The fundamental assumptions that shape biblical counseling are reviewed and key elements expanded upon. Building hope in God's promises from the earliest stages of counseling is critical. What are some ways we can seek to build hope?

Care and Discipleship Level 1

CDC1-04. General Principles of Biblical Counseling 1

Anger is a problem both in the world and in the church. Anger is very deceptive and dangerous. It is usually murderous by nature and leads to many other sins. What are some ways that people try to justify their anger? Where does anger come from? How do we go about uprooting anger from the heart?

CDC1-14. Anger/Abuse

Psychology and theology both deal with the same fundamental issues of meaning and value. Many modern approaches have unscriptural presuppositions and practices. This opening session introduces biblical counseling and the importance of approaching these issues from a Christian perspective.

CDC1-01. What is Biblical Counseling? 1

What are some common Christian approaches to counseling in our day? Why might it be useful to learn about psychology? This session explores several Christian approaches to counseling including integration and synergism.

CDC1-02. What is Biblical Counseling? 2

How is the biblical counseling approach different from all other Christian approaches? What are some key texts for defending the sufficiency of the Scriptures for counseling? IBCD's position of biblical counseling (the Bible as the sole and sufficient authority) is outlined and its key concepts explained.

CDC1-03. What is Biblical Counseling? 3

This session continues exploring the key questions involved in biblical counseling. Why is investigation a crucial part of the counseling process? What is the goal of asking good questions? Why is it important to give biblical labels to our counselee's problems? How much sin be dealt with?

CDC1-05. General Principles of Biblical Counseling 2

Counseling is more than instruction and the greatest progress in counseling is made between sessions. What are some ways we can prepare our counselees for growth between sessions? Why is concrete homework important? This session completes outlining the key elements of biblical counseling.

CDC1-06. General Principles of Biblical Counseling 3

Counseling is about helping people to change. The change biblical counselors seek is unique and unbiblical approaches to change will impede spiritual growth. This session explores how change begins by understanding and applying the Gospel. Understanding our union with Christ is the key to growth in holiness.

CDC1-07. How Do People Change? 1

Biblical peacemaking is founded on the gospel. Christ came to make peace between God and man. All conflict is the result of sin. Conflict is very dangerous but brings great opportunity: to glorify God, to be more like Christ, to serve others, and to bear witness to a watching world.

CDC1-10. Peacemaking 1

This session covers the fundamental theological concepts involved in biblical counseling. It explores the IBCD and NANC understanding of the Bible's authority, the Trinity, anthropology, Christology, soteriology, pneumatology, and ecclesiology.

CDC1-09. Theology and Biblical Counseling

We and our counselees are responsible to exert effort towards change. Immediately after telling us to consider our identity in Christ, Paul exhorts us to take action against the lusts of the flesh. What is the proper use of biblical indicatives and imperatives? What should our motive be for obedience?

CDC1-08. How Do People Change? 2

As Christians, we ought to do all that is in our power to pursue peace. How can we seek forgiveness biblically? How does the gospel empower us to forgive? Why is it important to go though a thorough process of confession?

CDC1-11. Peacemaking 2

This session completes the Peacemaking series of the curriculum. It lays out important things to consider before attempting to confront someone's sin and describes the peacemaking process. Church discipline is also explored along with how church structure and membership is related to peacemaking.

CDC1-12. Peacemaking 3

Trials are the ordinary experience of believers living in a fallen world. Believers in the Bible suffered great trials and we will continue to endure significant trials. Why do Christians tend to be so surprised by trials when the Bible speaks so often about them? How does God work in our trials and use them to mature us?

CDC1-13. Grace When Things Are Hard

What is depression and how are we to understand it? Many secular psychologists see mankind as merely physical and therefore tend to see depression as a physical problem with a chemical solution. Christians recognize the dual nature of mankind – body and soul. What are some important things for biblical counselors to keep in mind when handling cases of depression?

CDC1-15. Depression

The Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship