Chapter Four: CONCLUSIONS
Contained herein has been an investigation of the works of Richard D. Dobbins as a theory of counseling. Burks and Stefflre's (1979) criteria were used to test his views of counseling. The skillful reader will have noticed that instead of seeking to discredit previous theories within counseling, Dobbins has sought to integrate numerous aspects which are consistent with his religious beliefs. In fact, as noted earlier, he espouses to have included all the classical theories in his main model, the "Healing of the Mind" and claims to have created "a theological model that accommodates psychology" and not vice-versa" (Dobbins, personal communication, July 11, 1990).
Dobbins (1987a) believes that because he pastored a church prior to, during and after studying the behavioral sciences, this helped him to make such a model. While studying psychology, he would put the material to a three-part test to determine if he could use it. He found psychological ideas integratable if they were "supported by the Scriptures, consistent with the Scriptures, or at least not contradictory to the Scriptures" (Dobbins, 1987a).
With standards Dobbins used to determine what to include within the framework of his model of counseling, is it any wonder that many concepts set forth by him do not seem to be exclusively unique to his proposed theory? Of course, one who would like to be considered as a theorist worth studying would indeed need a sufficient amount of original characteristics.
Notwithstanding, the criteria set by Burks and Stefflre (1979) by which Dobbins is to be judged do not ask for merely original perspectives of a set of beliefs in order to meet the requirement of a counseling theory. Rather, they state that explicit statements be made about each of their five criteria. Dobbins has a good mixture of original ideas and an eclectic blend of concepts to succeed in producing a theory of counseling. However, there is one possible exception.
That shortcoming has to do with part of the fifth criterion set by Burks and Stefflre (1979), evidence supporting the theory. Research, or validating evidence, was listed as part of the evidence. At this point there is no research evidence by Dobbins. However, illustrative case material, which was the type of evidence presented in chapter three, is welcomed as well by Burks and Stefflre because it tells "in more specific terms how the theory functions for a given case" (p. 24). So, although validating evidence is desirable, it is, nonetheless, not the sole determiner of the fifth criterion.
In fact, Stefflre and Matheny (1968), in the context of discussing how one's theory will influence the conduct of his/her research, states that "all present counseling theories contain serious blocks to research" (p. 57). They refer to an article by Kiesler (1966) in which the author claims that research thus far had not been able to "make explicit the independent therapist behavior and dependent patient behavior variables stemming from the various counseling theories" (Stefflre & Matheny, 1968, p. 57). Likewise, Rychlak (1973) underscores that it is possible to give alternate explanations to empirical findings other than the one suggested by a theorist's study.
Related descriptive research examining other Christian theistic points of view has been done by Clark (1984, 1989a). He examined the writings of neo- pentecostal faith teachers and practitioners of inner healing and considered them to have implicit theories of personality, based on finding the writers addressing each criterion set by Rychlak (1973). Clark's conclusions were, however, not without some disagreement (Alsdurf, 1989).
In reply to Alsdurf's (1989) criticism of the assertion of a personality theory from the practitioners of inner healing, Clark (1989b) quotes Maslow's (1962) comments about the early days of the third force in psychology. Maslow spoke of the excitement in the beginning hours of Humanistic psychology. Unfolding was a new perspective in viewing the health and sickness of a person. The ideas were so fresh that Maslow quipped of yielding "to the temptation to present [the ideas] publicly even before . . . it can be called reliable scientific knowledge" (p.3).
Likewise, this writer feels he is in a similar situation. Dobbins (personal communication, July 11, 1990) says that he is in the process of working on a textbook presentation of his theory. He sees the completion of this project as being sometime between 1993 and 1995 (this has yet to transpire as of 11/97).
As such a text emerges and as other counselors apply the theory developed by Dobbins and critique his views an even clearer formulation of his theory will likely develop.
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