Steve Arterburn, Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. Dave Stoop
1. What is nouthetic counseling?
2. My 15-year-old daughter sees people who aren’t there. [parenting]
3. My husband threatened divorce if I don’t sign our tax papers. [marriage]
4. My 8-year-old daughter started lying. [parenting]
Regarding the 15 year old who sees people – my father had a minor stroke and reported seeing people or animals in the room for about 6 months after the stroke. He was told of a syndrome called Charles Bonnet (sp). Also, I know of someone who saw people who weren’t there – and it is from prescription eye-drops she was taking. So this may not be psychological on the girls part. My father said he felt like he was going crazy – and was afraid to tell us.
Comment by Susan Brennan — October 29, 2009 @ 12:51 pm
Hello New Life,
I thought your evaluation of nouthetic counseling was a mis-characterization at best. The nouthetic ministry that I’ve learned from do believe boundaries are important. But they do not make boundaries the predominate metaphor for Christian living, which is their concern for the boundaries material. Constructing boundaries is not the primary way Jesus taught His disciples to handle intrusive people, but wise love (see Matt 5:21-43). Also, nouthetic counseling does know how to address people who have experienced sufferings like being shut up in a car trunk: we are to weep with those who weep (Rom 12:15) and point them to the One who was shut up in a tomb for 3 days and nights so that we could be free from fear (John 16:33). Thanks, Tom
Comment by Thomas C Davis — October 30, 2009 @ 7:11 am
Amen Tom. God’s Word is what helps and changes people.
Comment by Aaron Rosin — October 30, 2009 @ 11:00 pm