Robert W. Kellemen

A factual and friendly look at anxiety from author and biblical counselor Bob Kellemen. Kellemen asks what messages are we telling ourselves that are contributing anxiety and worry? He advises taking responsibility for our thought life (31), right in the same line of thinking as Philippians 4:8. This is a command to install healthy habits of thinking. The anxious must replace fearful inaction with others centered action.

Overall, a good read. It could have been strengthened with more exegesis of biblical passages and definitions of the terms anxiety, fear, and worry. At times, they feel conflated. The booklet is certainly a good resource and worth reading with a friend struggling with anxiety.… (mer)

Are you a pastor or counselor? Do you regularly counsel couples whose marriages are in need of serious help? Do you feel inadequate to help a couple walk through their marriage issues? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, this book is for you!

A quick online search will net hundreds of books on marriage, so you may be reticent to purchase yet another one. The libraries of most pastors and counselors I know include numerous books on marriage. However, this is not your regular “run of the mill” book on marriage. Keep reading to find out more.

The first part of the book is “A Theological Primer for Biblical Marriage Counseling.” Using relatable descriptions of marriage counseling situations, Dr. Kellemen lays out the biblical/theological groundwork necessary to undergird the counseling that helps counselees begin to ask the correct questions to diagnose the problems they are having and then moving to apply the biblical truths to their lives individually and as a couple.

After each portion of the information is taught and presented, you will find a section of questions entitled “Maturing as a Biblical Marriage Counselor: Solution” that lead you to interact with the biblical truths and the principles about which you just read and learned. The questions use real-life counseling situations as they lead you to apply these biblical truths and principles.

The next part of the book is “How to Develop 22 Marriage Counseling Relational Competencies.” Each of these chapters follows the same basic format as is contained in the first part of the book. The focus here is developing key marriage counseling relational competencies. This also is done through teaching and presenting practical ways to apply the theology you learn in part 1 to marriage counseling situations.
Dr. Kellemen’s writing style combined with the layout of the book provides a great format for learning and processing the biblical truths and principles and their application.

Now that I've done a straight-through read, I need to go back and really soak up and work through this book.

I highly recommend Gospel-Centered Marriage Counseling to pastors, church staff, biblical counselors, and, well all Christ-followers. Even if you aren’t a pastor or counselor, your marriage will be strengthened as you learn, apply, and practice what you learn in this book. If you are not married, this book will provide wonderful information that will enable you to help your friends who are struggling with their marriages.

Note: I received a copy of Gospel-Centered Marriage Counseling from Dr. Robert W. Kellemen for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review.… (mer)

Gospel Conversations is designed to help biblical counselors care like Christ for those we counsel. Navigating the compass points of the counseling coveration, Robert Kellemen explores how counselors bring healing through sustaining, healing, reconciling and guiding. Kellerman is the executive director of the Biblical Counseling Coalition and CEO of RPM ministries. He sees his role as a counselor as bringing people face to face with the truth of God's word and encounter with Christ. Through this book, he imparts tools that biblical counselors can use to grow in their competencies to comfort the afflicted and challenge the comfortable.

Kellerman suggests twenty-one competencies for biblical counseling, Sustaining relational competencies involve the counselor growing in their ability to connect, empathize, listen, comfort, and share scripture emphatically, Healing competencies include growing in our ability to effect relational mind and soul renewal, encourage, compose a 'scriptural treatment plan,' lead counselees in a Theo-dramatic conversation and in stretching scriptural explorations. Reconciling competencies probe issues theologically, expose heart sins, apply truth relationally, calm the conscience through grace, enlighten and empower. Guiding competencies involve fanning into flame the gift of God in people, helping them author empowering narratives, constructing insight-based action plans, and having target focused conversations.

Because of the place of the Bible in the healing process, Kellerman's model is different than the contemporary therapeutic model. Kellerman (and other biblical counselors) urge us toward a thoughtful Christian model for soul care which differs from that of secular psychology (p. 98). There may be some antagonism towards psychology here, but the hope is that the Christian alternative is every bit as rigorous and comprehensive in dealing with what ails the human heart. Kellerman focuses on helping people get to the root of their problems (sin and suffering).

This is a helpful textbook and handbook for growing as a counselor. I have no antagonism towards psychology, per se, but my competency to counsel is different from that as a therapist. What I want people to do is to see themselves as God sees them, pursue a right relationship with Him and allow the Spirit of God to do the work of sanctification in them as they give their heart and mind to Him. Every Christian model of counseling (including a more psychologically oriented one) wants this. While I personally think other forms of counseling are tremendously helpful in the healing process, this model approximates what I do as a pastor when I meet with those in need. I have a Master's of Divinity (that pastor degree), but the extent of my training in pastoral counseling is this: know when to punt to a more qualified counselor; nevertheless pastors play an important role in the healing process, reminding people of God's presence, his work of salvation through Jesus and His ongoing ministry of reconciliation. Kellerman writes an engaging text for help students learn biblical counseling better and I think it is a great resource for anyone who engages in the ministry of pastoral counseling. I give this four staIrs.

Note: I received this book from Cross Focused Reviews (and Zondervan) in exchange for my honest review).… (mer)