November 6, 2006 · 7:03 am

Science Monday: What clients really look for in therapy


In a qualitative outcome analysis studying what clients find helpful in psychotherapy, researchers at U of Memphis describe some interesting phenomena. They asked 26 former clients about significant experiences and moments recalled from prior therapy (therapy had ended between 2 and 12 months prior). The article isn’t the best piece of writing nor the best qualitative work I’ve seen, but here are some interesting tidbits:
1. “On average clients were able to describe only 1.6 discrete significant moments that occurred across their therapy experiences…” [This may mean clients remember feelings and sensations from therapy more than the actual things we say. That should keep us humble.]
2. “Clients are needing just enough structure [of sessions] to facilitate reflexivity while needing to feel special enough to risk revealing and to be known.” [Clients seem to know they need to do the exploration of the self and yet it feels quite risky to do so. Therefore they often choose to seek safety and hide. If therapists aren’t careful, they easily collude with this avoidance tendency. Either a counselor can be too structured (which may stop clients from pursuing important issues) or too loose (which may allow client to stay on the surface).
3. “It was noticeable that clients rarely discussed symptomatic change per se as an important outcome of their psychotherapy….Although symptom reduction may be a positive effect of therapy, it may not be the primary benefit for many clients.” [Sample size is a bit small to make much hay with this. And yet, global changes such as feeling better about oneself, being understood, relating better to others, etc. may be more important to clients. Symptom checklists, which might make managed care companies happy, probably don’t really measure the best aspects of therapy success. I suspect that clients dome into therapy looking for symptom reduction but leave realizing that something greater than symptom reduction was gained. For example:  normalization of a problem can be just as powerful as its removal.]

I see a parallel in the christian life. We come to God, to the Scriptures, looking for relief from some sort of problem. Often we leave with the comfort of having met God and knowing that he is with us–and less focused on whether the particular suffering is actually reduced (notice I said less focused, not uncaring).

Levitt, H. et al (2006). What clients find helpful in psychotherapy: Developing principles for facilitating moment-to-moment change. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53:3, 314-324.

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November 5, 2006 · 10:39 am

Should Leaders confess? Part II


I wrote the previous post on this topic a week or so prior to the Haggard incident. While we might quibble over how much gets told to the population and what kind of stuff gets told, hopefully we agree that lying to the laity isn’t a good idea either. I do hope he is willing to come clean. I’d love to see a willingness to own without denial and to give a good example of what real confession looks like. We all have a tendency to confess in ways that make us look not so bad. I expect that he probably didn’t do all that his accuser has stated. The political reasons for the revelation of facts now cannot be understated.

 A good reminder to us that “little” sins lead to bigger ones.  

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Filed under Christianity: Leaders and Leadership, News and politics, sin

November 3, 2006 · 7:52 am

Drinking color?


While the Fall leaves here are nothing compared to my beloved VT/NH/ME, we in South-eastern PA are enjoying the last bits of color these days. (To me, the difference between fall leaves in New England and fall leaves here is like the difference between a homegrown tomato and one you buy in the grocery store in February, or the difference between an orange in FL and one we get months later up here.) The tree in our neighbor’s yard was bright yellow yesertday and now those leaves are on the ground. We seem to have a number of yellow/orange trees in Abington. I love to stand in front of one and drink in the color. There’s something peaceful about it. It makes my eyes happy.

It had just stopped raining yesterday when I drove to work. The dark clouds, the wet tree trunks, green grass, and the red, yellow, and orange leaves reflecting light reminded me of a drive up the Taconic parkway some years ago. Even though it was pouring, the leaves made it seem like the sun was out. It is nature’s antidepressant, but even better–no side effects. Too bad it doesn’t last…

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November 2, 2006 · 8:04 pm

Ponder these quotes regarding today’s church


Ponder some words by local city pastor Steve Huber (Liberti Church) 

Talking about community is like being at a jr. high dance. Everybody wants to be on the dance floor but they all are hugging the wall. [We talk about it but stay on the sidelines for self-protection reasons. Its also true of racial diversity. We talk about it as a good thing, but then we live in monocultural communities. Even racially mixed communities or churches may not be true communities because they are controlled by one culture or in transition from one to the other.]

We’re part of the Simpson generation. We make fun of everything and everyone. [the dissatisfaction with our structures, even the ones we are a part of]

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Filed under Cultural Anthropology, Missional Church

November 2, 2006 · 7:24 am

Overheard at Society for Christian Psychology conf.


Sam Williams of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary likened the differences between Integrationist Christian Psychology and Biblical Counseling as the differences between Microsoft and Apple operating systems:

 Apple doesn’t get infected with viruses but doesn’t communicate well with the rest of the world (reads other things fine but keeps pure and to itself). Microsoft communicates (interacts) well with the world but catches a lot of viruses.

Probably more truth here than we admit. Neither comes off smelling too great in my estimation.

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Filed under biblical counseling, christian psychology

November 1, 2006 · 8:00 am

Should leaders confess sins to followers?


Just came from a conference with pastors where we were talking about rethinking leadership in light of the cultural changes that force us back the biblical images rather than those pervasive in the church growth models. I’ll summarize a few take-aways tomorrow but wanted to highlight part of our discussion of humble leadership. I made some comments regarding the need to be leading by example in the area of repentance. I stole someone else’s line: Why is it that those who love the Reformed doctrine of depravity aren’t commonly willing to share their own depravity (and repentance!) with their sheep. One person asked the common question regarding the health of having pastors and christian leaders confess their sins. Couldn’t it harm other’s faith? Here’s some of my thoughts.

1. Sure, having the pastor confess on Sunday am that he just masturbated the night before isn’t a good idea. However, sometimes raising the obvious problem with leader confession causes us to avoid doing much at all in our present life. We might confess our old sins, but less likely our recent ones.
2. The motive for leader’s confession must be more than his/her own benefit. Leader communication should be pastoral to the hearers. This excludes narcissistic, “look at me” confession.
3. If leaders have sins that are too big to confess to their followers, its probable that they either failed to confess and be accountable to more appropriate audiences (mentors, supervisors, colleagues, etc.). We get to the bigger sins because we let the littler ones slide or we deny their presence to self and other.
4. Leaders should begin to confess the sins that everyone knows they have and not get caught up in whether or not to confess the more hidden ones. Your followers can see your failings. Did you promise something and yet fail to deliver (and then blame others for the failure)? Did you show defensiveness in the leadership meeting? Arrogance? Knee-jerk assessment or pastoral care? Did you write off a follower as unteachable without enough time? Did you neglect a follower’s gifts because they threatened yours?
5. These kind of confessions may cause some who want perfect leaders to lose heart. But, I would argue that if not this, something else will cause them to lose heart. The vast majority will feel they have a leader who understands their weaknesses and will be more ready to accept the care offered in the future.
6. Some confessions will lead to being removed from ministry for a season. There is grace in forgiveness and not having a mountain made out of a molehill AND their is grace in forgiveness and being held accountable. We leaders need to exemplify both to others and pray that others will do the same for us.

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Filed under Christianity: Leaders and Leadership, ethics, Repentance, sin

November 1, 2006 · 7:20 am

The psychology of our culture-shift and other thoughts


Thought I’d repeat some of Dean Trulear’s comments regarding the culture change at a recent emerging conference. Things that may hinder our church culture change:

In a world of change, we tend to seek places where I don’t have to have change. Trulear says, “Its hardest to mobilize the person who attends bible study every day.” He says so because they come primarily for stability and comfort. In fact, this may be what drives the desire to form mega churches. He suggests that mega churches create a mega-illusion (not growing up stealing sheep, focusing on the external bells/whistles, without showing the

But rather than see that our individualist culture is going to hell in a handbasket, Trulear suggests there are artifacts of true biblical community showing up just the same, and these are signs of hope.
1. Clothing: supposedly an expression of individualism, but really clothes identify people with others of the same kind
2. Friends with Benefits: the hook-up is all about the sexual experience, and yet it isn’t anonymous sex. If it were all about sex, then why not just seek truly no strings attached sex?
3. Rap & R & B: Despite the popularity of individualist rap, R & B (all about love and relationship) still flourishes
4. Loyalty over honesty: Why do stars still hang with their homies? Because of loyalty. Unfortunately, the value of loyalty clouds the need for honesty.
5. Gangs are families: Gangs sometimes perform deaconal services better than the church

Question: How do we teach Seminarians to love looking for the vestiges of the Gospel in current culture, no matter how pagan it may be. If Romans 1 is true, then whatever decadence the World develops, we’ll still see signs of the Gospel–and therefore find entry gates to the human heart.

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Filed under Cultural Anthropology, Gospel

October 31, 2006 · 10:32 am

Living with the end in sight


A dear member and elder of my church is nearing the end of his life. Frankly, there has been far too much premature death/dying and severe sickness in my circles. In times like this, I find 1 Peter a good book to review. Peter tells it like it is. He reminds us of our hope but doesn’t shrink back from talking of our sordid pasts and suffering futures. Repeatedly, he asks us, in light of the times, to be sober minded. When I was young, I thought foolish thoughts. Now, I am in danger of despair. Both are problematic. Sober minded does not mean depressed. It means that I remember whose I am and what I am made capable of doing. The best passage for me?

 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind [Why?] so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have [To what end?] to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms [interesting, God’s grace takes on the form of our gifting]. If you speak [assumes sometimes we shouldn’t?], you should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If you serve, you should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:7-11

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Filed under Biblical Reflection, Meditations

October 31, 2006 · 7:07 am

Missional Church Leadership


Spent last Friday and Saturday participating in a conference discussing the future of the church and how her leadership must change (Sponsored by CityNet, a church  planting/revitalization ministry serving Philadelphia). Eddie Gibbs (Fuller) and Dean Trulear (Howard) provided the keynotes. What made this conference different is that it wasn’t merely talking heads. We spent a good deal of time in small group discussion and interacting with panelists. Further, there was a real effort made to make this conversation applicable to a variety of cultural settings. It wasn’t just a white conversation about postmodern angst.

We talked about culture changes (and the church’s relevence to it), character issues, and training challenges. As the only member representing Seminary education (not sure, maybe I was invited because I work with pastors as a psychologist), I participated on a panel discussing training/leadership challenges. Continue reading →

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October 31, 2006 · 6:19 am

How spam fulfills the curse of Genesis 3


The curse delivered in Genesis 3 is that childbearing will be painful, husbands will dominate their wives, and that the land will produce briars, impeding our ability to work productively. Spam is my briarpatch. Despite filters, I still get daily spam in by inbox. Just today someone sent me a wonderful piece of literature (several lines from To Kill a Mockingbird) in order to hide the spam of getting some cheap viagra. Also, a Liberian prince wants to give me 15 million of their secret cache of money if only I give them my bank numbers. This blog now gets spam. Thankfully, WordPress has a filter that catches most of it and only occasionally blocks a real person. A few weeks ago, I got 20 in one day. Apparently, someone thinks my penis is undersized. But, this morning I noticed that one spam offering to increase my “girth” got posted so everyone has to be exposed to such crud. Thankfully, I have the capacity to delete.

While the Lord says, vengence is mine, I’d love to have the capacity to hit the reply button and send a small electronic nuclear device that blows up that louse’s server.

Someone got some good gloves? looks like I have to contend with some briars here from now on.  

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Filed under Biblical Reflection, Meditations, Uncategorized