Guest editor's page.

Hunter, Linda A.

This special edition is the culmination of a project which began in my Ethics class at Regent University in January 2004. Challenged with a group project of presenting the ethical issues involved with Theophostic Prayer Ministry (TPM), I began research on the topic. As I researched, it became clear that while quite a few individuals in the field of psychology had presented critical reviews of TPM, there was little to be found in print from Ed Smith addressing the reviews. Thus I sought out an interview with Smith and was granted such during the CAPS convention in St. Petersburg, Florida in April 2004. I also sought out interviews with pastoral counselors and psychologists in an effort to broaden the horizons of the project. Following the group presentation, the ethics professor (Mark Yarhouse) approached me and suggested I continue the research in the form of a dissertation project.

One of the highlights of the dissertation project was moderating a panel discussion at the CAPS International Conference in Dallas, Texas in April 2005. The panel consisted of two individuals voicing critical concerns with TPM and two individuals voicing support of TPM. Much of the discussion held that day is presented in an article I co-authored with Mark Yarhouse: Theophostic Prayer Ministry in Clinical Practice: Issues and Concerns. I would like to note that Smith has continually acknowledged the critical discussions that have taken place regarding TPM and in some instances, has made adjustments to his model based on those criticisms. However, in order to maintain the integrity of the CAPS 2005 panel discussion, Smith's latest changes in TPM presented in his new Basic Training Manual (2008) are not included in the article.

The edition opens with an article I wrote providing a brief overview of some of the differing epistemological approaches by pastoral counselors and licensed psychologists. Bill Hathaway then discusses integration issues such as the use of religiously based interventions in lieu of empirically validated treatment protocols when available. He also briefly discusses concerns with role integration as a Christian in a secular role setting.

Fernando Garzon, Everett Worthington, S-Y Tan, and Kirby Worthington provide the reader with an overview of lay approaches in Christian counseling and how these approaches might impact the expectations of clients now seeking integrative psychotherapy from a Christian psychologist. In effort to enhance the therapeutic experience for both the clinician and the client, recommendations are made for the clinician's approach with this population. Fernando also teams up with Kimberely Tilley to provide the reader with the current research, and recommendations for future research, on the effectiveness of lay Christian counseling models.

Phil Monroe and George Schwab do an excellent job of presenting a theological review of healing and change through the lens of biblical language and imagery. David Entwistle then presents to the reader a biopsychosocial and spiritual model for "theoretical integration and holistic practice. He also touches on the ethical concerns of integration techniques and practices. The current edition then closes with an article I coauthored with Mark Yarhouse presenting considerations and recommendations for integration in clinical settings.

The goal of my project and this special edition was not to select a single model such as TPM for scrutiny but rather to use the model as a case study in the relationship between religiously based interventions and professional services and to provide a backdrop for future integration conversations and research. I hope as you read the articles you are provoked to think and rethink your posture on the ethical and theological issues of integration.

Editor's Note: The last article by Fayard, Pereau, and Ciovica is not related to the Theophostic Prayer Ministry theme.