Introduction
The following paper dissects a case study of two couples who are unmarried. In reference to Piaget, Freud and Sullivan psychological theories, the paper will offer adaptations to the case study, in reference to theological reasoning. As the biblical theology highlights, a woman and man should only come as one under a union ordained by the high priests and the high ranking officials of the church (Hoover and Sandra). For it is stated that a man will leave his parent’s home and so shall the woman, and together they shall become one, as Christ reunites himself to become one with the church, which is his body (Cobarruvias). It is shown by the bible that God thinks of a couple as one unit which should be recognized by the church, the society, and the families’ members that are involved under a union (Cobarruvias). However, before their marriage, the couple in the case study came under union under agreements as per the common law. After getting children, however, the woman, who had become a believer, felt guilty of how she and her husband had stayed together without being married under the church. The woman’s husband does not want to get married and be recognized under a church union but threatens to leave her should he persist with the same request. Using the biblical psycho-therapy integration model such as the model of humanity, the theory of motivation, positive psychological health examination, and cognitive behavior therapy, the couple could adapt their behaviors and come into a solid agreement, as discussed in the paper.
The model of humanity theory is a theory that talks about how humans were created and their comparison to God. According to the latter theory, humans are stated as lesser than God; therefore, they cannot be perfect in their daily conduct and decision-making. Human beings are thought of as creatures who depend on each other to survive and often become strong by recognizing the strengths that come within a union to make the team. The model of humanity theory additionally investigates humanity’s response about the different variables set against them, inclusive of problems, weaknesses, and losses. In comparision to Freud’s theory, which states that human reaction areas result of the id, ego and superego, the woman’s husband can be cancelled in precedent to the three awareness of self according to Freud to know the cause of his resentments (Fast et al).
When presented with the latter variables, humans tend to react differently based on their beliefs and attitude created during their lifetime. Some individuals react more harshly than others, based on the knowledge and intensity in the r current situation.
Therefore, the latter model calls for an understanding between the teams involved in coming into one agreement. Conflicts are known not to breed good fruits, and the book of psalm advises a wise man to not be in the council of an angry man (Clifford). In the context of the case study, the woman’s husband may be angry because of the beliefs that are being communicated to him by his wife, which he does not recognize of. As stated in the case study, both the couple came into agreements under common law and, after giving birth to children, had long believed that they could stay together despite being recognized by the church as an institution. As the bible states, he who knows the lord will be renewed, and become one in Christ, as one of his sheep, the woman has become new, even o the eyes of her husband (Magezi and Christopher). Psychologically, humans have been thought to think of those that have different opinions from one as threats. The man, not knowing what the woman will become of later, is panicked with the demands that the woman is raising. As the man is unaware of any importance, or at least the symbolism of marriage, the man says away and threatens the woman as a defense mechanism. The theory of man can be used to understand the man and hopefully talk him through the differences he has with his wife.
With the theory of man, the case study is approached on a less confrontational approach, with the intention of a possible agreement between both the conflicting parties, different from other beliefs from scholars such as Jay Adams, who suggests biblical counseling theory which may, in this case, anger more the woman’s husband and not leads to an expected event and reaction from the woman’s husband too. As Jay Adams states, pastors and religious leaders should follow confronting a person on why they did not make or find it difficult to follow a stated bible intervention when faced with an issue. The latter model can be interpreted differently by the recipient, who might feel more distant with the words preached and guided by a Christian elder. The model has also received various criticisms from different individuals worldwide who suggest the loops contained in the theory that may aim to break unions or not help a believer or non-believer who wants to be directed on the way of the lord.
Following the theory of man, therefore, it is safe to state that the woman’s husband will be guided on how he can familiarize himself with Christ and how Christ accepts all individuals irrespective of any faults that may be committed with men. As sons of God, God aims for us to exercise the best into lives by showcasing our strength, capabilities, unique attributes and most important, by showcasing the weakness in our self through sin confessions (Magezi and Christopher). Sin is a product of not being in line with what doctrines state. As discussed by theology, the latter doctrines may be instituted by law, personal foundations, and the church. Walking away from the line of doctrines is called sin, and has a consequence, just as described by other disciplines of life, which states that there is a consequence that follows for every action.
The woman’s husband clearly shows sins of anger issues and resentments, which could be the reason behind the acts that he depicts towards his wife. With an integration of the cognitive psychological theory, the man should be guided, under the theological theory of man, to identify past events in his life that could have led him to sin knowingly or unknowingly (Clifford). The cognitivism theory states that a person is affected by the environment they choose to live in, thanks to the variables presented to the person during them inhabiting the new environment. Piaget’s theory of cognitivism under the formal operational thinking should be applied in counseling the woman’s husband to determine his opinions and foundation in life and what he thinks generally about life and his marriage ( Fast et al). The man must be helped to write down his resentments, fear, and threats and be guided by a theological proceeding. As all have sinned and fallen down the glory of God, the man will be advised of how he could start practicing minor behaviors that would help shape his beliefs and conquer all the threats and fears that could befall him.
Another integration theory that can help the woman’s husband is the examination of psychological theories, which states that a man is influenced thanks to his physical, social, and mental health (Clifford). In recognition of the psychological theory, the bible denotes that thanks to the fall of Satan, man was doomed because Satan came to steal, kill, and destroy humanity in acts of vengeance. Some of the battles that Christians fight are battles entailing depression, social anxiety, and separation anxiety resulting from past traumas. When these past traumas are recurrent, they can change an individual’s personality and general life perceptions. Personality changes also require a change in lifestyle, which may mean people settling for lives they never believed in the quest for a better outcome.
Consequently, a woman’s husband may be a victim of past traumas that are resulted from situations such as divorce, major life loss, and lack of parental support, that makes him disconnected from his wife and children, to protect the inner child or young adult in him (Sandage and Jeannine). When such issues go untreatable, an individual may act resentful over changes that people in his life may undertake, thanks to the psychological torture that the person might receive. The latter resentments may also be why the woman’s husband may be resentful to matters that concern the church. The unfortunate circumstance may mean that the man has fallen short on the kingdom of God and needs to be guided on how to interact and act spiritually to support his spiritual journey. The woman’s husband will also be guided on how to converse with his husband on what is right for the children and come to one shared agreement on the issue facing them, as outlined in the text.
In Santrock book Life span development, the scholar outlines how negative thoughts from my life experiences can cause fall among the believers. As believers are expected to conduct their lives in full transparency, in the knowledge of the word of God, the ethical expectation of living life by biblical doctrines may not be fulfilled after one goes through a sequence of depression and resentments and ultimately falls short of the glory of God. Whether spiritual or psychological help, the woman’s husbands needs advise on how to find spiritual help by use of appropriate approach. (Santrock 54). In African teachings, it is noted that the beginning of any healing or suffering starts with the spiritual one (Magezi and Chistopher). when one is connected to God, they can be healed spiritually, eventually leading to a chained blessing and healing of the individual both psychologically and physically. With the above guidance, the woman’s husband will be able to achieve a needed consequence in terms of becoming a better person. After the woman’s husband has been helped to identify all the spiritual hurdles that they could be undergoing, the is the role of therapy, which will help the husband to be counselled in a way that will entail matters of marriage; Baker outlines how the role of the counsellor to an individual is like that of Christ, ad that when it comes to Christian therapy, the therapy acts like Christ. The latter is a vital step in the process because it determines the outcome of the individual in the party and can also contribute to the party giving their life to Christ. The woman’s husband should be taken into a guided step of meditation in the onset of the Christian therapy (Baker). For instance, the imageries of happy families, Christ and his love as exercised in symbolism, will help arose happy feelings and happy marriage imagery. When the individual is confronted with such imageries, they would likely associate the after feelings of the therapy and treat his family according to how a spiritual counsellor guided him.
Another role that the therapist needs to attempt is to relate the husband’s case to some of the Christian heroes that are the role and how they conformed to their history through repentance. A good example of a willing family man is the story of David, who, after marrying Bathsheba through sin, angered God. Many warnings were given to King David relative to his sins; he recognized his wrongdoings and vowed to make it right through conduct that would ensure that Gods mercy was rained onto his life (Baker). King David repented to God in concern for his behavior’s, and he was ultimately forgiven for sinning. God is full of love and affection, and his arms are ready to welcome individuals who have recognized that they have sinned and eish to make a better outcome out of their lives.
Additionally, the counselor should set an example of attributes and virtues as mentioned by Rogers, who outlined that one needs to exercise empathy, acceptance, and other virtues that will help build their spiritual journey (Rogers, 1957). By adapting Sullivan theory that behavioural reaction are as a result of a need, the woman should be counselled on the standards and foundation that she aims to set for his children by settling with unreliable partners (Pietzcker).Through building a foundation that entails strict guidance on what Christians value the most, like values and virtues, the woman’s husband will be able to practice good virtues based on the biblical guidance and nature of God.
Integration of the three mentioned theories will help the case study subjects be guided in a healthy way to deal with the obstacles that stand in their ways. The family also needs to be guided in therapy since the woman’s husband should also be guided by the counselor on which way to dwell if their husband chooses another way. While it is advised to choose therapy, still the husband may refuse to conform to their behavior and remain dwelling on their mistakes without any intention of changing. Based on the wife’s story account as outlined in the case study, there is a fear that the wife does not want to be separated by his husband and is attached. While the latter is natural to a couple’s love situation, the woman should be aware of the radical consequences of fatal attraction and attachment that may sometimes cost someone’s life. The woman needs to be guided on her past trauma and fears too for her to be emotionally independent. Thanks to the case of the children available in the marriage, the woman must be strong and form an example to the children to avoid horrific traumas that may cost the family a lot in the future. The counselor will be able to give a guided counseling session to ensure that both the woman, the woman’s husband, and their children work harmoniously to better their family.
Conclusion
Using the biblical psycho-therapy integration model such as the model of humanity, the theory of motivation, positive psychological health examination, and cognitive behavior therapy, the couple could adapt their behaviors and come into a solid agreement, as discussed in the paper. A guided Christian intervention is important in case of conflicting conflicts. In the case study outlined above, the latter integration theories will help the family gain the proper guidance that they need to face their lives. The religious leaders, counselors, and parties involved in the integration must recognize how they can foster better outcomes by considering the outcomes mentioned above. With proper guidance and prayer, the case study subjects will realize a better outcome.
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