Book Review: The Dark Side of Christian Counselling, by Dr. E S Williams

The following book review was written by a member of our congregation. The views presented here are solely those of the reviewer and may or may not align with the views of other members.

Reviewer
S. A. Owens
Comments
  • It becomes quite clear as one reads this book that the author is very much opposed to psychotherapy of any kind. The reader may or may not agree with that premise.
  • It becomes somewhat difficult to argue with the approach he uses however, as he progresses through what we might refer to as a brief biography of the foundational figures of psychology. Of course, the first one he discusses is Sigmund Freud — the founding father of psychotherapy.
  • After discussing several other giants of psychology and the worldview they held, he moves into the current world of Christian counselling — starting with Larry Crabb, whom he describes as "one of the leading thinkers in the fireld of Christian counselling."
  • The most interesting discussion in this book is the author’s conclusion concerning what he refers to as the "self-esteem movement."
Recommendation
  • Great food for thought and an interesting read whether or not one agrees with the premise.