Define
the concepts of “presentation level” and “performance level”. Use a case
history, in which you were the counselor, to show the necessity for moving from
the presentation level to the performance level.
“Presentation
level” refers to what the counselee presents (by their perception) as the
problem(s), the issue that has motivated them to seek counsel. It is possible that this may in reality be
only part of the issue, or an effect of another cause, or a secondary problem-which
would need to be lead out with perceptive data gathering.
“Performance
level” is the sinful actions or words causing or resulting from the presented
problem. These outwardly display how a
person is responding to God, people, situations, and more. “Presentation problems necessarily involve
the discussion of performance problems, since the former arise from the latter;
thus a discussion of the presentation problem may be the first step in digging
deeper.”1
The way counselees
communicate with us a counselors is an interwoven knot of information in which
they present perceived problems, emotions, specific details about their
circumstances and more. It is our
responsibility to listen well, unweave the information and get to the heart
level (“pre-conditioning level”) issues in order to help them change, not
simply their behaviour, but their thinking, and motives to line up with
Scripture.
I personally
counseled a college age young woman who conveyed to me that she could not get along
with her Mom. She told me her mother was
“demanding, and impossible.” As I
listened empathetically, I took notes, allowing her to speak her heart and
mind. I then asked her; “And, how is
that you respond to your Mom?” “I get
angry.” “What does that look like?” I probed.
“I don’t do what she asks, I slam my door,” she confessed sheepishly.
Together we took time to look at Scripture, what it has to say about children
and parental roles (Ephesians 6:1-4, Colossians 3:18-20). She was defensive, justifying her behaviour because
her Mom and Dad are divorced, and her Mom “isn’t perfect”. This Mom is a believer, not abusive in
anyway, an occasional church attender.
The word commands children obey parents, without condition I
explained. I addressed her bitterness
about her parents divorce by explaining we are all sinners; parents,
grandparents, kids…. how all sin is an offense to God-some with lasting
effects/consequences, and others with less visible result, but all equally
wrong and offensive to God (James 2:10).
I used some small booklets targeted at this topic for reading homework
over our sessions together (“Life Beyond Your Parent’s Mistakes”-David
Powlison, “Forgiveness: Showing Grace When You
Have Been Hurt”-Rob Green), and she was also assigned to pray daily for her
Mom-writing point form notes on what she was praying for specifically and bring
these notes with her to sessions.
With
time, pointed Biblical teaching in our sessions (on grace, communication,
dealing with anger, and more), and practical homework assignments she came to
understand that God has been gracious in giving her salvation, and her Mom had
the same salvation. They are both
sinners, and her own anger is a sinful response towards her Mom. She needed to repent to God (1 John 1:9), and
her Mom, and agree to no longer hold her parents divorce against them (Matthew
6:14,15), but to show grace and forgive as God has done to her (Matthew 6:12). She did these things, and with intentional
prayer, and specific assignments, their relationship changed for the
better. I saw her and her Mom at church together much
later, and her mother came to me telling me their relationship had never been
better, the counselee was showing respect and submission, even going out of her
way to perform acts of love. God and His
truth applied to this situation resulted in a restored relationship.
The
presentation problem in this scenario was a difficult Mom, but the performance
problems on the part of the counselee were anger, bitterness, a lack of
forgiveness, and this resulted in actions of disrespect and defiance. God’s truth had much to say about this
issue-the presented one, and the performance ones, and when His truth is
understood and yielded it can transform hearts, lives and relationships.
1 “Competent to Counsel”, Jay Adams, page 202
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