Competent to Counsel

Introduction to Nouthetic Counseling

By: Jay E. Adams

Narrated by: Milton Bagby

A classic in the field of Christian counseling, Competent to Counsel is one of the first works to fully articulate a vision of "nouthetic" counseling—a strictly biblical approach to behavioral counseling and therapy.

Dr. Jay Adams defends the idea that the Bible itself, as God's Word, provides all the principles needed for understanding and engaging in holistic counseling. Using biblically directed discussion, nouthetic counseling works by means of the Holy Spirit to bring about change—both immediate and long-term—in the personality and behavior of the counselee.

As he points out in his introduction, "I have been engrossed in the project of developing biblical counseling and have uncovered what I consider to be a number of important scriptural principles. . . There have been dramatic results. . . Not only have people's immediate problems been resolved, but there have also been solutions to all sorts of long-term problems as well."

Competent to Counsel has helped thousands of pastors, students, laypersons, and Christian counselors develop:

• A general approach to (and theology of) Christian counseling.
• Specific, practical responses to particular problems useful for teaching, study, and personal application.

Since its first publication in 1970, this book has gone through over thirty printings. It establishes the basis for and an introduction to a counseling approach that is being used in pastors' studies, in counseling centers, and across dining room tables throughout the country and around the world.

Outstanding Read for all Christian!

A must read for anyone wishing to pursue biblical counseling, but also an excellent resource for all Christians as this book will help one to understand and learn how God's word can uncover and resolve any of life's challenges.

It’s good.

This was a required book that I had to read, and because of its nature it’s a difficult one. I found listening and reading along really helped me. There are a lot of footnotes in the book that you don’t get in the audio, so that’s something that people may want to keep in mind when going through this book.
And I think that the found a great voice to read this book.

helpful and full of wisdom

truly helpful to the counselor in training. also a great handbook for anyone working with people and especially students.

Very sound doctrine

This was a great book! I don’t agree with every aspect of what Jay Adams writes. Overall, though, his arguments and methodologies are useful as a parent and as a Christian helping other Christians.

Rejects the ones who need help the most

This is an insensitive narrow minded view of mental health. It’s dangerous to reject the ones who are suffering and broken hearted the most. It discounts factors of abuse that results in mental health issues. It’s true sin is a problem for us humans, however many suffer from the sins done to them also. Pure religion is the one who cares for widows and orphans, not rejects and condemns them.