Jay E. Adams Critique

Dr. Adams (1986) falls into the anti-psychology camp, and he stands firm on his convictions that the Word of God is sufficient for counseling. His whole bases for the counseling process is from 2 Timothy 3:16 which states that all scripture is God 's revealed truth and is perfect for teaching, correction, and training in righteousness. Jay Adams (1986) book How to Help People Change, can be considered a controversial book depending how one perceives it. Throughout the book, it appears as if Adams is writing in a condescending style. At times he appears angry calling people names such as peons (p. 76) to refer to people who think differently than he does. Dr. Adams premise was for the sufficiency of scripture. Christianity never needed counseling before the life of Freud, Jung, Rogers, and other notable psychologists. The world 's perfect counselor is Jesus Christ, and believes in teaching his clients to be more like Christ. Dr. Adams explains that the fundamental problem of "all counseling systems" is that counselors seek to change people but "they can 't agree on what the end product should be like," (1986, p. 59).
The therapeutic process outlined by Adams includes four main aspects are: teaching, conviction, correction, and disciplined training in righteousness. The Word also has a tremendous role in this process. Scriptures are the vehicle that the Holy Spirit employs to transform (sanctification) the counselee 's existence. According to Adams, the Holy Spirit plays a strong role in Biblical change of a counselee. The Holy Spirit will convict and change the counselee as he studies God 's Word. The Holy Spirit brings the understanding, and enables the counselee to obey. The Holy Spirit, through His word, and working through the counselor, both changes and empowers the counselee to change. Change attempted apart from God is change in the power of the flesh. If the heart has not been changed, only the surface has been scratched.
Adams advises us that for