Which description best captures Tan's overall stance on Christian counseling?

• A. It emphasizes spiritual formation in tandem with psychological work
• B. It integrates secular psychology only
• C. It disregards spirituality
• D. It relies solely on biblical counseling without psychology

Answer: (A)

The main idea tested is that Christian counseling should unite spiritual formation with psychological work. Tan argues that growth in faith, virtue, and relationships should go hand in hand with evidence-based psychological processes. Spiritual formation gives purpose, moral direction, and meaning; psychological work provides tools for change in thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Together they form a holistic approach that aims to transform the whole person within a faith framework, rather than choosing between faith perspectives or reducing therapy to secular methods. The other descriptions fall short because they either exclude spirituality, reduce psychology to secular practices, or rely only on biblical counseling without integrating psychological insight.