In his preface to this challenging book Jeff Watson describes biblical counseling as "a noble adjective married to a nervous noun."

Believers are wise to be skeptical of much that is done in the name of counseling in secular settings. Even under the umbrella of "Christian counseling," one has heard horror stories of cases where God's Word has been misused. But Jeff Watson makes a strong case in this volume for the legitimacy of marrying "biblical" and "counseling."

Christian counselors, says Watson, need to cultivate three fundamental skills in their patients:

• How to tell their stories;
• How to choose their goals wisely; and
• How to practice changes in their lives.

Watson helps counselors achieve these goals by drawing on the interactions of Christ, the commands of Scripture, and the actions of the apostles and prophets. Thus he marries counseling and biblical principles.

To those of us who are called on to counsel on any level, Charles Swindoll says, "This book will become an invaluable tool for you. I urge you to let it become your manual for proper counseling."