JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW

Behavioral Therapy with the Use of Scripture and Prayer: Journal Article Review

Journal Article 1

Summary

The first article that I elected to focus on is titled, Use of Prayer and Scripture in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, by Siang-Yang Tan. The said article appears on a peer-reviewed journal by the name, Journal of Psychology and Christianity. It could, thus, be deemed a credible resource. It is important to note, from the onset, that the present article largely concerns itself with the proper utilization of not only prayer, but also scripture in cognitive behavioral therapy. In case, therefore, this is an article about the embrace and deployment of a largely Christian approach in CBT. It is clear from this particular resource that in the realm of Christian CBT, scripture and prayer can be effectively utilized or deployed in an ethical manner. This is particularly the case in therapy settings where consent has been sought from the clients involved for the utilization of the approach. The discussion makes it clear that indeed, Christian CBT could be practiced in an effective manner by Christian therapists. However, for this to be possible, the said deployment of Christian CBT ought to be rooted in biblical doctrine and specifically anchored in the teachings of Christ. It would be prudent to note that as the author observes, the appropriate and ethical use of Scripture or the Bible in the Christian CBT by a prayerful therapist can be of significant help to Christian clients who seriously take the Bible to be the inspired Word of God (p. 108). Towards this end, the author is categorical that there is need to ensure or see to it that that orientations not rooted in biblical teachings (such as sinful or erroneous thoughts) are addressed in therapy. In this case, as the author further points out, the focus ought to be on ensuring that such orientations are addressed in a sensitive and compassionate manner.

Reflection

This is a rather informative piece about the most appropriate way to deploy CBT that is firmly rooted in Christian ideals. I am of the opinion that this is an instrumental article owing to the fact that it focuses on one of the most prominent psychotherapeutic interventions/treatments in the realm of mental health. As a matter of fact, as the author of the present resource points out, CBT is an intervention that has impressive empirical support.

Over the last few decades, great progress has been made in efforts to further promote the efficacy of CBT. This is where CBT that is spiritually or religiously oriented comes in. According to the author of this particular article, the core component of Christian CBT happens to be the utilization or use of prayers as well as scriptures. It is important to note that in some instances, clients could demand or be in favor of therapy that is firmly rooted in their Christian beliefs or compatible with the said beliefs. In such scenarios, the relevance of being well-versed with the ethical application of scriptures and prayer in CBT cannot be overstated. It is amazing to come across an article that addressed this very need.

I found the various aspects of the Christian approach to CBT that the author presents in the article to be particularly practical and potentially helpful in diverse scenarios. This is more so the case in relation to inner healing prayers. However, as is the case with all other psychotherapeutic treatments, informed consent happens to be a rather important factor. To a large extent, informed consent has got to do with ensuring that a client is aware of not only the benefits, but also the...

Client A points out that he is unlucky and nothing good ever happens to me all my friends from college have found jobs and I am the only one without a job life has always been unfair to me. In this case, and following my reading of the present article, I am of the opinion that the best approach to be deployed in this scenario would be rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy. It is important to note that this particular approach seeks to highlight the irrational beliefs that an individual could be harboring and that could be resulting in thought patterns that are largely negative. According to Garzon, the primary tactics that the approach seeks to make use of are inclusive of logic and reason. Here, the focus is to reign in core irrational inclinations. Thus, in this case, the focus could be on identifying the activating event, the belief that happens to be irrational, and the resulting emotions. From here, we can have what Garzon refers to as belief disputation.

In the case of Client A, the activating event happens to be his lack of employment. The irrational belief, on the other hand, is that everybody from his class has already secured employment and that he is essentially an unlucky person. When it comes to belief disputation, we would be focused on demonstrating that his assertions do not align with reality. For instance, it is likely that there are some from his class who, like him, are yet to secure employment. I would incorporate various scriptural verses to further dispute his beliefs. For instance, Psalm 5:11-12 reminds us that the Lord covers us like a shield. The issue of bad-luck should, thus, not arise. In Galatians 6:9, we are called upon to be patient. Client A should…