Discovering Spirituotherapy: A Journey Toward Wholeness in Christ
Welcome to the first post in a four-part series on Spirituotherapy, a Christ-centered approach to biblical counseling that I am both studying and eager to share with you. Each post will build on the last, guiding you through the roots, methodology, and purpose behind Spirituotherapy. If you’re following along, I’d recommend reading this introductory post first, followed by “ Part 2,” “Part 3” and then “Part 4.”
In a world filled with competing counseling models, it’s not uncommon to find contrasting views on what “biblical” or “Christian” counseling truly means. Searching for answers can feel overwhelming, and the terms alone—“biblical counseling” versus “Christian counseling”—can spark endless debates on how, or whether, secular counseling methodologies fit within a Christian framework. Yet through this search, we can find clarity. Siang-Yang Tan, a respected voice in Christian counseling, has described three major approaches: 1) the non-integrative paradigm, 2) the manipulative paradigm, and 3) the non-manipulative paradigm.[1]
Briefly put, the non-integrative approach relies solely on the Bible for counseling wisdom, the manipulative paradigm combines biblical and psychological insights with caution, and the non-manipulative paradigm directly integrates knowledge from psychology with God’s Word. Each approach has its own strengths and limitations, and each has its advocates.
Yet, as I continued my own journey in this field, one approach, in particular, resonated deeply with me. It’s a unique path called Spirituotherapy. Developed by Dr. Charles Solomon, Spirituotherapy is also known as Exchanged Life Counseling. This method, while valuing certain diagnostic tools of psychology, remains firmly rooted in biblical truths for all solutions to life’s struggles. In Spirituotherapy, psychology serves as a descriptive tool but is not prescriptive in terms of solutions. Spirituotherapy is centered on a believer’s “identification with Christ” as its foundation. Grounded in Galatians 2:20, Spirituotherapy invites clients into the life-giving reality of, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”[2] In fact, research has shown that those who embrace their identification with Christ often find freedom from the burdens that initially brought them into counseling.[3]
My hope for this series is that you’ll find an invitation to a different kind of counseling model—one that’s deeply grounded in Scripture and brings peace, freedom, and a renewed understanding of what it means to live “in Christ.” But first, let’s start with the story of the one who pioneered Spirituotherapy.
The Founder of Spirituotherapy: Dr. Charles Solomon
Charles R. Solomon, EdD, the founder of Spirituotherapy, was born in east Tennessee and graduated from East Tennessee State University in 1951. Working in the aerospace industry, Dr. Solomon found himself facing a spiritual crisis, leading him to search the Scriptures for answers. In his search, he encountered what he calls the “solution of Christ as life,” an idea beautifully summarized in Colossians 3:4: “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory.” It was during this transformative time that Dr. Solomon felt called to develop a new, Christ-centered approach to counseling.
In 1969, Dr. Solomon earned his master’s degree from the University of Colorado, followed by a doctorate from the University of Northern Colorado in 1972. Remarkably, he was able to shape his own doctoral program, focusing on this novel spiritual approach to counseling. That same year, he founded Grace Fellowship International (GFI) in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where he continues his ministry today.[4]
Dr. Solomon felt called to share his Christ-centered approach through his first book, Handbook to Happiness, published in 1971 by Tyndale. This book laid the foundation for the “Exchanged Life” movement and has since been translated into multiple languages, reaching people in countries across the world, including India, South Africa, Kenya, Romania, Ukraine, Brazil, Canada, and Australia. His mission remains clear: to see followers of Christ set free from life’s deep-seated struggles and psychological burdens, using a method that, he believes, can bring healing in far less time than traditional counseling models.[5]
The Heart of Spirituotherapy: Living the Exchanged Life
The foundation of Spirituotherapy is what’s known as the Exchanged Life Model, rooted in a trichotomous view of human nature. According to this view, each person is composed of body, soul, and spirit. This understanding is seen in verses like 1 Thessalonians 5:23, where Paul prays, “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Spirituotherapy’s Exchanged Life Model draws from the Keswick view of sanctification, emphasizing a believer’s co-crucifixion and co-resurrection with Christ. In this view, the struggle we face at our core is not just circumstantial but is rooted in the “flesh.” The answer is found in applying the work of Christ on the cross, allowing the believer to live in full surrender, to embrace their identity in Christ by faith, and to walk in the freedom and victory that this identity brings. While some models focus on “doing” in order to “become,” Spirituotherapy emphasizes “being” in order to “do.” As John B. Woodward puts it, the aim of Spirituotherapy “is on being in order to do.”[8]
As we continue in this series, my hope is that you’ll see how Spirituotherapy offers a compassionate, Christ-centered path to real freedom. In Part 2, we’ll explore the specific methodologies of Spirituotherapy and how they invite people into a life where Christ is not only the source of hope but the center of healing.
Thank you for joining me in this journey to explore a biblical approach to counseling. I pray that each post will provide both insight and encouragement, reminding you of the life-changing reality of Christ in you, the hope of glory.
[1] Siang-Yang Tan, Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Christian Perspective. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011), 326.
[2] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quoted in this paper is taken from the New International Version of The Holy Bible.
[3] Robert Q. Hendershott, "An Investigation of "Spirituotherapy": An Approach to Christian Counseling" (1980). Dissertations. 2638.https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/2638.
[4] Charles R. Solomon, https://www.tyndale.com/authors/charles-r-solomon/604
[5] Ibid.
[6] John B. Woodward, Man as Spirit, Soul, and Body. (Pigeon Forge: Grace Fellowship International, 2007), 16.
[7] Ibid, 116.
[8] Ibid., 116.
Image courtesy Grace Fellowship International