GATHERING DATA
Two basic approaches
The intensive approach
Dollying in on one central
problem in depth
The extensive approach
The counselor uses the
shotgun rather than the rifle.
Ways of gathering data
Halo data
May gather data basically in
two ways: overtly and covertly
Core data
Relies primarily upon
questioning…must learn how to ask
questions and probe into answers
received
Data gathering may take several
sessions and may require serious
deliberation on the part of both the
counselor and the counselee.
Get the facts
Counselors must search for
and uncover the pertinent facts in
every case.
Note taking
A counselor may frequently refer
to his notes from previous counseling
sessions, making quotations from
them.
Use of notes
Exact quotations often make the
difference….by reading these as direct
quotation…a counselee can be caught
in a lie, reminded of a commitment, …
Responsibility and data gathering
Must help counselees sort out
their responsibilities
Counselees frequently (usually)
confuse responsibilities. This happens
because sinful people tend to justify
themselves by blameshifting.
That a counselee is responsible to
do what God says regardless of what
others may or may not do often is one
of the hardest things for him to
understand (p. 268).
Gathering legitimate data
Counselors should not talk about
others behind their backs when
counseling; nor should they allow
counselees to do so.
It is important to warn against
receiving “privileged information.”
Asking questions
Example of Christ – Begin with
the basic whats, which are the
fundamental data gathering questions
What is your problem?
What have you done about it?
What do you want us to do?
What to do about agenda problems
Counselees frequently come to
counseling with an agenda.
Why people come
Twenty of the most frequent
reasons why persons seek counselors
(pp. 277-278)
Discovering problem patterns
Scheduling
Probing
Systematic probing – according to
a preconceived plan
Symptomatic probing – probing
only in those areas that seem to be
involved in the particular case at hand
The kinds of questions to ask
Avoid yes and no questions
Exception; when
speaking with a noncommunicative counselee
Ask questions that will
eliminate extraneous material
Ask questions about
specifics
LET QUESTIONS GROW OUT OF
THE DATA RECEIVED
Counselors should simply as
the questions that they would
like to ask; i.e., those that in any
good conversation might be the
next in line (p. 288).
ASK QUESTIONS OF YOURSELF
One way of safeguarding
oneself from making hasty false
interpretations is to continue to
probe oneself with:….
HOW TO HANDLE RAMBLING
REPLIES
Biblical counselors
maintain control of and guide
the session at all times.
HOW TO HANDLE FALSE DATA
May need to ask questions
by way of repetition or
clarification in order to be sure
that what he suspects to be
false data is not merely his
own misunderstanding of the
data
Life-dominating sins and
deception
AN ANALYSIS OF HOMEWORK
Regular homework
assignments set a pattern for
expectation of change.
Homework clarifies
expectations
Homework enables the
counselor to do more
counseling more rapidly.
Homework keeps counselees
from becoming dependent
upon the counselor.
Homework enables both the
counselor and the counselee to
gauge progress or lack of it.
Homework allows the
counselor to deal with
problems and patterns that
develop under controlled
current conditions.
HOMEWORK HELPS THE
COUNSELOR
Homework places a demand
upon the counselor to think
about solutions in terms of
biblical patterns of living; it
drives him to the Scriptures.
Ready-made starting point
for the next session…brings
continuity to the counseling…
FAILURE TO DO ASSIGNMENTS
Counselor may ask,“Was
the assignment not completed
because there was lack of
motivation?”
There may be times when
the counselee could not do his
assignment because he did not
know how.
When unwillingness to carry
out the assignment seems to be
the problem –
Forgiveness?
Hope? Lack of hope will
lead to lack of effort
Genuine Christian?
Immobilized by fear?
It is the counselor’s job to
help the counselee to recoup,
i.e., to deal with the failure and
to help him to turn the failure
experience into a blessing and
asset.
Sin?
Providence of God
THE CREATION OF HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENTS
Samples (pp. 318-320)
Homework Assignments for
Biblical Counseling Volume I
Develop you own
“One another”
Beatitudes