Biblical Counseling with African-Americans

Clarence Walker is a licensed marriage and family couselor who holds a PhD in counseling from Trinity Theological Seminary and an MSW from Temple University. He is an ordained minister and the founder-director, with his wife Ja'ola, of Clarence Walker Ministries, a preaching, teaching, and music ministry in Philadelphia.

• Contents Introduction Part I: Counseling Issues With Black Counselees 1. Ethnicity Issues: "A man of Ethiopia"--Acts 8:27 West African Familial Structures Black Family Kinship Patterns Black Self-Concept Development Black Counselees and White Counselees 2. Gender Issues: "A man"--Acts 8:27 Black Masculinity Black Male and Female Interactive Dynamics 3. Sexual Issues: "An eunuch"--Acts 8:27 Sexuality, Sexual Orientation, and Black Counselees Sexual Myths and Stereotypes The Christian View of Sex 4. Power Issues Powerlessness and the Black Male Powerlessness and the Black Female Christian Counseling and Powerlessness 5. Socio-Economic Issues: "Who had the charge of all her treasure"--Acts 8:27 Socio-economics and Black Family Structure Socio-economics and Marital Satisfaction 6. Environmental Issues: "And had come to Jerusalem"--Acts 8:27 Home Environmental Influences Community Environmental Influences 7. Religious Issues: "Come to Jerusalem for to worship"--Acts 8:27 The Christian Faith As a Strength of Black Families Spiritual and Biblical Needs of Blacks Part II: The Counseling Process and Black Counselees: Ten Biblical Principles 8. Directive Engaging: "He arose and went"--Acts 8:27 God's Leading in Engaging Difficulties Engaging Black Counselees Suggestions for White Christian Counselors 9. Affective Joining: "Go near, and join"--Acts 8:29 Respecting the Ethiopian's Chariot Methods of Joining 10. Active Listening: "Heard him read the prophet"--Acts 8:30 Listening As a Means of Assessing and Gathering Data Listening for Affect and Feeling Listening to Demonstrate Empathy Listening for Meaning and Use of Language 11. Explorative Questioning: "Understandest thou what thou readest?"--Acts 8:30 Use of Questions Cautions in Questioning Black Counselees 12. Correlative Beginning: "Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture"--Acts 8:35 Discerning How Black Counselees Get Stuck Selecting Intervention Starting Points 13. Integrative Witnessing: "Preached unto him Jesus"--Acts 8:35 Five Uses of the Gospel Dealing With the Three Kinds of Sinners 14. Objective Proceeding: "As they went on their way"--Acts 8:36 The Goals of Biblical Counseling Goal Setting as an Empowering Tool 15. Effective Counseling: "Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart"--Acts 8:37 Roles for Christian Counselors Levels of Biblical Counseling 16. Cooperative Involving: "They went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch"--Acts 8:38 Counselee Blocks to Cooperative Involving Counselor Blocks to Cooperative Involving 17. Positive Terminating: "The Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip"--Acts 8:39 The Role of the Holy Spirit in Termination Preparing Counselees for Termination Part III: Counseling Interventions and Black Counselees 18. Couple and Individual Approaches Biblical Marital Counseling With Black Couples Biblical Therapeutic Interventions Biblical Individual Therapy Conclusion Bibliography Indexes