Four Approaches To Counseling Across Cultures
Eph. 4:12-16
Encourager - (Exhortative Gifts) - This counselor is gifted in coming up with practical applications for counseling problems. Emphasizing wisdom more than the understanding of knowledge, this counselor is not hesitant to use a trial and error approach to counseling. Concerned that people become doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves, this counselor stresses practical assignments. Good at motivating counselees to actions, this counselor needs help in teaching accurately the scriptures rather than trying to solve the problem directly. Blessed with a lot of common sense, this counselor is often criticized for putting too much reliance on experience and not enough on the scriptures and the Spirit to guide the counselee. Preferring to speak from practical passages of scripture, this counselor often lacks the patience to listen attentively to people’s problems. Eager to see action, this counselor must guard against relying on his own insights rather than on those of the scripture and the Spirit.
Proclaimer (Prophetic Gifts) - This counselor loves to challenge his counselees with the hard facts about the truth. Generally impatient with anyone who is not willing to come to grips with harsh realities, this counselor is known to preach in any situation. Tending to be confrontational, this counselor is not particularly sought after by his people. However, whenever there are difficult problems to be addressed this person is characteristically fearless in confronting sin. Not shy about taking difficult stands on touchy issues, this counselor sometimes steps on toes unnecessarily. Blessed with a courageous and bold spirit, this counselor can often overwhelm his counselee with the truth. Needing a large does of patience and compassion, this counselor needs the help of a patient wife or partner to balance his ministry. Emphasizing dramatic delivery of his ideas, this person often finds people love or hate him for his forthright manner. Although he may try not to, his counseling often appears to be harsh, judgmental, and too dogmatic.
Instructor - (Teaching Gifts) - This person’s gifts allow them to bring out the truth of the scriptures. They enjoy studying the scriptures and counseling theory. they believe deeply in the importance of accuracy in their advise. They are especially skilled at providing understanding, clarity, and correct interpretation of the scriptures even if they are not able to show much sympathy for the person’s problems. Ideas and principles are more important to this counselor than practical applications. Known to emphasize the whole counsel of God, this counselor is fond of having the counselee’s explore all of the nuances of the scriptural truth. Ever watchful against any form of error in doctrine, this counselor is good at the theoretical parts of counseling, but needs help in making his teaching contextually relevant.
Comforter - (Helping and Serving Gifts) - This counselor is popular among his church members because of his ability to listen patiently to peoples’ problems. Concerned about bringing health, harmony, and renewal to people, this counselor is gifted at genuinely sympathizing and empathizing with human suffering. Sensitive to people’s mood and emotions, this counselor is particularly able to bring comfort to the downhearted, depressed, and disillusioned. However, this counselor tends to lack the courage to confront people about sin, apathy, and immaturity. Shying away from difficult issues, this counselor tends to gloss over problems that call for courageous stands in public. Wanting desperately to be like, this counselor can sacrifice truth for a feeling of acceptance.
d. Why is it important to maintain a balance of these four approaches in counseling?
5. The Complications of a Traditional Burial Ceremony in Yoruba land
Mr O was faced with a dilemma about his son’s burial ceremony that had the potential to damage all of his relationships with the extended family members. Mr. O’s son recently died when a car smashed into him while he was riding his bicycle to the army barracks. Speculations ran wild in his mind as to who and what were the causes. At first Mr. O wanted to force the army to bury his son at the place of his death so as to make them responsible, but eventually the relatives persuaded Mr. O to recall the body back to the family village for burial. When the corpse arrived most of the relatives insisted that the oraclists be summoned to help determine who and what was behind their son’s untimely death. In Yoruba land many people believe that a premature death is an indication of some unscrupulous dealings by several nefarious characters. Culturally these may include:
1. A spiritistic curse might have been placed on the soldier.
2. He might have been a secret member of an occult that tried to undermine cultural values such as the Obgoni fraternity.
3. He might have secretly been practicing wizardry.
4. Someone might have tried to murder him to cover up an extortion of money.
5. An demon possessed person might have been sent to knock him off of his bicycle by a person with spiritistic authority.
6. An ancestor might be expressing his anger with Mr. O or one of the members of the family for failing to perform a suitable sacrifice.
7. The soldier’s wife might have some secret sins that called for judgment and the husband life was mistakenly taken.
Mr. O did not want to leave any stone unturned in his pursuit of the root causes behind his favorite son’s death. However, Mrs. O had recently become a Christian and felt that a Christian burial service must be performed; free of any traditional religious practices. A terrible row between Mr. & Mrs. O broke out over the proper procedure for their son’s burial service. Mr. O wanted a full scale traditional investigation and burial ceremony. He felt this was the only means of exonerating any family member of complicity in his son’s death. Although Mrs. O felt grieved over the sudden death of her son, she felt that it would be a betrayal to his own wishes if nothing less than a Christian burial service was performed.
Many Yoruba’s believe that God judges a person’s character - "Iwa". Since the son of the Mr. & Mrs. O was a Christian, most people were comforted to know that God will be merciful to him. Yet, the burial service seems to be more for the living than the dead which seemed contradictorily to Mrs. O. The mother wanted the burial service to be a testimony to the entire family and village that her son’s belief were sufficient to overcome the evils and suspicions of this world. However, Mr. O persisted in bringing all of his connections to require that a traditional burial ceremony was performed lest any other such incident happen again. Mr. O felt that Biblical principles can be believed in provided that certain cultural practices are not interfered with. Because Mrs. O fears her husband and the majority of the relatives, she decided to remain quiet. After all, she figured that since God is the ultimate judge, He will determine how best to make the final decisions over who has practiced true justice. Still, Mrs. O feels disappointed that the last memory of her son will be in the context of a traditional burial ceremony.
a. What advise, help, and approach would you take in ministering to Mrs. O and her family during this time of turbulence and uncertainty?
b. What are some of the basic issues that must be dealt with if you seek to successfully counsel with Mr. or Mrs. O?
c. What are some of the following suggested ways to deal with acute anxiety responses to crisis
that a Biblically based counselor should use in this case?
Symptoms of Acute Anxiety Attacks in Africa Approved Biblically Based Counseling Approaches
The high frequency with which easily precipitated and recurrent psychoses occurs such as an outburst or anger, violent actions or indiscriminate attacks on people. James 1:19 - Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. For anger does not work the righteousness of God.
The somewhat better social prognosis of process schizophrenia. (Social acceptance and inclusion in family and community provide support and group solidarity, in sharp contrast to the labeling, discrimination, and exclusion of other cultures). Romans 15:7 - Accept one another just as God in Christ has accepted us.
The relative absence of self-directed and self-centered symptoms such as notions of worthlessness and guilt and obsessional- compulsive behaviors (Depressive phenomena are outer directed in persecutory forms rather than intrapunitive pain. The group obsessional rituals allow for ritualized release of anxiety without the construction of personal obsessive or compulsive rituals). Eph. 4:2,3 - Be completely humble and patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
The widespread use of projective mechanisms manifesting themselves in paranoid thinking of a persecutory type. (Group identification rather than self-identification increases projective mechanisms and decreases intrajective ones). Psalm 4;4,4 - In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your heart and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord.
The widespread tendency, particularly among preliterate patients, to express any state of psychic pain or conflict manifested in terms of their bodies. (Conversion of anxiety into various body disorders is frequent and conceptually congruent with social concepts of illness and healing). James 5:14-16 - Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Adapted from Allen German’s "Trends in Psychiatry in Black Africa" p. 415, found in Arietti’s New Dimensions in Psychiatry: A World View, vol. 1. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 1975
d. Why is it important to counsel according to the contextualized approach?
