Familial Counseling: The Paradigm for Counselor-Counselee Relationships in 1 Thessalonians 5

In this editorial, David Powlison reviews the familial paradigm of 1 Thessalonians and its implications for biblical counseling. He argues that familial counselors share a common Father, from whom they receive the ingredients of their counsel. Counselors need to differentiate the type of care needed by different people. Powlison argues that, much like parenting, the thriving responsive child needs different care than the rebellious child, the fearful child, and the helpless child. Powlison concludes that 1 Thessalonians 5 gives a model we can put to work: nourishing, admonishing, encouraging, helping and being patient with all.