Introduction

What does it mean to be a “Christian” counselor? The field of counseling itself is broad and abounds with programs, theoretical frameworks, best practice models, and treatments purporting to be evidence-based. Christian counselors are familiar with many of these while varying widely in their training (social work, counseling, marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, psychology, biblical counseling, pastoral counseling, etc.). Most have been trained in secular institutions, leaving them to determine how best to integrate faith and practice on their own (Chamiec-Case, 2013; Husain & Sherr, 2015; Moffatt & Oxhandler, 2018). Further, Christian counselors themselves come from a variety of church traditions and doctrinal beliefs affecting their worldview and counseling practice. Adding to this complexity, Christian counselors face the reality of practicing in a world that is increasingly secular, sexualized, polarized, pluralistic, and biblically illiterate, even for many within the church.

The authors of this paper are far from the first to explore the meaning of Christian counseling. Other writers and scholars have provided significant contributions addressing the meaning of the integration of Christian faith and counseling practice (Anderson et al., 2000; Chamiec-Case, 2020; Cloud & Townsend, 2004; Collins, 2007; Greggo & Sisemore, 2012; Hawkins & Clinton 2015; McMinn, 2012; McMinn et al., 2010; Myers et al., 2009; Tan, 2022). We are indebted to these works and the rich exploration of theology, biblical truth, and clinical insight our predecessors have already established, including their understandings of Christian counseling that encompass issues of motivation, character, identity, perspective, and practice.

In response to the challenges facing Christian counseling identified above, the focus of this paper is to build on that foundation by proposing a framework for Christian counseling built on biblical truth about what it means to be human and the elements that should be considered more broadly as part of a biblical framework and theory of change for Christian counseling. Indeed, all views that integrate Christian faith and counseling make assumptions about human nature and how change works and therefore emphasize different theories or strategies of engagement and intervention. As secular views and ideologies increasingly permeate culture and challenge historic Christian beliefs, Christian counselors need clarity to help them hold firm to God’s revealed truth and to the multidimensional, complex, and developmental reality of being human as seen from a biblical lens so they can practice faithfully. This paper proposes that Christian counselors who are true to the historic orthodox Christian faith must operate from a framework of biblical truth and approach the counseling process committed to doctrinally sound foundational theological assumptions regarding change and the integration of their faith and practice, regardless of their title or setting.

The elements described in this paper are rooted in biblical beliefs about the human condition and propose theological perspectives and corresponding clinical guidance for counselors as they practice. An old saying states that good theology is good psychology. Clinical practice and decision-making with complex humans and relationships require counselors capable of seeing people as God made them, as whole persons in context and in process who possess the understanding, discernment, and skill to navigate and apply truth and grace accordingly. Although the elements and assumptions of change presented in this paper emphasize ideas that lend themselves for use more explicitly with Christian clients, they also represent a biblical framework that can be used implicitly with all clients. We seek to offer a framework for Christian counselors of all kinds who desire to stay true to a biblical view of persons, problems, and solutions provided in the revealed truth of God’s word that can guide them in biblically evaluating the best tools and strategies from the truth of God’s design as discovered by humans.

Worldviews and Theories of Change

Christian clinicians must have clarity regarding what it means to be a Christian counselor in both perspective and practice so that they remain firmly rooted in historically orthodox Christian doctrine and beliefs when engaging the complexity of clinical needs and worldviews that clients bring. Before Christian counselors can even determine how change happens, they should be anchored in a code of ethics that reflects their biblical worldview to help them stay on course when changes in the profession occur (Jenkins, Anderson, Csutoros, & Connors, 2022). After the anchor for practice is established in the code of ethics, all counselors then operate from theories of change whether implicitly or explicitly, and Christian counselors must be mindful of theories and philosophies that are contrary to biblical truth (Colossians 2:8). A theory of change is an overarching framework and pragmatic description of the process of change useful for intervention planning (Faija et al., 2023; Moore et al., 2015). A theory of change helps clinicians know “what they are doing and why. It enables them to develop a clear framework for monitoring and evaluation; more common understanding, clarity, and effectiveness in their approach” (James, 2011, Executive Summary). Faija et al. (2023) argue that a benefit of theories of change is that they also allow some flexibility and “incorporate ongoing processes of reflection” (p. 2). All theories of change and practice models are rooted in worldview assumptions that inform their vision, interventions, and proposed solutions (McMinn, 2012). Worldviews, which represent the broad lens one uses to make sense of experience, include presuppositions and definitions regarding the source of problems and therefore responses and solutions that logically follow (Bain et al., 2023; Chege et al., 2023; Jackson et al., 2016; Johnson et al., 2011; Koltko-Rivera, 2004; Lindemann, 2016; Stonestreet & Kunkle, 2017). To be faithful to God’s word and Christ, Christian counselors must be careful to operate from a theory of change consistent with a biblical worldview and definitions of terms. They must accurately assess the assumptions, beliefs, and proposed interventions of human philosophies and theories, considering sound theology and doctrine as they seek to faithfully integrate faith and practice.

Biblical Assumptions of Christian Counselors

Before we consider specific assumptions of a biblical perspective regarding what it means to be human and the corresponding elements of people and change, it is vital to clarify several important foundational beliefs for all Christian counselors claiming a historically orthodox biblical worldview. Below are several foundational biblical convictions essential to a Christian worldview.

1. Truth – Truth exists objectively because God exists and defines and embodies what is true. Although people have individual experiences, feelings, and opinions, truth itself is not defined by these, does not change, and is universal and non-contradictory.
2. Morality – Moral absolutes exist because God is holy and has made people in His image to be holy. Because God is both Sovereign and Creator, He has designed things and people with a purpose and pattern. He, not people, makes the rules and has revealed what is moral, righteous, and good through His word in the Bible.
3. Human Dignity and Worth – People, from conception to death, have inherent dignity and worth as they were made male and female in God’s image. All should be shown respect and love, from neighbors to enemies.
4. Free Will – People have free will and must choose to seek change, surrender, obedience, and relationship with God. God calls His followers to proclaim and teach the truth of all that He has commanded while allowing others to choose.
5. Change – Change and transformation are possible whether gradual, miraculous, or both. God is the One working in people and the world by His grace and through the redemption bought by the blood of Christ and applied by His Holy Spirit’s calling, guiding, and bringing change through both natural and supernatural means to restore things to their intended design.
6. Suffering – God can and does use suffering and evil for good and can provide sufficient grace for people to follow Him even when life is hard, prayer seems unanswered, or circumstances don’t change. God is both loving and sovereign and calls people to love Him fully and seek first His will and kingdom and not their own. Repentance and pursuit of holiness in a fallen world include suffering.
7. Sinful Hearts – Although the Bible is clear that all people are made in God’s image and were declared very good in God’s creation, it also declares that sin affects and infects every person in totality and every aspect of their being (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:23). A biblical view of people and change begins with the truth that all people are born in Adam (Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:22) with a sinful nature affecting their spirit where their wills, emotions, desires, and thoughts are naturally corrupted and bent toward serving self and creation instead of the Creator (Romans 1:24-25).

The innate orientation and inclination of every person is toward pride, envy, covetousness, greed, lust, immorality, indulgence, and idolatry because they are cut off from God, pervasively affected by sin, and slaves to sin (Romans 6:16-20; 7:15-18; Ephesians 2:1-5; Colossians 2:13; Galatians 5:19). Indeed, sin feels natural for the old nature and those who are still in Adam, whose spirits are not reborn. They are enslaved to pursuing it and to believing that it is the solution to their needs in one form or another (Romans 6:16-18; 8:6-8). Without Christ, people are dead in sin (Colossians 2:13) and wholly cut off from the life of God (John 3:1-8). The Bible says that even Christians who are made new in Christ must actively battle to put to death their fleshly and sinful desires affected by the seed of their old nature (Matthew 16:24; Romans 8:13). They must seek the daily transformation of the renewal of their perspective (Romans 12:1), knowing that this aspect of their heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9-10) and can lead them astray.

Someone’s worldview assumptions and core beliefs about life, reality, and relationships inform and shape the person’s view of the world and for the world (Stonestreet & Kunkle, 2017). Indeed, as Weaver (2013) originally postulated in 1948, ideas have consequences, and bad ideas have victims. Christian counselors are committed to God’s ideals as revealed in the Bible and affirm along with Jesus that only truth grounded in Him and His word can truly make people free (John 8:32).

A Biblical View of People and Change

In addition to affirming foundational worldview beliefs such as those described above, Christian counselors seek to operate from a corresponding biblical view of people and change. Images of trees, gardening, and harvest are prominently used throughout Scripture to illustrate God’s view of change in a fallen world and how people can cooperate with Him to bear fruits of righteousness and holiness. Jesus said that a tree would be known by its fruit and that the health of a tree impacts the kind of fruit it bears. He also said that a good tree cannot help but bear good fruit, or a bad tree, bad fruit. That is simply the nature of trees (Matthew 7:17-18). In His parables, Jesus further compared the process of spiritual birth and growth to that of seeds and trees that encounter various factors in the process of their development, growth, and production of fruit (Matthew 13:1-23), key components of this overarching biblical metaphor of change.

Although the process Jesus presents in Matthew 13 specifically describes spiritual birth and growth in the kingdom of God, the truths represented also reflect biblical principles for a theory of change that Christian counselors can use more broadly. For example, the goal of Christian counselors is to help clients grow in sanctification and discipleship, and to increase in holiness, good works, and the fruit of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 7:1; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 2:10; Hebrews 12:14). The principles described by Jesus in Matthew 13 can provide a helpful picture of sanctification for the believer, showing how the Holy Spirit works to make our lives holier and healthier by producing both the fruit of the Spirit in the individual and fruit for the kingdom of God in the world. Christian counselors can use this process as a framework for remaining biblically faithful in their thinking and work as they seek to guide others and propose and utilize approaches that reflect God’s design and process. Because all truth is God’s truth, Christian counselors can use the biblical elements of change represented in this parable and the image of trees and fruit to seek to operate within the parameters of God’s purposes and design for people and relationships.

Using the image of a tree and fruit and its corresponding principles, we will describe how the tree represents a biblical view of people and how change occurs. Below, we will address each element of the tree framework and consider its meaning and corresponding biblical definitions and assumptions vital for Christian counseling. Appendix 1 provides a visual representation of this biblical picture and of the elements we will now describe more fully. We will start with the fruit, since this is often what a counselor first sees when a client comes for therapy. We will then move more deeply into the concept of a tree to see the origins of where the fruit comes from. Christian counselors are in the business of acting as temporary assistants to the Holy Spirit, the divine Counselor and Helper (John 14:26), as they seek to offer truth in love and facilitate change in a person’s tree (spiritual life) to bring about better fruit.

Fruit

The role of a counselor with any client is to help people eliminate negative fruit in their lives and increase the positive. Common areas of negative fruit that people bring to a counselor’s office include emotional, behavioral, and relational fruit or symptoms that create difficulty or disturbance in their lives. Emotional fruit typically includes one or more of a mixture of disturbing feelings and desires such as anger, anxiety, depression, guilt, self-condemnation, mood swings, distorted or displaced emotions, or problematic impulses and desires. Negative behavioral fruit (things a person says or does in response to his or her internal state) can broadly include harsh words, actions, habits, and behaviors that indicate a loss of self-control.

In another word picture, Jesus describes one’s life symptoms as arising from the condition of the heart (Matthew 12:34; 15:18-19). The heart in Scripture refers to the combination of our conscience, emotions, and will that comprise the great inner center of who we are. Ortland (2020) describes it this way: “When the Bible speaks of the heart, whether Old Testament or New, it is not speaking of our emotional life only, but of the central animating center of all we do. It is our motivation headquarters … the center of who we are. Our heart is what defines and directs us.” The negative fruit produced by a person’s heart (the condition of their spiritual “tree”) can include a variety of personal or relational symptoms such as compulsions, addictions, relationship problems, distorted or displaced sexual desires and behaviors, hurtful habits, controlling behavior, aggression, self-harm, suicidal ideation or actions, perfectionism or performance-driven behaviors, obsessive thoughts, fixations, and other imaginations and manifestations of distress, among others. As reflections of a sinful heart and diseased or damaged tree, these symptoms may also represent heart issues of greed, jealousy, covetousness, lust, deception, hatred, unforgiveness, and other conditions as described by Jesus (Matthew 15:19-20). Most people who seek counseling have typically tried to change or reduce the negative fruit they are experiencing in a variety of ways before calling the counselor, but the undisciplined condition of their heart keeps them stuck.

Seed

To best fulfill their role of assisting clients in reducing bad fruit and increasing the good, Christian counselors must see clients as the whole persons God created them to be. This includes seeing individuals as body, mind, and spirit, while understanding that God’s design includes moral standards and processes of growth and development in all areas of life, including physical, emotional, social, sexual, and spiritual aspects. In our imagery of the biblical view of people and change, we move from the fruit of a tree to its origins as a seed. The seed element represents those aspects of a person that are a part of their genetic or human endowment, including personal and spiritual factors they did not choose. With these inherent and inherited factors, a person is planted into a unique soil of time and circumstances in the world. In this analogy, the seed includes the aspects of the person’s genetic traits and predispositions, biological sex, ethnic characteristics, temperament, and other inherited qualities. However, Christian counselors understand that this seed has been damaged by sin as part of a fallen world. As a result, the consequence is that it has been impacted by an inherited sinful nature that affects every aspect of the client—the entire spiritual tree that the seed becomes. The biblical view affirms that sin is both inherited and pervasive in its impact on the human condition.

In addition, acknowledging that inherited qualities and genetic factors from the seed can play a role in people’s emotions, inclinations, and behaviors does not change God’s standards of righteousness. For example, the reality that some people are genetically prone to alcoholism does not mean that alcoholism is therefore natural or should be affirmed or promoted in the name of compassion for genetic predispositions. Instead, understanding the effects of original sin in the seed regarding genetics and how it affects the human heart helps Christian counselors lead clients to an understanding of how sin affects people as they initiate a process of transformation, spiritual growth, and increasing holiness. Even if the word sin is not directly spoken in the counseling office, Christian counselors do not ignore their understanding of the default human condition of sin and its pervasive impact when working with clients. Further, Christian counselors understand that grace and truth, not merely willpower or performance, are essential weapons needed for battling sin. They know that God calls people to address the truth about their sinful hearts, conditions, behaviors, and desires for what they are, and that the spiritual solution is to turn and flee to the cross of Christ for forgiveness, grace, and cleansing. Further, they acknowledge that this turning includes a willingness to put sin and the desires of the flesh to death with the help and power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said that people must be born again (John 3:7), which Peter explains is a result of the new and imperishable seed that God has given (1 Peter 1:23). Spiritual and moral change occur when God calls people to face the truth, turn from lies and falsehoods, and receive His grace, new life, and power as He works within them. Christian counselors may not use this biblical language or share this message of the gospel directly with unbelieving clients. Still, they take seriously the reality of the deep effects of sin, even at the level of the seed. They understand the need for people to identify and turn from sinful, hurtful, and dysfunctional behaviors, desires, and patterns for positive change to occur. In essence, clients in the counseling process must acknowledge and face the damage of sin and their sinful tendencies in various forms, both those they directly choose and those they don’t.

Christian counselors also understand that although a battle with sin and the old nature continues even for Christian clients as the new seed of Christ takes root and grows, they also see the reality of God’s ever-present grace that saves and is an essential foundation in the process of change. Because of grace, someone can fully face their sin and simultaneously embrace the reality of the acceptance, safety, security, significance, and new identity they have through union with Christ and His bestowed righteousness received only by faith. Only in Christ are believers given a new foundation, freedom, and identity as fully loved saints and children of God. They are accepted in the beloved and coheirs with Christ, even while contending with the flesh, pursuing holiness, and earnestly working out their salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

Secular counseling theories and practices lack a framework or understanding of the reality and influence of sin on the human condition and heart. The Bible depicts people and their problems within the framework of sin as the core problem, and therefore the full power of the gospel and the need for God’s grace outside of human relationships or effort is a needed solution. Only Christianity, and therefore Christian counseling, offers the sin-conquering power of the gospel, and not merely sin management. When working with non-Christian clients, Christian counselors can recognize that the client will lack spiritual resources for life and godliness found only in and through Christ, yet can utilize tools and strategies that address them in more generic ways (2 Peter 1:3).

Soil

As we continue to look at this metaphor of a person as a tree, the next important biblical element and component of change for counselors to consider is the soil. In the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23), Jesus describes different kinds of soil, representing various conditions of the heart that affect people’s responses to the truth and spiritual growth. The condition of the soil (hard, rocky, or thick with thorns) affects the production of healthy fruit (Willard, 2021). Hard soil does not allow the seed of truth to take root in the person’s heart; rocky soil does not permit the roots to sink deep into the soil, so the plant withers; and a seed among thorns will be choked before it can grow and bear fruit. Jesus said the thorns represent the worries of life and deceitfulness of wealth.

The questions counselors consider are what the condition of the soil is, how it got that way, and what can be done to make the client’s life more fruitful. When a person is born, the seed of who they are, including their sinful nature inherited from Adam, is planted into a mix of soil of unchosen circumstances. This second element of a biblical view of people and change recognizes the environmental factors that people do not choose when they enter the world that impact their physical, emotional, behavioral, relational, sexual, and spiritual development, including their propensities toward certain sins, problems, or patterns. These environmental factors include aspects of the culture and subculture into which a person is born and lives; the makeup and dynamics of their family of origin; painful experiences, events, or circumstances such as abuse, neglect, and loss; childhood relationship dynamics with friends or peers; trauma, chronic stress, economic, and political factors; ethnic and religious beliefs and experiences; and community contexts, nutrition, health care resources, supports for physical wellness, social supports, and others (Bronfenbrenner, 1977; Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006; Cunningham et al., 2023; Jones et al., 2019).

This soil of personal experiences affects the growth and development of the seed in a context that includes both nature and nurture, one’s personal experience, interaction with events, and choices over time (Cloud, 2019). This interactive process of nature and nurture impacting psychology and biology is known as epigenetics (Sokolov et al., 2023). From a biblical view, these factors represent the impact of sin on one’s physical and personal makeup as well as on the world and one’s experiences. These circumstances and their impact on a child’s development over time further affect the condition of the individual’s heart (Willard, 2021) and can contribute to responses to the gospel and receptivity and growth in truth and grace. When counselors complete a biopsychosocial-spiritual assessment, they seek to understand the various aspects of a client’s soil, both past and present, and how those elements have interacted to affect a person’s emotional, spiritual, sexual, relational, intellectual, and physical development and receptivity to change over time.

Roots

Roots are the next important biblical component for understanding people and a process of change. As described above, Jesus is clear that specific factors in one’s soil can have a major impact on a person’s faith and growth in the kingdom and the fruit they produce. Jesus asserts that some people “have no root in themselves” and others are choked by “the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches” (Matthew 13:21-22 ESV). Similarly, people with unresolved emotional hurts and trauma, as well as struggles with insecure attachment because of experiences in the soil of their background, frequently struggle emotionally, spiritually, sexually, and relationally with producing healthy fruit in these areas. These individuals have damaged roots of the heart embedded underground in their unhealthy soil. People struggling in these ways may represent those Jesus describes as at risk for stumbling in Matthew 18:6, with their underground wounds, damage, and painful memories impacting their emotional, behavioral, spiritual, relational, sexual, and physical health and development. Their diseased roots continue to infect the entire tree (Felitti et al., 2019; Jones et al., 2019; Sokolov et al., 2023; Wisniewski, 2023). Additionally, many such people encounter further frustration and pain as they unconsciously continue to live out and seek to work out their personal pain, trauma, and unmet needs for acceptance, security, worth, attachment, and competence that these experiences and hurts represent in one or more areas of their lives (Cloud, 2019; Lee & Hankin, 2009; Montena, 2023). Many also have roots that extend and intertwine with others which can then also damage and destroy the health of other trees.

Unresolved emotional wounds or developmental impairments caused by experiences of hurt or deprivation are described in the Bible as infirmities to which people react in negative ways as they attempt to manage, medicate, resolve, or alleviate emotional pain or deficits (Fang & McNeil, 2017; Hugh & McBride, 2020; Khantzian, 2003; Smith, 2017). The Hebrew word for infirmities in the Old Testament is choliy, which means a malady, anxiety, calamity, disease, grief, or sickness. The Hebrew meaning of the word applies to more than just physical disease and includes emotional issues and painful events. Also, the Hebrew word for infirmity, machala, from the root word chalah means to be rubbed or worn—and therefore to be weak, sick, afflicted, diseased, grieved, pained, or wounded (Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon, 2023). From these meanings, the Old Testament authors show they understood infirmities to be the result of things that happened to people, not something people decided or brought on themselves because of personal sin. Similarly, the New Testament Greek word for infirmities is astheneia, which means a feebleness of mind or body, or a malady. It derives from the root word asthenes which means feeble, impotent, without strength, or sick (Strong’s Greek Lexicon, 2023).

The original meanings of these words show that God understands that people and their soil and roots are affected by many things. They acknowledge the physical and emotional effect of infirmities on people, including experiences of being feeble and lacking strength in certain areas of life. As a result, some trees need more time, support, and vital nutrients than others to grow, heal, and produce more or better fruit. Also, Jesus makes it clear that not everyone receives the same number of talents for which they will be held responsible (Matthew 25:14-30). Indeed, depending on the extent of their disease, deficits, or damage, some trees may produce less than others, yet all are called to turn to God as the master gardener and be faithful in stewarding their soil and tree as the Holy Spirit works in them to produce good fruit. Christian counselors walk side by side with those who are vulnerable, weak, and suffering, helping to bear their burdens (Galatians 6:2). They show their clients the presence of the Savior who knows and meets them in their suffering and temptations as one who knows the feeling of their infirmities and was tempted in all ways as they are (Hebrews 2:18; 4:15).

Damaged emotional roots and the infirmities of emotional wounds and deficits they represent are the result of sinful and painful relationships and experiences from one’s unchosen environmental soil. Such experiences include rejection, disapproval, abuse, neglect, trauma, or an inability to be good enough. These wounds and areas of victimization can create or contribute to insecurities, difficulty in developing loving and healthy attachments, displaced sexual desires, distortions of one’s view of their identity or body, feelings of self-condemnation or self-rejection, false guilt, fear, bitterness, a sense of deep injustice, shame, self-pity, and other damaged emotions and conditions of the heart that distort God’s intended design and desired outcomes. Although the painful or problematic fruit people identify in their lives are typically the reason they seek help, it is often the unacknowledged damaged underground roots that continue to poison the life and health of the tree. Resolution of trauma and receiving and experiencing faith, hope, love, and forgiveness for self and others at the root level are needed to enable one’s tree to grow and flourish again (Jeremiah 17:7-8; Psalm 1:1-3; Eph. 3:16-19).

Christian counselors can acknowledge that change is a process while also agreeing that Scripture is clear that infirmities, whether physical or emotional, are never shown to excuse or justify sinful behavior or change God’s standards of righteousness and personal responsibility. Infirmities indicate areas of weakness that may contribute to certain temptations, struggles, and problems that need healing and change, but they cannot be used to excuse sin or fail to acknowledge and reject what God calls sin. The Bible defines sin and the fallen orientation of the heart as the main problem and describes how sinful desires lead people into practices or patterns of unrighteousness (James 1:13-15). God cares about sin because He knows that in all its forms it leads to death (Romans 6:23). Christian counselors understand the pervasive effects of sin—internally and externally, past and present—and seek to offer truth and grace for infirmities that can lead clients to life, health, and freedom as God defines it.

Impact on Identity

As a person develops, the interactions of all that is in their soil and its impact on their emotional roots as well as their interactions with others and the conscious and subconscious choices they make in response to them contribute to the development of identity, including a perception of and core beliefs about oneself (Bronfenbrenner, 1977; Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006; Cloud, 2019; Cross, 2017; Cunningham et al., 2023; Townsend, 1996). The biblical view is that people should base their identity in who God says they are as male and female image bearers created with a God-given purpose and design. Those who don’t, seek identity either in the world’s ideas and culture, or in their roles, position, power, past, infirmities, victimization, failures, sins or sinful desires or patterns (as is emphasized by concepts like intersectionality).

In Christ, God secures a person’s primary identity as an adopted child of God and heir in union with Christ, secure and covered in His righteousness. Biblically speaking, one’s identity, security, and worth can be found only in Christ and in being restored to who God has made them to be in His image and design as male or female (Genesis 1:27). Although Scripture affirms other aspects of human identity such as one’s ethnic heritage or roles, the New Testament is clear that a Christian’s primary identity is in Christ and that all who are in Christ are equal and one (John 17:11, 20-23; Galatians 3:28). Searching for security, worth, or status in all other identities will fall short and fail.

The book of Genesis records that people are made in the image of God for purposes that He designs. God gave people an identity and purpose reflecting himself, including being made male or female, having freedom to choose, creativity, authority as stewards over creation, sexuality for the purpose of intimacy, procreation, and oneness “as an icon or ‘sign’ pointing to the mystery of Christ and the Church” (Tennent, 2020). All these reflect who God is in His very nature and are therefore sacred things that cannot and should not be changed. They are integral to well-being and flourishing, and to who and how God made people to be. They are woven into the fabric of life; they are foundational. Sacred things are things to be protected, cherished, and held in the highest honor. They are sacred for a reason, and violating them harms their goodness, beauty, value, and purpose. Human life is sacred from the moment it begins to the moment it ends. Being made in God’s image as male and female is sacred. Sexuality and its expression of oneness are sacred. The value of people is sacred. Human freedom to choose is sacred. From a Christian worldview, to violate sacred things is to say that people know better than God. It is to violate the very core of who people are and how God made them to be. Christian counselors seek to affirm that how God created things is good, beautiful, and essential to the well-being of others because they are integral to His loving design. To protect what is sacred is to protect its value.

Impact on Personality and Relationships

In addition to the impact of soil and roots on aspects of identity, unchosen negative past experiences and painful emotional roots also affect personal and relationship patterns. First, learned norms or reactions to abuse or dysfunction in relationships can result in unhealthy boundary assumptions and patterns in interacting with others where one is too open or too closed off emotionally, or in one’s ability to manage their inner world, creating relationship, attachment and social difficulties, drama, or power struggles (Calatrava et al., 2022; Cloud & Townsend, 2017; Kluwer et al., 2020; Lac & Donaldson, 2022). When connected to past trauma or dysfunctional family dynamics, a person may also develop difficulty in patterns of relating that reflect their trauma responses (such as fight, flight, freeze, or feign) or to their role in the family (hero, clown, scapegoat, lost child, victim, etc.) used to unconsciously manage feelings of being unsafe or insecure (Corr & Krupić, 2017; Dykeman, 2014; Hall & Webster, 2002; Hall & Webster, 2007). It is also common for people responding to significant past hurt, poor attachment, or dysfunction to make internal vows in response to these experiences, such as “I will never let others [or men, women, etc.] hurt me like that again”; “I will keep my feelings and needs to myself”; or other internal commitments of self-protection that shape their responses and patterns in relationship to themselves, God, friends, or romantic interests that are outside the realm of conscious awareness (Cloud, 2019; Smokowski et al., 1999; Townsend, 1996; Wilson, 2010). Understanding the connections between issues of identity, personality, relationships, sexuality, and God’s design and purpose is essential for Christian counselors seeking to help clients unravel emotional and relational patterns that feed unhealthy, sinful, or distorted and destructive desires, beliefs, emotions, thought patterns, imaginations, and behaviors.

Trunk

The next essential element of people and change in the biblical picture of the tree is the trunk. A familiar verse for many Christians is the Apostle Paul’s challenge: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2 ESV). The Greek word nous refers to the mind, understanding, and reasoning faculties. Yet although the use of the word “mind” in this verse certainly includes one’s thoughts and self-talk, being transformed also includes being renewed in the overall quality of one’s thinking, perceptions, and understandings—not conforming them to worldly ways, but to God’s standards. The Greek word for transformed (metamorphoo) is in the passive voice, “be transformed,” implying “We do not actively transform ourselves. We control our thinking, and as we do, transformation takes place” (RevisedEnglishVersion.com, 2023). Paul’s call in this passage for believers to renew their minds follows his urging them to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God” (Romans 12:1 ESV), indicating that believers are to surrender all of who they are, including their way of thinking, to align fully with God’s will and perspective rather than their own.

Therefore, the trunk of one’s tree in this model represents a person’s mind in the broader sense of their worldview and understanding. This includes thoughts, self-talk, beliefs, assumptions, perceptions, emotional filters, attitudes, and lenses for seeing oneself, others, God, and the world. A worldview is adopted and internalized that represents what the person has come to believe from interacting with the impact of their soil (past and present) and their roots, and becomes the set of feelings/concepts through which they interpret circumstances, events, self, and relationships (Bain et al., 2023; Johnson et al., 2011; Koltko-Rivera, 2004; Stonestreet & Kunkle, 2017). One’s worldview and corresponding beliefs also include ideas and felt beliefs that people can often more easily identify and express as thoughts and self-talk: “I want,” “I think,” “I am,” “I should,” “life is,” “God is,” “people are,” “I can,” “I can’t,” “I shouldn’t,” etc.

Historically, Cognitive Behavioral Theories have sought to explain and address this aspect of the tree and its importance to mental health (Beck, 2020; Dobson & Dozois, 2021; Thurman, 2019). However, although many thoughts are expressed as ideas or opinions, they typically represent more deeply held emotional perspectives, impulses, and responses to experiences. Therefore, the trunk of one’s tree reflects not only self-talk and active thoughts but the current state of one’s heart and the beliefs one holds, whether rooted in lies or truth, that affect one’s mind and responses to life. Christian Counselors understand God’s desire to renew and transform the mind and heart deeply in accordance with the truth and the mind of Christ (Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 2:16), and they seek to help clients understand and live in truth.

Branches

Next in a biblical view of people and change is the element of the branches of the tree which represent the current environment, resources, and supports available to a person. The branches spread out into the person’s world and include areas such as current relationships, culture, cultural sin, ideologies and injustices of the individual’s subculture, stressors, support systems, financial resources, etc. The person-in-environment (PIE) theory, commonly used in social work, speaks to this aspect of the tree (International Federation of Social Workers, 2024; Lei et al., 2021; Weiss-Gal, 2008). A person’s branches may include a context that has an abundance of caring and available resources and support, a limited number of negative and unhelpful resources, or anywhere in between. Regardless of personal background, people experience many common environmental factors that either affect their trees positively or test their strength and vitality. For example, a tree may struggle during a drought or powerful storm but has more capacity to thrive when there is plenty of sunshine and water. These factors affect all trees in the landscape, not just one tree. Jesus makes this point in the Sermon on the Mount when He says, “[God] makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:45 ESV). This is often called common grace, and there are times when one’s environment is conducive to growth and other times when the environment tests the tree’s growth for reasons outside of one’s control. Broader environmental factors for branches may include changes in culture, government, educational requirements, natural disasters, normal losses, changes in the development of the family, moving to a new place, and many others.

Often, however, when people come to counseling or seek help, they focus on areas of their current environment or relationships that they perceive as the primary source of their problems, or negative emotions or behaviors such as a marriage, job situation, or other circumstances or stressors connected to external circumstances. Although those situations may be in need of change in one or more ways, they also frequently represent triggers to negative emotions and behaviors rooted in the person’s trunk, roots, and soil of their tree. When focusing primarily on branches as the cause of problems, clients may express ideas such as, “If only my spouse, job, finances, mother, kids, etc. would change, then everything would be fine.” Christian counselors recognize that internal and spiritual factors are often more vital to address when seeking to help clients improve the quality of their fruit in responding to life’s difficulties.

Spiritual Factors

A final essential biblical element of a view of people and change is recognizing the spiritual context and reality in which people live. As the Apostle Paul declares, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12 ESV). A person’s tree exists in the context of spiritual battle in an unseen world. In other words, while someone’s “tree” exists to an extent in a material, physical, relational, and mental world, it also exists in a spiritual one, where not only are the person’s internal forces of sin at play throughout the tree but also where both God and the forces of the enemy are actively at work. This means that God is actively at work seeking to redeem people to himself and restore them to their holy purpose, design, and relationship to Him. Whether serving Christian or non-Christian clients, Christian counselors are not alone, nor are they responsible to be the client’s healer or savior. Praying for clients and listening to what the Holy Spirit is doing in their lives are important and honored aspects of being Christian counselors as God continues to seek, save, and restore those who are lost through His common, prevenient, saving, and sanctifying grace.

Christian counselors recognize that the weapons of truth, righteousness, peace, and faith as found in Christ are essential to winning battles both for themselves and clients. Realizing that Satan continually uses accusations and lies as he seeks to influence individuals and communities, they understand the importance of putting on the whole armor of God with the belt of truth firmly in place (Ephesians 6:11-17). God seeks to bring people new birth in the Spirit where they are rescued from the control of the enemy and can learn to walk in freedom and love. The Bible says that for those who are in Christ, the path of sanctification and greater freedom lies in learning to walk in and be controlled by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16), in newness of life, dying to the flesh (Romans 8:13), and putting off the old and putting on the new (Ephesians 4:20-24; Colossians 3:9-10). In contrast, being controlled by the flesh involves submitting to carnal nature and desires (Romans 8:6-8; 1 Corinthians 3:3), living a frustrating life of self-effort and adherence to the law (Romans 7), and being disconnected from God. It is the way that leads to death (John 3:18; Romans 6:23). Christian counselors understand the importance of surrendering all of oneself (every aspect of the tree) as a living sacrifice and seeking to understand and live in God’s will while walking in the Spirit. It brings spiritual transformation and produces a harvest of fruit—not all the same, but as Jesus says, some thirty, some sixty, and some 100-fold (Matthew 13:23).

Implications of the Tree Model for Change Including Systemic, Interdependent, and Contextual Components

The biblical picture of a tree represents a whole-person view of who people are and essential elements that must be considered in the process of change. The model of the tree as expressed by Jesus in Matthew 12 and 13 recognizes the impact of the soil on how a person responds to the truth and its effect on the amount of fruit a person produces. This does not mean that a person’s heart soil, including their ability to receive and incorporate the truth, will always be in the same condition, but it clearly indicates a cause and effect. Christian counselors can approach this biblical reality when seeking to facilitate change for clients by helping them remove toxic soil; bring healing to damaged roots; meet unmet needs; dismantle protective patterns; facilitate development of identity; work to transform thoughts, perceptions, and beliefs; improve and prune branches of resources, supports, and relationships; develop skills, behaviors, and choices; and ultimately increase their ability to experience positive or more stable emotions and peace. As greater degrees of wholeness are achieved, understanding how the person is growing in the context of their past and present is essential to this process and in selecting and prioritizing interventions that are both effective and correspond to a biblical view of truth and change.

However, a critical aspect of working with clients is not only recognizing and identifying essential elements of their humanity and areas of needed change as represented by the image of the tree, but also the interconnectedness of the elements. The kind and quality of a tree’s current fruit is a result of all aspects of the tree working together as a system. As such, various factors interact and impact the tree’s fruit from both the past and the present. For example, roots serve as a delivery system of nourishment to the tree. If they are damaged or diseased from the quality of seed and past soil, they can continue to distribute emotional pain and trigger protective reactions years removed from the original soil or events. The person’s heart is still affected and impacting the trunk, branches, and fruit. Similarly, the tree’s branches in the present must remain healthy and strong to support and bear fruit. If impaired or damaged by current or recent drought, storms, or other environmental harm, they can undermine the production of healthy fruit regardless of the original quality of seed and soil. Therefore, the impact of both past and present circumstances and the cares of this world that they represent matter to the tree’s systemic ability to produce healthy fruit and must be addressed by knowledgeable counselors.

Recognizing these realities, Christian counselors understand that there are opportunities to enrich and restore current soil to help the new seed and other parts of a client’s tree to grow and flourish. Restoring soil for Christian clients can include but is not limited to attending and connecting with a body of like-minded believers, daily Bible reading and fellowship with the heavenly Father, and engaging in sacraments and spiritual habits taught by Jesus, such as prayer and silence. Other activities include small group Bible studies, accountability, ministering to others, and so much more. Restoring and nourishing soil also includes processes of healing damaged roots and pulling any weeds that can choke the seeds of truth (such as anger, envy, discontent, bitterness, busyness, avoidance, and other factors) or that can undermine other enrichment opportunities. Christian counselors understand that to grow, some clients’ plants need specific nutrients, fertilizers, and increased exposure to water and light, while others do not, and that certain aspects of a person’s current environment may also continue to negatively affect their tree.

However, the very things intended to restore the soil can sometimes be potential sources of further damage. Some people seeking help from spiritual leaders are unfortunately confronted with unbiblical teachings, strife and division among the body of believers, or even physical, sexual, or emotional abuse by a purported religious authority—all of which can continue to impede the health of the tree. Christian counselors must maintain a biblical, whole-person, systemic, interdependent, and contextual view of the clients they serve and endorse the underlying worldview assumptions the Bible makes about people to guide their clinical thinking and choices.

Change Involves Stages and Process

In addition to understanding the biblical view of people represented in the tree model, Christian counselors should also consider its implications regarding the process of change. Jesus’ Parable of the Sower (Mathew 13:1-9, 18-23) is clear that producing fruit is a systemic process, dependent on the condition of a person’s heart soil. In His explanation of the parable, Jesus also says that hearing and understanding the word is vital for change, but that not all have ears to hear or the ability to understand. These aspects of the process of change fit well with what has been identified in clinical literature as the Transtheoretical Stages of Change model (DiClemente, 2007; Ogilvie & Carson, 2022; Prochaska & DiClemente, 1982). The model is called transtheoretical because it transcends specific theories and applies to all as it describes a person’s openness and engagement in a process of change. The model identifies five stages of accomplishing behavior change (DiClemente, 2007; Ogilvie & Carson, 2022):

• Pre-contemplation. The individual is not thinking of change, having experienced no (or minimal) consequences.
• Contemplation. The individual is aware of the consequences and impact on life but remains uncertain. They are engaged in progressive thinking toward change but may require many setbacks to build a case for change.
• Preparation. The individual has made a decision to change and starts planning steps to do so.
• Action. The individual attempts new behaviors and interventions, however they are not yet embedded. The stability and routine of new behavior is yet to be established.
• Maintenance. The individual’s new behavior is established and stable in continued application to the long term. The positive change achieved justifies continued adoption and development of altered behavior (Ogilvie & Carson, 2022, p. 123).

Some adaptations of the model also indicate that the components are not static and that individuals may move back and forth in the stages of change before achieving long-term success, if ever, in a particular area. The Stages of Change model corresponds with Jesus’ description that for some, change may not take root or can be prevented by various factors. Indeed, change is a process involving chosen and unchosen factors, one that can be derailed, and one that can produce varying degrees of fruit as summarized in the comparison chart below.

Change Incudes Confession and Repentance

For Christians, the Stages of Change model can also be seen in the light of the process of confession and repentance, so it is important for Christian counselors to explore the biblical meaning and application of these concepts. Some clinical models include aspects of confession and repentance, such as moral recognition therapy and 12-step programs which support the importance of moral responsibility and recovery from addictive and criminal behavior (Dermatis & Galanter, 2016; Ferguson & Wormith, 2012; Flanagan et al., 2015; Kelly, et al., 2009).

However, for many, the idea of confession is primarily perceived as confessing personal sins or shortcomings to God or another person, or confessing to a crime or other hurtful actions. These are, of course, valid viewpoints. Confession is an essential aspect of recognizing and taking responsibility for sin and transgressions against others or God’s laws. Indeed, in the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples to pray, confessing transgressions, debts, and one’s need for forgiveness is essential (Matthew 6:12). However, as a broader term, confession also refers to the idea of acknowledgment, avowal, or admission (Dictionary.com, 2023).

The Bible calls people to live in truth and honesty before God and with each other. This requires identifying, confessing, and seeking to live in the truth as God defines it because He is the author of truth. Confessing sin is therefore one way of simply agreeing with God about what He says about one’s condition, behaviors, reality, identity, salvation, and definitions of right and wrong. People also confess the truth when they proclaim agreement and belief in the reality of who God is and how things work according to His word. In both cases, they are acknowledging, avowing, and admitting to the truth. As Swaboda (2022), states, “Confession is telling God what He already knows and inviting Him in.” James 5:16 further clarifies the meaning of confession when it states, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” The word James uses for “confess” is the Greek word exomologeō, which means to acknowledge and agree fully, with the root of this word, exo, implying “being out in public” (Strong’s Greek Lexicon, 2023). Here the idea of confession is one of being fully honest and forthright, without hiding or minimizing sin or one’s condition. Understanding confession and its broader meaning is vital as Christian counselors invite clients to hear, acknowledge, and live in the truth in all aspects of their lives, and to encourage and motivate them to this end through all stages of change.

Similarly, a clear understanding of repentance is important to a biblical view of change. Two Greek words are connected to the idea of repentance in the New Testament. Metanoia (translated fifty-eight times as “repentance”) is the more common word used by New Testament authors related to this idea (Wilkin, 2004). Its verbal counterpart, metanoeō, also commonly translated as “repent,” is found in Acts 2:38 and 3:19. The other word used in the New Testament is epistrephō. Lectionary.blog (2020) provides helpful insight on the meaning of both terms.

Metanoeō “does not carry connotations of turning around” … but is more about what goes on in the mind of the person repenting. Etymologically speaking, metanoeō is a compound of [noeō], which means “to understand, to ponder, to think about,” and [meta], which means “with”: metanoeō means “to understand with, to use the mind with.” When we repent, we are using our mind to realize that we have done wrong, to hate/regret our sin, and to change our mind for the better. “epistrephō does mean “to turn around” (Matthew 9:22; Mark 5:30; 8:33) or “to turn toward” (Luke 1:16-17). But it can also mean “to return, to come back again” (Matthew 10:13; 12:44; Luke 8:55).

Wilkins (2004), further clarifies that “a pre-Christian meaning of metanoia was a change of mind about someone or something. When the context (in scripture) specifically mentions sinful practices about which one was changing his or her mind, the translation ‘repentance’ is acceptable” (The Pre-Christian Meaning of Metanoia).

When Christian counselors work with others in a process of growth and change from a biblical perspective, they are calling them to change their minds for the better, to closely examine their ways, and turn from any sinful (hurtful, destructive, damaging, dysfunctional, distorted, and unhealthy) ways of thinking, behaving, and relating to God, themselves, and others. The Bible defines all brokenness in the context of sin, whether personal, cultural, various ways someone has been sinned against, or as a result of the fall. It then calls people to think according to God’s standards, righteousness, design, and purposes, and to turn to Him to save and restore them to right thinking, right living, and greater wholeness. Christian counselors understand that a biblical view of change demonstrates compassion and honors processes, context, and infirmities, while still calling people to a process of confession and repentance from ungodly ways of living and thinking. The Bible never justifies personal sin or alleviates people of individual moral responsibility or the expectation to fully own the broken condition of their tree. Christian counselors recognize that freedom comes from surrender to God and His will and through actively seeking to turn from sinful thinking, desires, and behaviors by pursuing growth toward wholeness—not out of fear of rejection, but in grace, truth, and love for the Savior and the security found from being in Christ. Christian counselors also understand that although repentance requires change, process, and time, the love of Christ is high and wide and long and deep, with no end to His commitment, pursuit, and grace to those who are His own. He promises to complete the work He began in them as they seek to grow in sanctification (Philippians 1:6).

Assessing Theories of Change and Interventions for Biblical Consistency

Finally, to counsel as representatives of God’s grace and truth, it is of utmost importance for Christian counselors to evaluate all theories and practices from a Christian worldview and by the authority of Scripture. Regardless of the setting of their practice, they must seek to integrate their Christian faith and use the truth of God’s word as the final filter regarding their theory of change and application of specific secular theories, practices, and interventions. Every theory and practice comes with a worldview that includes underlying assumptions and definitions of terms and strategies that may or may not align with biblical definitions, principles, and beliefs.

As leaders and teachers of others in the body of Christ, Christian counselors should “do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). They must not be misled by “empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ” (Colossians 2:8 NLT). Indeed, Christian counselors must take seriously the words of James that teachers in the church will be judged more strictly (James 3:1). Therefore, Christian counselors should seriously consider their approach to integrating Christian faith and counseling.

Bence (2017) provides a helpful high-level assessment tool for those seeking to stay faithful to the word of God:

Using the Tree Model to Identify Interventions

As Christian counselors biblically assess theories and interventions for practice, they can also assess clients from the perspective of the tree using the illustration and elements to help them see the larger view of where their negative fruit is coming from (and why) and jointly identify available options to begin to work toward change. The table below summarizes each area of the tree along with possible theoretical models and practices, as well as biblical interventions that correlate. The counselor can work with the client to prioritize which part of the tree is in most need of attention and strategies for intervention. However, skillful counselors also recognize that they are always working with a whole, interconnected and developing person in the context of their environment and can flexibly address issues or combine interventions as needed to continue to address different aspects of the tree as they go.

A Final Word About Love

In this paper, we have emphasized the importance of worldview, including definitions and meanings of terms that drive decisions and practice. For Christian counselors, defining love biblically is essential for integrating faith and practice and must be discussed briefly as a final word. As Western culture has become increasingly secular, love has come to be defined from a human perspective with an emphasis on feeling, and where loving someone equates to making someone feel good or affirming who they say they are or want to be regardless of its grounding in truth. The secular definition of love affirms ideas of following one’s heart, being true to oneself, and living one’s truth. It openly proclaims circular ideas such as “love is love.” These are not biblical definitions of love, and Christian counselors must be careful to avoid them.

In contrast, the Bible’s view of love is connected to the holiness of God and is inextricably interwoven with truth. God’s truth and love are never separated because His holiness can never be separated from His love. Even the great love chapter of the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13, which richly describes the humility, generosity, and graciousness of love which all Christian counselors should seek to embody, also states that love “thinks no evil” and “does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:5-6 NKJV). God’s solution to the allure of sinful behaviors and desires is not to abandon people who find themselves trapped, but to call sin what it is, pay the penalty for it himself, and make possible a new position in Christ with power by His Spirit to overcome sin through their status in Christ and the process of sanctification. Lying to oneself or others about the reality of sin and its consequences will never lead to freedom.

With this understanding of love in view, Christian counselors know that engaging others where they are and recognizing stages of change is important when discerning when, how, and in what areas to speak the truth wrapped in love, especially in secular counseling settings. Discernment is required to understand the person’s soil and ability to hear. Christian counselors can maintain their convictions and biblical beliefs while prayerfully listening for the leading and prompting of the Spirit as they practice ethically while proposing truth and seeking the targets of God’s design. They also know that Jesus is gentle and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29 NKJV) and that they represent a God who is sacrificial, compassionate, and slow to anger (Psalm 86:15; John 3:16), extending His love even to those who are His enemies longing for His kindness to lead them to repentance (Romans 2:4; 5:10). In working with their clients, Christian counselors seek to be like Christ: filled with both grace and truth each step of the way (John 1:14).

Conclusion

Effectively and faithfully integrating Christian faith and counseling is a challenging proposition and one that Christian counselors must take seriously if they want to offer hope and help that can truly bring healing and freedom to individuals, communities, and culture. This paper seeks to propose a biblically faithful theory of change to guide Christian counselors to a better understanding of the human condition and how God can use them as temporary assistants to the Holy Spirit as He works in the lives of the people they serve, regardless of the treatment setting. Christian counselors working in secular settings or counseling nonbelieving clients can operate according to the framework and its biblical worldview and principles implicitly and ethically as they follow Christ. They respond to Jesus’ call to go and teach others to understand and obey all His commands (Matthew 28:19-20) as they work with others to apply grace, truth, and the power of the Holy Spirit in restoring God’s purpose, design, and identity for their lives. The framework described in this paper proposes the biblical model of a tree and its fruit for counselors to use in considering the impact of sin on whole persons and the process of healing, change, and freedom that comes through experiencing and applying truth and grace as revealed, guided, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

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