Christian Psychology Institute

Most counseling training teaches you methods. This one gives you a foundation. Across six sessions grounded in God and Soul Care (by Dr Eric L Johnson), you'll explore how the Christian story itself, from the glory of the Trinity to the reality of sin and suffering, shapes what healing actually means.

This isn't theology as an add-on to counseling. It's theology as the ground counseling stands on.

In this series, you'll dig into:

How the Trinity reshapes what we mean by wellbeing
Christ and the Holy Spirit as both the goal and the means of healing
The larger healing story Christianity tells, and how your clients' stories fit inside it
What it means that people were created good, and why that matters clinically
A distinctly Christian psychopathology, rooted in sin and suffering rather than symptoms alone
The difference between weakness, fault, and fallenness, and why counselors need to know it

For pastors, counselors, and anyone who cares for souls and wants their practice to be built on something deeper than technique.

Find more information here:

A Theology for Counseling – Part 1 - Christian Psychology Institute The Christian Psychology Institute (CPI) is a training center and think tank dedicated to a Christ-centered, biblically rooted, evidence-based approach to psychology and therapy. Our goal is to enrich and train people in psychology and therapy centered on Christ.

Theology is a sticky word. It has a negative connotation for many people, and for good reason. Images arise of combative and hostile debates where people in power argue over who has the right opinion of God or a specific matter of faith. In such contexts, there is often collateral damage to the heart. People can become so obsessed with getting their theology right that they lose track of healthy relationships and forget about the impact that anxious searches for truth can have on vulnerable hearts wanting connection with God for thriving in life.

Therapeutic Theology: Doctrines that Catalyze Human Flourishing - Christian Psychology Institute By Preston Hill, PhD | Theology is a sticky word. It has a negative connotation for many people, and for good reason. Images arise of combative and hostile debates where people in power argue over who has the right opinion of God or a specific matter of faith. In such contexts, there is often collat...

Every follower of Christ has been brought into a supernatural union with Jesus Christ that brings with it a host of psychological and spiritual benefits that can help in therapy. However, most Christians have little practical understanding of this dimension of their lives. So, they need help from pastors and therapists, and perhaps a knowledgeable friend, to guide them into how to make use of them in a therapeutic way. Our next webinar will discuss these benefits, how to access them experientially, and what to avoid when addressing this topic in a session. We’ll finish up with an experiential exercise focusing on our union with Christ.

THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF UNION WITH CHRIST (Video Webinar) - Christian Psychology Institute By Eric L Johnson, PhD | Every follower of Christ has been brought into a supernatural union with Jesus Christ that brings with it a host of psychological and spiritual benefits that can help in therapy. However, most Christians have little practical understanding of this dimension of their lives.

Discover how worship and awe can transform mental and spiritual health. Join Dr. Knabb as he unpacks insights from his forthcoming book, Worship and Awe in Christian Psychology (Baker Academic).

Explore the theory, research, and practical applications of worshipful awe and its role in professional care. You’ll gain:

✅ A deeper understanding of worshipful awe and its impact on mental health

✅ Practical strategies for applying these concepts with Christian clients

✅ A fresh perspective on centering God in the healing process

AWE & WORSHIP IN CHRISTIAN PSYCHOLOGY WITH JOSHUA KNABB (Video Webinar) - Christian Psychology Institute By Joshua Knabb | iscover how worship and awe can transform mental and spiritual health. Join Dr. Knabb as he unpacks insights from his forthcoming book, Worship and Awe in Christian Psychology (Baker Academic).

Major Contributions
Dr. Garzon’s research and clinical work focus on integrating Christian faith with evidence-based psychological practice. His contributions include influential work on Christian meditation, forgiveness, inner healing prayer, lay counseling, and multicultural considerations in Christian counseling. Key publications include:

Wilder, J., Garzon, F., & Johnson, E. (2020). A Christian multi-modal approach to therapy utilizing inner healing prayer: The Life Model. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 39(1), 49–64.
Foulkes, D., Volk, F., Garzon, F., & Pride, M. (2018). The relationship between transformational leadership behavior, adult attachment, and God attachment. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 47(1), 20–33.
Garzon, F.L. (2013). Christian devotional meditation for anxiety. In J. Aten, E. Johnson, E. Worthington, & J. Hook (Eds.), Evidence-Based Practices for Christian Counseling and Psychotherapy (pp. 59–76). InterVarsity Academic Press.

Affiliations & Accomplishments
Dr. Garzon is an active member of the American Psychological Association, the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, APA Division 36 (Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality), the American Association of Christian Counselors, and the Christian Association for Psychological Studies. He also serves on the editorial boards of several leading journals, including Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality in Clinical Practice, Christian Psychology: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Journal of Psychology and Theology, and Journal of Psychology and Christianity.

For inquiries or more information, contact Dr. Garzon at [email protected].

In this talk, we’re reminded that ministry life often leaves us overworked, stressed, and forgetting the care of our own souls. Christian meditation is not an “eastern” idea—it’s a deeply biblical practice rooted in prayer and reflection.

Unlike emptying the mind, Christian meditation is relational: slowing down, focusing on God’s Word, His character, and His presence. Research shows it reduces stress, anxiety, and depression while deepening joy and connection with God.

Through practices like Lectio Divina, contemplative prayer, and resting in God’s love, we can experience real healing for our minds and hearts. Over time, meditation becomes a place of refreshment where we meet Jesus in a deeper way.

CHRISTIAN MEDITATION (Video) - Christian Psychology Institute By Eric L Johnson, PhD | In this talk, we’re reminded that ministry life often leaves us overworked, stressed, and forgetting the care of our own souls. Christian meditation is not an “eastern” idea—it’s a deeply biblical practice rooted in prayer and reflection. Unlike emptying the mind, ...

In this thought-provoking lecture, Dr. Eric Johnson (Houston Baptist University) explores why psychology has focused so heavily on the mind while largely ignoring the heart as a psychological construct.

Across cultures and languages—English, Chinese, and beyond—the “heart” is used to describe our deepest emotions, moral center, desires, and true self. Idioms like “follow your heart,” “heartbroken,” and “heart-to-heart” reflect a universal human experience rooted in both physiology and meaning.

Dr. Johnson draws on neuroscience, interoception, Polyvagal theory, cognitive linguistics, and philosophy to argue that the heart is not just metaphorical—it is central to how people experience life, purpose, and relationships.

HEART AS A PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSTRUCT (Video) - Christian Psychology Institute By Eric L Johnson, PhD | In this thought-provoking lecture, Dr. Eric Johnson (Houston Baptist University) explores why psychology has focused so heavily on the mind while largely ignoring the heart as a psychological construct.

First, I am not an expert on technology. I wasn’t an ‘iPad kid’ but rather a play-outside- until-the street-lights-came-on type of child. I came of age during the time when home computers, instant messenger, and social media became America’s favorite pastime. At first, the leaps and bounds made in electronic technology was just . . . cool. School work, especially paper writing, became so much less time consuming, I had a direct line to all of my friends at my fingertips, and we even saw family members become reunited with one another through the means of social media. What a time to be alive!

THE DANGERS OF GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR SOUL CARE PROVIDERS - Christian Psychology Institute By Sarah J. Bracey, PhD LPC MHSP | First, I am not an expert on technology. I wasn’t an ‘iPad kid’ but rather a play-outside- until-the street-lights-came-on type of child. I came of age during the time when home computers, instant messenger, and social media became America’s favorite pastim...

The Face of a Child: Maximal Integration

Where does the desire for integration come? The Holy Spirit, who draws God’s children into the unity and communion of the Father and the Son (John 14:26; 16:13-15; 17:11, 21-24; 1 Jn 1:4; 1John 1:3), into conformity to Christ’s image (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:29), in one’s mind, heart, actions, and relationships. This involves becoming more whole and integrated in Christ and healed of our fragmented and dissociated sinful existence, and it occurs through the triune God’s establishing his centrality in our lives and undermining our self-centrality, primarily through worship and love of our their Father. An important goal of the Christian life, then, is greater and more pervasive integration, a robust version that we will call maximal integration (MI).

THE THREE FACES OF INTEGRATION (Part 5) - Christian Psychology Institute By Dr. Eric L Johnson | Where does the desire for integration come? The Holy Spirit, who draws God’s children into the unity and communion of the Father and the Son (John 14:26; 16:13-15; 17:11, 21-24; 1 Jn 1:4; 1John 1:3), into conformity to Christ’s image (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:29), in ...

The Face of a Minority: Strategic Integration

Most previous discussions of the contemporary challenge of integration have tended to view it as a disciplinary and conceptual problem that is the responsibility of the individual Christian. One goal of this article is to frame it as more cultural than disciplinary, more social than individual, and more linguistic than conceptual. Let us consider the following: Christians in the field form a minority subculture within a majority secular culture, and each has its own self-constituting discourse rules.

THE THREE FACES OF INTEGRATION (Part 4) - Christian Psychology Institute By Dr. Eric L Johnson | Most previous discussions of the contemporary challenge of integration have tended to view it as a disciplinary and conceptual problem that is the responsibility of the individual Christian. One goal of this article is to frame it as more cultural than disciplinary, more soci...