Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
for Christian Clients
with Depression:
A Practical, Tool-Based Primer
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By Michelle Pearce, Ph.D.
Reviewed By
Geoffrey W. Sutton
I received Pearce’s book from the Templeton Press for the
purposes of review. I submitted the review manuscript in 2016 to the Journal of Psychology and Theology,
which was then reviewed and subsequently accepted for publication, March 1,
2017. I will provide links to the academic review below.
Michelle Pearce, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and assistant
professor at the University of Maryland. Her book provides a useful summary of
cognitive-behavioral therapy and shows how it may be adapted to help Christian
clients draw upon Bible practices and teachings to cope with depression.
I graduated from a school (University of Missouri-Columbia) where
cognitive behavioral psychotherapy was the mainstay of treatment. But, like
others from my era, we found our own way when it came to helping religious and
spiritual clients with mental health concerns, including depression. Experienced
clinicians will not find much that is new in the book, but they will find an
organized set of strategies and links to recent research that can help ensure a
best practices approach.
The book will be most useful to students in counseling
programs as a supplement to various courses and supervised experiences focused
on treating people with depression. I think the book can be helpful to pastors
as well as they will no doubt encounter many people in their congregations who
struggle with some form of depression.
I note a few suggestions for an improvement in my review.
These are not concerns that would limit the value of the book, but rather ideas
for a future edition. Here’s a quote from my academic review:
Pearce acknowledges the
forgiveness work of Christian scholars like Worthington and Enright but does
not offer specific guidance as do Enright and Fitzgibbons (2015) in their
chapter devoted to forgiveness therapy for depressed clients. Two, Pearce
identifies the term spiritual struggles
in the chapter about suffering (6) but does not include the extensive research
by Exline and her colleagues (e.g., Exline & Rose, 2013), which has helped
clarify many of the distressing beliefs held by Christians when they experience
such struggles. And three, although she briefly mentions hope in the
conclusion, the topic deserves a greater role in the treatment of depression
especially given its critical role in psychotherapy and its prominence in Christian
theology (e.g., Edwards & Jovanovski, 2016).
Review reference and document links
Pearce, M.
(2016). Cognitive behavioral therapy for Christian clients with depression: A
practical, tool-based primer. Templeton. Available on AMAZON
Sutton,
G. W. (2017). Seven strategies for treating Christians with depression. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 45, 69-70. https://doi.org/10.1177/009164711704500106
Accepted 11/19/2016, Published March 1,
2017.
DOWNLOAD REVIEW ResearchGate Link Academia Link Kudos Link
DOWNLOAD REVIEW ResearchGate Link Academia Link Kudos Link
Connections and Links to Resources
TWITTER @Geoff.W.Sutton
LinkedIN Geoffrey Sutton PhD
Publications (many free downloads)
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ResearchGate Geoffrey W Sutton (PhD)
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