WHAT IS CWF?

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CHRISTIAN WHOLENESS FRAMEWORK

CWF is a helpful set of visual aids and reminders that utilizes 5 Steps and 5 Symbols to enhance the counseling process.

CWF Counselor CardDownload

Learn more about the CWF

Basics of the Living Wholeness Framework | What the CWF Framework offers

CUREe: 5 SHAPES

A summary of the 5 Steps of the CUREe method

CONNECT

Connect: to love
(triangle)

– Invitationally (in an invitational posture)
– SAFETY (Small Attitudes Facing Empathy Time “You questions”) using the
– Four A’s (Attachment Atunement Attention and Accompaniment)

CONNECT
UNDERSTAND

Understand: to know
(circles & square)

– Listen with understanding questions and all the skills and attitudes that accompany that holy task.
– Locate current and/or past issues on the five circles/sectors and five shapes
– Link these, making sense of how they fit together as a picture, and influence each other and the client.
– Formulation, linking all elements of the case together, and answering the questions, “Why has this person/system come to me/us in this way at this time? Where is this person heading to? What are the alternatives??

UNDERSTAND
RESPOND

Respond: to grow
(shape of cross)

– Response Questions – invitational open questions as a way of life in terms of responding
– Therapeutic map, to provide therapeutic direction
– The CWF tool bag, from which many therapies are carefully chosen, and skillfully used
– Tennis or OPV for building empathy, especially within conflict, and for deepening understanding between two or more, for God centered flourishing responses (especially within marriage).
– Basic level, or therapeutic level, trialogue/lingering, together with the client, with the Trinity

RESPOND
ENGAGE

Engage Help: to show – servant leadership
(pyramid)

– Inviting assistance for client /self and moving towards serving and leading, fulfilling the great commandments and great commission
– This includes understanding and accessing support, link and serve pyramids.

ENGAGE
EVALUATE

Evaluate: how did you go?
(all shapes)

– How are we, in relationship with ourselves, others, and God (in terms of walking the CURE steps, and growing in our TASK) personally, professionally; evaluating conversational content and process, and asking the question “Where is God in this?”

EVALUATE

The CWF is the most comprehensive road map to the process of counseling others that I know of.

– Prof. Brad Smith. Lausanne Care and Counsel Committee Chair

CUREe: 5 SYMBOLS

A summary of the 5 Shapes of the CUREe method

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TRIANGLE

The relational triangle corresponds with the first step, connect. The triangle responds to the question, “Why am I?” It reminds us of the interrelationship between God, others, and ourself. The triangle also represents trialogue; God centered transformation (assisted by the God-centered CWF); and illustrates the new commandments — love God and love others.

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CIRCLES

The circles correspond with the understand step. The circles respond to the question, “Who am I?” The five circles, (social, physical, mind, heart and spirit) and their associated sectors, present a Biblical anthropology of man. Understanding one’s five circles and sectors gives rise to the practice of locating, which then facilitates linking. This allows a full and accurate picture to develop, easily recorded, crystallizing often complexly intertwined issues. The circles are the core CWF shape, and essentially contain all the other shapes, with the triangle and pyramid in the social circle, and the shape of the cross in the spirit circle. Any sector can be in any quadrant of the square. The circles highlight the goal and process of internal Transformation, growing in our Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge (TASK).

The circles most completely illustrate the CWF, being truly:

  • Christian: A God centred anthropology of man;
  • Wholistic: Providing a central (Spirit) source, a balanced wheel (all sectors are equally important) integrating many parts, theories and modalities; and a
  • Framework in terms of,
    • Structure: like a tree, a circular tower/table, a jigsaw puzzle which as assembled shows the full picture, or a directional map. The circles provide a capacity for breath, direction, and a sense of integrated cohesiveness. The circles also illustrate most extensively, the common, uniting, transferable
    • Picture language: which can be unique to any individual person, whatever age, culture or gender, and yet also universal.
    • Operating system: on which other applications can be placed.
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SQUARE

The square corresponds with the understand step. The Square responds to the questions regarding the practice of our lives, “Where am I? (an understanding step question) and, “Where am I going?”; “What difference is God making my life?” (response step questions) It particularly highlights the ultimate goal (heaven) of God centred flourishing and the 2 dimensions of change – healing (bottom up) and sanctification (left to right).

The square indicates at any given time where we or another may be: self centered flourishing or suffering, or God centered flourishing or suffering. One part of us may be in one quadrant while another part is in another quadrant.

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THE SHAPE OF THE CROSS

The shape of the cross corresponds with the response step. This shape invites us to answer the question “What difference does Jesus make to my life?” The shape reminds us of what Jesus did in his death and resurrection. The two sides of the vertical line, and underneath the horizontal line, refers to our spiritual position. This needs to be applied daily, accessing the 5 aspects of our relationship with God:
His Person (The Trinity: Father, Son and Spirit);
His Presence (He dwells by His Spirit within our hearts);
His Placing of Us (Forgiven of all sin, life in Gods family as Gods child, reborn to life in Christ, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit);
His Purposes for Us (He calls us to intimacy with God [first commandment]; loving others as ourselves [second commandment] imitation of Christ [the new commandment] and going into all the world with Him [great commission] to do good works and bear good fruit;
His Provisions for Us (unFailing love, Forgiveness, Freedom, Fullness, to Fight the good fight).

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PYRAMID

The pyramid corresponds to a number of points of the social circle. It also corresponds with the engage help step – being and accessing the body of Christ for one another. In addition, the base and the sides of the pyramid are where the five steps occur, so that people around the pyramid periphery must connect with, understand, respond to, and engage with each other to serve and lead the recipient/s. The position along any given line is representative of how gifted, trained, experienced, and capable that particular person is in walking these steps with the recipient/s. The pyramid is a symbolic reminder of the body of Christ, its interconnectedness, the equality of all members, the existence of both carer and recipient, and the overarching person of the Trinity, sustaining, and being with, His body. The pyramid is also a way to locate your own position/s within the body of Christ. There are thus three versions:
Support Pyramid: Because we flourish when we have a number of people, with differing gifts, around us.
Link Pyramid: Because we offer best care when we care together for the recipient, as a community.
Service Pyramid: Because we are called to serve and lead others, with others, to fulfill the Great Commandment and Great Commission.

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