A Word from Bob: I’ve taken today’s blog post on 18 Resources on the Methodology of Biblical Counseling from The Annual Guide to Biblical Counseling Resources—2019 Edition which includes 690 resources on scores of biblical counseling and Christian living topics. The entire 160-page resource document is available here.
Adams, Jay. The Christian Counselor’s Casebook
This companion volume to Competent to Counsel and The Christian Counselor’s Manual is designed to help readers assimilate and apply the principles of nouthetic counseling. It is a tool for any counselor who wants to develop a scriptural approach to counseling. Based on actual counseling experiences, the cases are typical of the various problems encountered in ordinary church and pastoral counseling. This workbook provides practice in learning how to identify problems according to biblical norms, practice in laying out biblical plans of action, and familiarity with a variety of problems.
Adams, Jay. The Christian Counselor’s Manual: The Practice of Nouthetic Counseling
The Christian Counselor’s Manual is a companion and sequel to Jay Adam’s influential book Competent to Counsel. It takes the approach of nouthetic counseling introduced in the earlier volume and applies it to a wide range of issues, topics, and techniques in counseling, such as: Who is qualified to be a counselor? How can counselees change? How does the Holy Spirit work? What role does hope play? What is the function of language? How do we ask the right questions? What often lies behind depression? How do we deal with anger? What is schizophrenia?
Adams, Jay. Competent to Counsel: Introduction to Nouthetic Counseling
A classic in the field of biblical counseling, Competent to Counsel has helped thousands of pastors, students, laypersons, and biblical counselors develop both a general approach to counseling and a specific response to particular problems. As Jay Adams explains in his introduction, “I have been engrossed in the project of developing biblical counseling and have uncovered what I consider to be a number of important scriptural principles. There have been dramatic results. Not only have people’s immediate problems been resolved, but there have also been solutions to all sorts of long-term problems as well.” The book establishes the basis for and an introduction to a counseling approach that is being used in pastors’ studies, in counseling centers, and across dining room tables throughout the country and around the world.
Adams, Jay. How to Help People Change: The Four Step Biblical Process
Change is the essential goal of the counseling process. And, in the author’s words, “substantial change requires the alteration of the heart.” How can a biblical counselor facilitate such change? Jay Adams is a well-known counselor who bases his approach on Scripture. This book provides an opportunity to see how he discovers and applies biblical principles as well as the way in which Scripture functions as the basis for his counseling approach.
Crotts, John. Graciousness: Tempering Truth with Love
Author John Crotts explains that God cares about how we say what we say. In Graciousness, Crotts addresses Christians who are zealous for God’s truth, yet struggle to communicate it in a loving way. Filled with practical instruction and wise insights, Graciousness includes a biblical description of graciousness, explores positive examples and commands from the Bible, and shares methods for cultivating graciousness in various areas of the Christian life.
Emlet, Mike. CrossTalk: Where Life and Scripture Meet
Your friend just left his wife. You catch your child posting something inappropriate on the Internet. Someone in your small group is depressed. A relative was just diagnosed with an incurable disease. When those you know and love experience trouble, you don’t want to hand out pat answers. You want to offer real hope and help from God’s Word. You know it’s true, but how does an ancient book, written thousands of years ago, connect with our twenty-first century problems? In CrossTalk, Mike Emlet gives you the tools to connect the Bible to your life and the lives of your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. You learn to understand people and God’s Word in ways that promote gospel-centered, rich conversations that help you and those you know grow in love for God and others.
Eyrich, Howard, and William Hines. Curing the Heart: A Model for Biblical Counseling
In Curing the Heart, Drs. Eyrich and Hines present a biblical model of counseling in a comprehensive, comprehendible manner. In the heritage of the great Puritan pastors, the authors equip readers to become skillful soul physicians who reconcile and guide believers toward growth in Christ. Focusing on the sufficiency and relevancy of God’s Word, Curing the Heart presents the Bible’s message about humanity in a living and dynamic way, and shows how to use the Bible to change hearts with God’s changeless truth.
Fitzpatrick, Elyse, and Dennis Johnson. Counsel from the Cross: Connecting Broken People to the Love of Christ
To aid churches in ministering to broken and hurting people, the authors of Counsel from the Cross present a counseling model based on Scripture and powered by the work of the wonderful counselor, Jesus Christ. Through careful exegesis and helpful case studies, they demonstrate how to provide consistently biblical, gospel-centered counseling and explain why it is important to do so.
Holmes, Jonathan. The Company We Keep: In Search of Biblical Friendship
Broader and deeper than simple fellowship, biblical friendship is first and foremost about a relationship with Jesus Christ. As you are brought into friendship and relationship with the Father, Jesus Christ calls you a friend! It is out of this friendship that our human friendships find their beginning and their purpose. Biblical friendship is deep, honest, pure, transparent, and liberating. It is also attainable. Dig into The Company We Keep, and learn how your friendships can embody this amazing and wonderful reality.
Holmes, Jonathan. Counsel for Couples: A Biblical and Practical Guide for Marriage
Many pastors feel ill-equipped to handle the challenges that arise when a couple is going through marital difficulties. They feel lost and inadequate. What do you say? What counsel do you offer? Should I say anything or just listen? Do I schedule a follow-up appointment? Do I ask questions? What questions? If you are or have been in this situation, Counsel for Couples offers you a practical guide to get started with the first sessions and then offers specific guidance on nine of the most common topics that come up in marriage counseling. Author and pastor Jonathan Holmes offers a solid, biblical theology and methodology to help you navigate through the world of marriage counseling with the fundamental conviction that God’s Word is powerful enough to address the deepest of marital issues, and robust enough to handle whatever might come your way.
James, Joel. Counsel with Confidence: A Quick Reference Guide for Biblical Counselors and Disciplers
When you were learning to ride a bicycle, the hardest part was the first few pedal strokes—those wobbly seconds before you built up enough momentum to maintain your balance. A generous push from your dad was just what you needed to avoid ending up in a heap of elbows, knees, handlebars, and spokes. Counseling is similar. Sometimes you need something to give you some momentum, something to give you the confidence that you’re on the right track. Counsel with Confidence is a book to guide counselors and church leaders in being well informed and to help them bring about heart-based change in the lives of the people they counsel, through the right application of Scripture.
Kellemen, Bob. Gospel Conversations: How to Care Like Christ
How does a person learn to counsel others with the truth of God’s Word? How do we learn to speak God’s truth in love? Bob Kellemen believes that the best way to learn counseling is by doing it—by giving and receiving biblical counseling in the context of real, raw Christian community. That’s why Gospel Conversations is designed as a practical training manual for use in counseling labs and small group settings. Gospel Conversations explores the four compass-points of biblical counseling: 1.) Sustaining: “It’s Normal to Hurt.” 2.) Healing: “It’s Possible to Hope.” 3.) Reconciling: “It’s Horrible to Sin, but Wonderful to Be Forgiven.” 4.) Guiding: “It’s Supernatural to Mature.” These four compass points combine to equip readers to develop twenty-two biblical counseling skills and relational competencies—the “how to” of caring like Christ.
Kruis, John. Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling
Now in its fourth edition, this reference book helps counselors, pastors, and individual Christians with specific personal needs find sound scriptural guidance for resolving problems and growing in faith. The updated cover and packaging will attract new buyers to this already popular reference tool.
Mack, Wayne. A Homework Manual for Biblical Living: Personal and Interpersonal Problems
Counselors needing specific assignments to give counselees, or individuals seeking practical helps for their own struggles will welcome Wayne Mack’s homework manual. This volume deals with personal and interpersonal problems in over thirty categories such as anger, blame-shifting, communication, dating, finances, obesity, pride, sexual problems, sleep, suffering, thought patterns, and work. Dr. Mack presents a wealth of scriptural information for solving problems in each area covered.
Tautges, Paul. Discipling the Flock: A Call to Faithful Shepherding
Discipling the Flock is a short book to help church leaders bring about heart-based change in the lives of the people they shepherd, through the personal ministry of the Word. Here is an urgent appeal to return to authentic discipleship; here is a call to shepherds to be tenacious in their preaching of the whole counsel of God, and tender in their application of its truth to the lives of God’s sheep through their personal ministry.
Tripp, Paul. Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change
In many ways, the church today has more consumers than committed participants. We see church as an event we attend or an organization we belong to, rather than as a calling that shapes our life. Many of us would be relieved if God had placed our sanctification in the hands of trained professionals, but that simply is not the biblical model. God’s plan is that through the faithful ministry of every part, the whole body will grow to maturity in Christ. Paul Tripp explains how God’s work follows an “all of My people, all of the time” model.
Welch, Ed. Caring for One Another: 8 Ways to Cultivate Meaningful Relationships
The focus of biblical counseling is not a 50-minute, once-a-week office appointment. The heartbeat of biblical counseling is the one-another ministry of brothers and sisters in Christ. Caring for One Another by Dr. Ed Welch highlights how meaningful relationships can be a natural part of the daily life of the church. With short chapters and discussion questions meant to be read in a group setting, Welch guides small groups through eight lessons showing what it looks like when believers care for one another in everyday life.
Welch, Ed. Side by Side: Walking with Others in Wisdom and Love
Everyone needs help from time to time, especially in the midst of painful circumstances and difficult trials. In Side by Side, Ed Welch offers practical guidance for Christians—pastors and laypeople alike—who want to develop their “helping skills” when it comes to walking alongside hurting people. Written out of the conviction that friends are the best helpers, this accessible introduction to biblical counseling will equip believers to share their burdens with one another through gentle words of wisdom and kind acts of love.
Join the Conversation
What additional biblical counseling resources would you recommend related to the methodology of biblical counseling?
