REVIEW: Gospel-Centered Family Counseling

The Basics

Title: Gospel-Centered Family Counseling
Author: Robert W. Kellemen, PhD
Genre: Christian/Pastoral Counseling
Release Date: September 15, 2020

Book Synopsis

Pastors and counselors regularly minister to people whose marriages or families are in crisis. Tempers run high and feelings are brought low when a marriage is hurting or a family is in disarray. Pastors and counselors need practical, biblical help in order to connect their theological training to the reality of modern messy relationships. These how-to training manuals provide relevant, user-friendly equipping for pastors, counselors, lay leaders, educators, and students, enabling them to competently and compassionately relate God’s Word to marriage and family life.

My Two Cents

Pastors and/or counselors who regularly counsel those whose families are in need of serious help often feel inadequate to help families walk through their issues, this book is for you!

There are a plethora of books on how to help families, so I understand that you may be reticent to purchase yet another one. The libraries of most pastors and counselors I know include numerous books on families. This, however, is not your regular “run of the mill” book on families. Keep reading to find out more.

The first part of the book is “A Theological Primer for Biblical Family Counseling.” Using family counseling situations that are very relatable, Dr. Kellemen lays out the biblical/theological groundwork necessary to undergird the counseling that helps counselees (family members) begin to ask the correct questions to diagnose the problems they are experiencing and then to move on by applying those biblical truths to their lives individually and as a family.

You’ll find a portion of teaching, then a section of questions entitled “Maturing as a Biblical Family Counselor” that will lead you to interact with the biblical truths and principles about which you just read and learned. As you consider real-life counseling situations, the questions lead you to apply biblical truths and principles you just learned.

The next part of the book is “Practical Training for Biblical Family Counselors: How to Develop 22 Family 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 relational competencies in family counseling. You’ll learn to develop these competencies through teaching and the presentation of practical ways to apply the theology you learn in part 1 to family 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 Family 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.

I also did a review of another wonderful counseling resource Dr. Kellemen wrote. Find that review here: Gospel-Centered Marriage Counseling.

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NOTE: I received a copy of Gospel-Centered Family Counseling from Dr. Robert W. Kellemen for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. 

Get your copy here.

About the Author

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Robert W. Kellemen, ThM, PhD is vice president of strategic development, academic dean, and professor at Faith Bible Seminary in Lafayette, Indiana. He is the Founder and CEO of RPM Ministries. Through RPM, he speaks, writes, and consults on Christ-centered, church-based, comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally-informed biblical counseling and equipping.

Kellemen also served as the founding Executive Director of The Biblical Counseling Coalition through which we provide robust resources and collaborative relationships for all those who are committed to biblical counseling. He is an ordained minister who has pastored several churches.

Kellemen earned a BA in Pastoral Studies at Baptist Bible College, a ThM in Theology and Biblical Counseling at Grace Theological Seminary, and a PhD in Counselor Education at Kent State University.

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Kellemen and his wife of 38 years, Shirley, have two adult children and three grandchildren.

Note from Shirley Crowder: I absolutely love this picture of Shirley and Bob. What beautiful smiles!

Follow Robert Kellemen at:
RPM Ministries, Twitter, Facebook