Counseling the Hard Cases: True Stories Illustrating the Sufficiency of God's Resources in Scripture

As a student pursuing Biblical Counseling, this book has been magnificently helpful. In their books, Biblical Counseling authors are always discussing the heart, idolatry, sin, and hope through the power of God's grace and the work of the Holy Spirit. This book shows that Biblical Counselors aren't "all talk". They literally apply what they teach, both to their own lives and in their counseling. And it works. Biblical Counseling doesn't seek to alleviate only the temporary problems counselees come in with. Biblical Counseling seeks to teach, to bring about sanctification, and to bring people closer to God. Biblical Counseling challenges counselees to take a good look at themselves and see themselves in light of God's Word. They are broken, fallen, sinful people. But they are not only that. They are redeemed, through the blood of Jesus, and by the power of God through His Word, the Holy Spirit, and the efforts of the counselees, they can overcome sin and become more like Christ.I wish to highlight three chapters specifically, though I enjoyed all of them.I found Chapter 3 (Brian and OCD) to be particularly surprising. That his OCD behavior was literally a habit that had formed over time because of sinful desires was astounding. I would have never expected that. That's part of the power of this book--it shows readers that there is hope for counselees who are "hard cases" and that, perhaps, the diagnoses that make them "hard cases" really aren't so complicated, hopeless, and defeating after all. There is hope. It's amazing what persistent sin can do to someone, but even more amazing to see what God can pull someone out of.I also found Chapter 9 (Jason and Homosexuality) to be emotionally moving and very encouraging. It is a difficult thing to struggle with homosexuality and Christians would do well to remember that. Especially in light of today's unhelpful and confusing culture, Jason found true help and true love in Jesus Christ, a church family, and a counselor. I am glad that Kevin Carson, the counselor who contributed this chapter, admitted the very real fact that homosexual struggles may never go away. That doesn't mean that they have to be life dominating. There are two choices: serve God or serve self. And our goal is to serve God (2 Cor. 5:9). By His power, no sin has to be life dominating. Not even homosexuality.I was wary of Chapter 7 (Tony and Bipolar Disorder) because I do not know that I agree with that form of counseling. While I recognize that the weekend of counseling was to be followed up with accountability by the advocate and the church community, I think Tony may have been given too much in too short of time. Education is a process. And since a main part of Biblical Counseling is education, I think Tony may have been better served with long-term counseling. However, I do think that the concept of having an "advocate" is a good one, and when I am a certified Biblical Counselor I may make that part of my counseling. I also thought it was wise to give Tony something intensive in the immediate. It just seems that Tony would likely need more counseling. It takes time for people to change.Thank the LORD, the editors, the contributors, and the counselees (anonymous though they may be) for this work. It is a very real work dealing with very real people (mostly), both counselors and counselees, and a real God who causes real change. This is a book every Biblical Counselor should have. No case is exactly the same. But these cases provide hope for the counselor and for the counselee. These cases also help give examples of ways to frame counseling and how to approach various "hard cases".Joshua Wagner, Biblical CounselingCrossroads Bible College

Great go to book for a ton of life situations. lots and loads of advice and biblical counseling assistance. For church leaders as well as members.

This book is so good! Really changed me to see the depth of sufficiency of Scripture. What a gift from the Lord!

This is a fantastic book that focuses on the stories of hard counseling cases and how Scripture is sufficient to work through them. It fully illustrated and illuminated to me that The Word does contain everything we need. The stories that were told included tons of scripture references, practical tips given to the counselees, and why the counselee’s “community” is so important. This is a must-read for anyone in any type of counseling position.

Best book out there for counseling Christian's from a complete biblical perspective. Just as helpful for non-Christians is they will allow it.

This is a must have book for counseling. Certain cases seem impossible to handle biblically, but this counselor walks us through many hard cases, step by step, showing how counseling through the Bible can work for some people with some of the hardest problems.

Really good read, I enjoyed the different perspectives and how honest the authors were. They stayed true to biblical principles and address many different psychology related problems through the word of God.

This is an outstanding book showing how Biblical Counseling is superior to other forms of counseling. It shows how the Bible can be used to directly address problems people are having. Amazing book!