Courses

Course details

Psychopathology and Spiritual Conflicts

Code: CCC212112 credits

Study information

Programmes

Prerequisites

About this course

The Psychopathology and Spiritual Conflicts Course is designed to provide the Christian counsellor with a bio-psycho-social-spiritual understanding of abnormal behaviour. It will introduce the student-counsellor to the theory and theology of spiritual conflicts and the related concepts and provide an understanding of the different mental disorders. Christian counsellors will be equipped with the necessary skills to differentiate, make provisional assessments, and make appropriate referrals. They will be able to come alongside people with mental disorders and/or spiritual conflicts with supportive caregiving, and will be able to counsel within the boundaries of their training. Pastoral and Lay Christian Counsellors should not attempt to diagnose or treat serious psychological disorders, but they need to have enough knowledge to be able to recognize and understand mental disorders. By the end of this course you should be able to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the bio-psycho-social-spiritual etiology of problems, abnormal behavior, and mental disorders
  • Deduce a pneumatological understanding of spiritual conflicts that is biblically-based, Christ-centred, Spirit-led, and psychologically sound
  • Recognise psychopathology and demonstrate knowledge of when to refer to medical and/or mental health professionals, and/or professional pastoral counsellors
  • Counsel people from a Christian counselling perspective within the limitations of their training

You will be required to purchase the following textbooks in order to complete all counselling courses:

  • Collins, G. 2007. Christian Counseling - a Comprehensive Guide (Third Edition). Thomas Nelson.
  • Meier, Minirth, Wichern & Ratcliff. 1999. Introduction to Psychology and Counseling: Christian Perspectives and Applications. 2nd Baker Books.
  • Tan, S. & Scalise, E.T. 2016. Lay Counseling: Equipping Christians for a Helping Ministry (Revised and Updated).
  • Tan, Siang-Yang, 2011. Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Christian Perspective. Baker Publishing