A case for the Holy Spirit in Christian Counseling Praxis: The 5E Model

Abstract

Christian counseling has faced ongoing debates over its validity. Due to challenges between theological and psychological fields, its ethical integrity has also been questioned, with many practices still lacking sufficient research to ensure safety and effectiveness, despite attempts at professional regulation. This article introduces The 5E Model of Christian Counseling. It is a novel approach that emphasizes the pivotal role of the Holy Spirit in a journey of healing toward wholeness in Christ, with the aim of flourishing in one’s community. The 5E Model integrates Churchill’s (2010) exploration of biblical divine epiphanies in the OT with established counseling modalities and personal experience, positioning the Holy Spirit and the client at the center of the client’s unfolding story. The model provides a Spirit-led, structured approach consisting of five distinct steps: Evaluating, Externalizing, Exploring, Emending, and Empowering. Together, these steps form a clear path for Christian counselors to collaborate with the Holy Spirit in guiding clients toward Christlikeness and flourishing within their communities. The significance of this model lies in its potential to bridge gaps in existing counseling practices by offering an approach that supports clients in both their spiritual and psychological journeys. The 5E Model lays the groundwork for future empirical research by defining the scope and nature of the Christian counseling the model addresses and identifying key areas for further investigation. The South African Theological Seminary will incorporate this model into the training of Christian counselors.