Instruments In The Redeemer's Hands: Methods

Trying to determine personal counseling methodology without having really begun counseling is a difficult thing. I anticipate that my own methodologies will change a lot during my first number of years of formal counseling ministry. Of course, there are methodologies in place already since everyday conversations are opportunities for counseling. I suppose that I am simply not very conscious of them. Therefore, to compare them to the methodologies of another is not an easy task.

In Tripp’s section on KNOW, he introduces a peg system for sorting gathered data. I understand the value in sorting through information because a person’s story can be very muddled, but I don’t think that this particular system would work for me. I think I would do better having more of a holistic picture, and making sure I understand the details of that bigger picture. From there, making sense of the details, and identifying motives and thoughts for me is easier. I believe that the more accurate understand one has of another as a whole, the more efficiently one will be able to understand any system of component parts; these categories that Tripp highlights, I believe, are mutually interpreting, and therefore there is a danger of misinterpreting a person when one categorizes the person’s life.

Tripp emphasizes the necessity for the Spirit of God to work effective change in the hearts of individuals- and I whole-heartedly agree. However, having gone through some pretty deep waters myself in the past five years or so, relying on spiritual/intellectual activities while trying to unpack years of sinful mess and incorporate new truths about God and self can be an extremely overwhelming mental task, especially for a new believer. While I do not want to take away at all the benefit of such a biblical approach as Tripp laid out in this book, I think there can be more practical strategies applied to his methodology as well. For myself, I have a very difficult time simply working through and applying new truths as a mental activity- even if someone holds my hand as it were and walks me through it. I find the application of these truths more viable through various activities and healthy coping strategies; in a word, Tripp’s methodologies seem less practical than they perhaps could be. For instance, activities like journaling and letter writing were helpful for me to be able to sort through some deep issues, especially when during a counseling session I began to mentally and emotionally shuts down; working through issues on my own time when I was more alert was easier to do through writing. Further, discussing avoidance strategies to go along with accountability can be very helpful tools, and also provide a good base for accountability discussions. I suppose there could be a myriad of other helpful tools in overcoming sin that could (and perhaps do) run alongside the methodologies that Tripp has laid out in this book.