Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Discipleship Counseling by Dr. Neil T. Anderson Review by Michael Wright
Discipleship Counseling by Dr. Neil T. Anderson Review by Michael Wright
Michael J. Wright
Liberty University
SOMETHING’S MISSING: DISCIPLESHIP COUNSELING
2
Abstract
This paper identifies and explores three core ideas expressed in the book Discipleship
Counseling by Dr. Neil T. Anderson. In the field of Christian counseling there is a lack of
consensus on integration of secular psychiatric science and theological teaching. The first point
addressed answers this with the statement that Christians are hurting because of a lack of
understanding of whom they are or their purpose in Christ. In the second point this paper
addresses the organizational structure of discipleship counseling that must be met. Finally
barriers to overcome in restoring the counselee back to God are addressed. Sources include the
Barna Research Group, doctors from the American Medical Association, The Zondervan
In Dr. Neil T. Anderson’s work Discipleship Counseling (Anderson, 2003) there are
three important ideas that are expressed; that followers of Jesus Christ are hurting expressly
because they do not understand their place or purpose in Christ, that there is an organizational
structure to discipleship counseling that must be met, and that there are barriers to overcome in
restoring the relationship of the counselee back to God. Discipleship Counseling is an important
topic not only in the church but in the secular world of medicine, psychology and sociology
because as Dr. Anderson states, “Science has helped us understand natural law, alleviate some
suffering and improve our standard of living, but it is simply inadequate to explain matters of
faith.” (P. 28) Dr. Anderson’s book is a fair and balanced look at Christian based counseling and
what it looks like in the field, but as with anything both Christian Counseling and Dr. Anderson’s
counseling books go. It is primarily divided into two parts, but first portion can also be broken
into two parts. The first official part is titled “Discipleship Counseling in Theory,” which
discusses the biblical balance of modern psychology and Christian counseling. In the
“introductory” portion Anderson touches on such topics as the inclusion of the spiritual realm in
counseling, the inadequacy of scientific rationalism and how there needs to be balance with
naturalism and Biblical reality. The second “half” of this part, which is the bulk of “Discipleship
Counseling in Theory” dives into defining mental health as it applies to the secular and Biblical
world views, integrating theological ideas with the psychological, roles and responsibilities of all
parties including God, the counselor and counselee, the sanctifying process or understanding
how the Fall of Man and Christ’s Redemption affect the counseling encounter, an introduction
SOMETHING’S MISSING: DISCIPLESHIP COUNSELING
4
into what Anderson calls “the steps to freedom,” and dealing with spiritual and external
opposition.
In part two titled “Discipleship Counseling in Practice,” Anderson begins to look at the
process of bringing counselees back into right relationship with God. He begins with a
discussion of who to counsel, addressing defenses and prayer partners, and breaking down the
various logistics of the meeting. Next the renouncing of prior guidance contrary to the Word of
God is listed as the first step. Deception in the life of the counselee is now confronted, to be
replaced with the truth of Christ. Once truth is accepted the process of forgiveness can begin,
including others, God and self. Rebellion and control are addressed next, impressing the need for
God to take control of one’s life. Pride is confronted and replaced with humility, and the bondage
of addiction and habitual sin is broken by Paul’s decree that “There is no condemnation for those
who are in Jesus Christ.” (Romans 8:1) Finally ancestral sin is addressed, so that the counselee
might become free of any sin influence that has been passed to them. Anderson closes with
resources on how to start your own ministry based on his “Freedom in Christ Ministries.”
The first idea explored is that hurting Christians do not know their place or purpose in
Christ. Which should not be surprising, in 2009 the Barna group performed a survey of professed
“Born Again Christians” in the United States and found that when it came to holding an accurate
Biblical world view, “less than one out of every five (19%) had such an outlook on
life.”[ CITATION Bar09 \l 1033 ] As Anderson states “Western rationalism and naturalism is
out of balance with biblical reality.” (P. 36) The argument presented is that secular psychology
fails to recognize the needs of the holistic person; namely ignoring the spiritual reality taught by
SOMETHING’S MISSING: DISCIPLESHIP COUNSELING
5
such scriptures as Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against
the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
In defining mental health, Anderson points out that secular views are incapable of solving
problems because they regard spiritual problems as mental illness. According to the Council of
Christian Colleges & Universities, “Psychological theories are not "proven," and since the
proximate cause of mental-emotional problems is spiritual, one should only rely on biblical
principles for mental-emotional healing.”[ CITATION Mil11 \l 1033 ] Mental Health from a
Biblical standard defines two beliefs as essential, the true nature of God as expressed in
scripture, and our own nature as expressed as understanding of who we are as children of God
and our relationship with him. Mental Illness is defined as a distortion of either of these concepts
by Satan.
spiritual?” Anderson argues that this is antithetical to the holistic treatment of counselees, as
there is no time when our present condition is not affected by physical conditions, nor a time
when God ceases to act as God. Christian Discipleship Counseling revolves around two
principals, the centrality of the Gospel and having an accurate Biblical worldview. The centrality
of the Gospel is roughly equivalent to how the counselor approaches ministering to the
counselee, whether admonishing them with the “law” of the scriptures or encouraging them to
walk by faith according to what God says is true, and then helping them glorify God so that they
may bear fruit. Having an accurate Biblical worldview is critical as without understanding of
who plays what role, where healing power truly comes from and other theological questions we
theology and psychology. Professor Ann Belford Ulanov of Union Theological Seminary argues
that psychology and theology cannot intermingle because “there is no precise common ground;
their respective points of view shape their methods, attitudes, tasks, materials, and images of
truth differently.”[ CITATION Ann71 \l 1033 ] Another concern raised states that “Integration
is not simply an intellectual exercise. It is a personal process that orients one's entire
life.”[ CITATION Car79 \l 1033 ] Anderson states that while he does not agree with secular
psychology, he understands psychology itself to be the study of the soul, much like theology is
organizational structure that must be met. As this is a Christ-centered ministry God is at the top
of the organizational structure. Neither counselor nor counselee can accomplish anything without
His guiding hand. Still the line must be further divided between God’s Sovereignty and Man’s
Responsibility. Man cannot do what only God can do, and God cannot force us to do what He
By the same token there are responsibilities that the counselee needs to follow to help the
counseling resolve successfully. Primarily the counselee has the responsibility to pray for
themselves. As Anderson articulates this is presented in James 5:13 “Is anyone among you
suffering? Then he must pray.” Another reason for this is stated in 1st Timothy 2:5, “For there is
one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ.” As the scripture
illustrates, the counselor is not the replacement for Jesus in the counselee’s life, only Christ can
SOMETHING’S MISSING: DISCIPLESHIP COUNSELING
7
mediate between the counselee and God. The next responsibility of the counselee is for their own
spiritual well being. What this essentially means is that the counselee must take the first step. If
someone is in need of prayer, how is anyone to know unless that request is presented? The last
responsibility is for the counselee to confess the truth and repent of their sins. Lies and deception
are the bargaining chips the devil uses to hold people in bondage, and as Christ said in John 8:32,
“And then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
The encourager or counselor also has responsibilities. The counselor is to be the Lord’s
bond servant, totally dependent on God. As John 6:44 states, “No one can come to me unless the
Father who sent me draws him.” Another responsibility is that we must not be quarrelsome.
Anderson includes a great quote from John Scott, “You cannot pander to mankind’s intellectual
arrogance, but you must cater to their intellectual integrity.” In other words there are some who
seek out arguments simply for attention, not for resolution and our job is not to follow but have
Compassion is another responsibility of the counselor. Godly kindness is not only helpful
in drawing out honesty from the counselee, it also helps the counselor stand as an example of
healthy behavior. As stated by the Patient-Physician Covenant, “one that cannot be pursued
effectively without the virtues of humility, honesty, intellectual integrity, compassion, and
responsibility. A counselee cannot simply unload a lifetime of psychological garbage out in front
The final responsibility of the counselor is to remember to continue their own walk in
Christ. They are not to be in a rush to help so many people, lest they stumble and injure more
SOMETHING’S MISSING: DISCIPLESHIP COUNSELING
8
than just themselves. Counselors should continue to pray not only for their counselees but for
themselves, and keep themselves abreast of new techniques. As it states in 1st Timothy 6:11, “But
you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance
and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were
called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. “
Barriers to Counseling
The third and final point of Discipleship Counseling is that there are barriers to overcome
in restoring the relationship of the counselee back to God. The Apostle Peter, writing to the
Christians of Asia Minor from Rome urged “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil
prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the
faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of
sufferings. “ (1st Peter 5:8-9 NIV) It is interesting to note that in the NASB translation the
beginning of verse eight is worded “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.” The word sober here is
taken from the Greek word “nêphô,” which means to abstain from wine. So knowing from
Ephesians 6:12 that our struggle is not in the flesh but in the spirit and heavenly realms, to be
spiritually sober is to abstain from that which spiritually makes us drunk. So the question is, what
At the heart of the matter Anderson describes a key of knowledge that Jesus refers to in
Luke 11:52, and the light that exposes wicked deeds in John 3:19-20. The key of knowledge, or
the truth of Jesus is what sets people free of bondage, while the light exposes the darkness and
convicts people into repentance. These two things are critical in understanding external barriers
in counseling. One external barrier presents in the form of the unrepentant sinner. These would
SOMETHING’S MISSING: DISCIPLESHIP COUNSELING
9
be those who know full well their measure of sin but run from the church for fear of having it
exposed in the light. Another example would be so called “Pharasees,” those who have hardened
their hearts to the point that they become critical of everything around them that doesn’t conform
to their standards. Even more dangerous are “Pharaseic” leaders in the church who actively stand
Bible reading has become the religious equivalent of sound-bite journalism. When
people read from the Bible they typically open it, read a brief passage without much
regard for the context, and consider the primary thought or feeling that the passage
provided. If they are comfortable with it, they accept it; otherwise, they deem it
interesting but irrelevant to their life, and move on. There is shockingly little growth
In a similar fashion there are actual spiritual abusers who attempt to discredit the truth by
attacking those who would bear fruit. Numerous websites can be found online of churches or
individuals claiming to be experts with entire archives of sludge reports on respected ministry
When it comes to the counseling experience, counselors will quickly find that often a
broken Biblical worldview is the result of some past hurt in their lives. In some cases these hurts
are so dominant in the lives of the counselee they can’t even understand what it is you’re saying
as you council them. It’s in these cases that an understanding of how the spiritual battle going on
inside the minds of many is critical to freedom. It must be communicated that Satan has all ready
SOMETHING’S MISSING: DISCIPLESHIP COUNSELING
10
been defeated and that they are children of God, co-heirs to the Kingdom with Christ (Romans
8:17) Once the counselee has been freed, they can begin what Anderson calls the seven steps
Step one involves renouncing any current our past involvement in any activity or group
that worked contrary to scripture. Anderson insists that a strong, out loud declaration of
renouncing Satan is at the heart of this step, as false guidance from the enemy has led the
counselee away from God. After this declaration nine follow-up questions are asked, all nine of
which are in some way satanically related. This is to encourage prayer and further renouncing of
Step two involves overcoming deception, from living lies to believing them. Prayer is
largely involved, asking on the Father to reveal any deception involved in the counselee’s life.
Step three is about overcoming bitterness, and learning what stands in the way of
forgiveness. After performing a prayer of revelation the counselee is asked to make a list of those
they have offended and those that have offended them, with the counselor’s assistance if
necessary. Much of this step involves the counselee forgiving themselves and releasing any
The next step is overcoming rebellion, or those who would have control over their own
life instead of God. Learning to trust God, living with and under authority and Biblical
submission are all covered here. Dealing with past abuses is also often dealt with in this step.
The fifth step is overcoming pride, which goes well with step four. As Anderson states,
“Pride is the origin of evil.” (P. 294) In this step the counselor helps the counselee overcome
their perceived self-sufficiency by identifying false humility, avenues of pride, prejudice and
bigotry. Since this step is covered in the last, impressing a realistic worldview is conveyed.
The sixth step involves overcoming habitual sin and addictions, which typically is
administered in some form of twelve step program. In this instance Anderson regards this form
of sin as a sort of open or revolving door in which the counselee repeatedly attempts to repent
but does not have the faculties to do so. Prayer is largely the prescription but even Anderson
The final step involves overcoming Ancestral Sin, or sin that has been passed down the
family line. Here habits that have formed from how the counselee grew up are addressed.
Anderson even suggests that Jeremiah 32:17-18 suggests that certain sins are actually genetically
inherited. After prayer is administered the counselee is assured of 2nd Corinthians 5:17,
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is
here! “
While Anderson’s book Discipleship Counseling offers us three distinct topical points,
that Christians are hurting because they do not know their place in Christ, that there is an
restoring the counselee back to God, a great deal more can be learned from his Truth in Christ
Ministries. Anderson has given us several examples of his work in the field not mentioned here.
The field of Christian counseling in general is in need of guidance such as this, and it is ironic
that the American Psychiatric Association, American Psychology Association and the American
SOMETHING’S MISSING: DISCIPLESHIP COUNSELING
12
Medical Association find this work legitimate while a number of churches do not. The work does
seems to focus primarily on prayer and demonic activity as the cause of issues over traditional
secular ideas, but the accessibility of the material would warrant further investigation before
implementation in a church environment, especially if that church were looking to avoid secular
psychology entirely.
SOMETHING’S MISSING: DISCIPLESHIP COUNSELING
13
References
Carter, J. D., & Narramore, B. (1979). The integration of psychology and theology: an
introduction. Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA: The Zondervan Corporation.
Crawshaw, R., Rogers, D. E., Pellegrino, E. D., Bulger, R. G., Lundburg, G. D., Bristow, L. R.,
et al. (1995). Patient-Physician Covenant. Journal of the American Medical Association , 19.
The Barna Research Group. (2009). Barna Studies the Research, Offers a Year-in-Review
Perspective. Ventura, CA, USA.
The Barna Research Group. (2009). Barna Survey Examines Changes in Worldview Among
Christians over the Past 13 Years. Ventura, CA, USA: The Barna Group, Ltd.