Jay Adams lays out the fundamentals of Nouthetic Counseling in his book "Competent to Counsel". He argues that the biblical approach to human problems is to acknowledge total human depravity and the need for repentance from sin. In contrast to Freudian psychology which blames issues on external factors, Adams emphasizes that the root cause is internal sin. True counseling requires the Holy Spirit's work in bringing people to repentance, not just techniques. It also involves confessing sins rather than just reflecting, as the gospel calls all to repent. Adams provides a biblical model of counseling that confronts counselees with their sin so they can experience true freedom and repentance through Christ.
Jay Adams lays out the fundamentals of Nouthetic Counseling in his book "Competent to Counsel". He argues that the biblical approach to human problems is to acknowledge total human depravity and the need for repentance from sin. In contrast to Freudian psychology which blames issues on external factors, Adams emphasizes that the root cause is internal sin. True counseling requires the Holy Spirit's work in bringing people to repentance, not just techniques. It also involves confessing sins rather than just reflecting, as the gospel calls all to repent. Adams provides a biblical model of counseling that confronts counselees with their sin so they can experience true freedom and repentance through Christ.
Jay Adams lays out the fundamentals of Nouthetic Counseling in his book "Competent to Counsel". He argues that the biblical approach to human problems is to acknowledge total human depravity and the need for repentance from sin. In contrast to Freudian psychology which blames issues on external factors, Adams emphasizes that the root cause is internal sin. True counseling requires the Holy Spirit's work in bringing people to repentance, not just techniques. It also involves confessing sins rather than just reflecting, as the gospel calls all to repent. Adams provides a biblical model of counseling that confronts counselees with their sin so they can experience true freedom and repentance through Christ.
Jay Adams lays out the fundamentals of Nouthetic Counseling in his book "Competent to Counsel". He argues that the biblical approach to human problems is to acknowledge total human depravity and the need for repentance from sin. In contrast to Freudian psychology which blames issues on external factors, Adams emphasizes that the root cause is internal sin. True counseling requires the Holy Spirit's work in bringing people to repentance, not just techniques. It also involves confessing sins rather than just reflecting, as the gospel calls all to repent. Adams provides a biblical model of counseling that confronts counselees with their sin so they can experience true freedom and repentance through Christ.
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Introduction to Counseling Alex Dwyer
Dr. Kevin Backus January 20, 2020
Competent to Counsel: The Basic Principles of Nouthetic Counseling
In his foundational book entitled Competent to Counsel, Jay Adams lays out for his
readers the fundamentals of Nouthetic Counseling. His method is not so much a new form of
counseling as it is a return to a simple, biblical approach to human depravity and the good news
of Jesus Christ.
Before delving into Nouthetic Counseling in particular, Adams deals with the damaging
effects of Freudian Psychology. Freudian diagnoses of psychological issues boil down to
blaming human sins on someone else. Adams rightly argues that the Superego's struggle against
the Id is a denial of the basic biblical tenet of total human depravity. He says, “Freud...has
provided a philosophical and pseudoscientific rationale for irresponsible people to use to justify
themselves.”1 In contrast to Freud, Adams argues for a wholehearted embrace of the Bible's
teaching that man's fundamental problem is sin.
He therefore emphasizes the need for the Holy Spirit to be at work as the true paraclete.
Without the Spirit's work in the hearts of clients, the counselor is simply trying to use techniques
(i.e., works) to bring about repentance. Adams stresses the point that only if the Spirit works in
the hearts of men will they repent of their sin and believe the true hope of the gospel.
For that reason, Nouthetic Counseling embraces what Adams argues is a much more
behavior-oriented approach to these issues. Because God has called his people out of darkness
and into light (1 Pet. 2:9), they ought to respond immediately to that call to repentance. Adams
argues, “The pastor cannot set aside his convictions–even temporarily….To ‘accept’ sinful
1 Jay E. Adams, Competent to Counsel (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1970), 17. behavior in the eyes of the client is to condone it.”2 Confession of sin plays a pivotal role in
Nouthetic Counseling because it plays a vital role in the gospel, both in justification and in
sanctification.
Biblical counseling, according to Adams, must be directed towards action rather than
simply self-reflection because the gospel itself calls "all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30).
This is, of course, in stark contrast to Freudian counseling which emphasizes delving into the
motivations, fears, and especially socially imposed guilt. He also contrasts this view with
Rogerian Counseling, in which the counselor is simply to listen to the client without
commenting. Biblically speaking, however, it is only in freedom from guilt that men can be truly
free. Adams rightly argues that true guilt of conscience is a God-ordained means of bringing
sinners to repentance. So, the counselee must deal with the sin that is causing that guilt. With the
helpful use of a diagram,3 Adams notes that the only way to deal with a problem is to break
through it. Many try to skirt around, or attack a symptom, or even identify the problem mentally
but never deal with its actual effects in their lives. True counseling involves true repentance,
which is lived out day to day by the help of the Holy Spirit as sins are not only identified but
confessed and abandoned.
Overall, the principles of Nouthetic Counseling are simply biblical wisdom. Adams'
emphasis on the confession of sin, pastor as counselor, and use of Proverbs helpfully strips
psychology of all its trappings of human wisdom and places the counselee face to face with the
reality of his own sin. Practically, it would be helpful to know how Adams envisions "breaking
through" specific problems when dealing with sin. As he mentions, the path to true repentance is
an upward spiral that takes time and effort. It is in that sense not instantaneous. That said,
2 Ibid., 86. 3 Ibid., 129.
2 Competent to Counsel is a biblically sound model for any spastor who seeks to offer counsel that
