mind has cognitive functions.
It is the source of reason and imaginations. It is the starting point of judgments and decisions. The bible lauds the mind for its ability to move the people away from ignorance when it is used properly. Thus, when one counsels he must make the other person aware that the mind affects one’s spiritual life. The way one thinks affects the way in which one lives. When one sins, the mind has accountability as well. The counselor must consider the way in which the counsel thinks. It is imperative for the former to discover how the latter decides and perceives situations.
It is through this that loopholes can be uncovered and for which a plan of action for the counseling can be made. This, however, will be highly variable and dependent on the level of maturity of the other person and his acceptance of transformation. The holistic counseling requires that the mind of the counsel be explored fully. This will enable the counselor to be familiar with the values and perceptions of the other person. This is essential because counseling must be tailor-made to the needs of a person. It is not a general prescription, rather it is custom made to each person who is being counseled.
When the mind of the counsel has been fully explored and the counsel has cooperated well, the counseling is off with a good start. Based on this, open-ended questions that require the other person to explain his thoughts and personality can be asked. While doing so, the counselor should be sensitive about hidden thoughts that the counsel might have, and strive to put these hidden thoughts out in the open so that proper treatment or resolution, if needed, can be made. Lastly, significant scriptures to which the counsel can relate must be chosen from the bible.
This will serve as a guiding principle and a foundation to which the counsel can base his transformation. The use of scriptures will also serve as a reminder. Through all this, it should be remembered that the mind highly affects the process of counseling. Establishing rapport with the counsel is important. However, the counsel should cooperate with the counselor just as much. It is in treating the thinking of the counsel satisfactorily that the latter will be able to recognize the Christian way of life through which a person will be at peace.