Are all nouthetic counselors good?
In a word, no. Just like any other group, nouthetic counselors have their faults. No group of individuals is perfect because, after all, we are all still sinful humans! Much of the criticism of nouthetic counseling relates to counselors being unloving or pious, using the Bible to “browbeat” those whom they counsel. Certainly, this is a legitimate danger into which some counselors do fall. A good nouthetic counselor, however, will be one who listens with concern, shares your burdens, prays with and for you, and counsels from the Bible alone. He or she does not excuse behavior because of “personality types”, “repressed memories”, etc., but rather turns to the Bible for answers. A good nouthetic counselor will not demean you, criticize you, or belittle you. There will probably be times when he will say something you don’t want to hear. There may be times when his words make you feel horrible inside. There may be times of confrontation. But, all these things should be done in a spirit of l
