In counseling there are different levels to a counselee’s problem. The first level of his problem can be called the presentation level. The presentation level problem is the problem that the counselee initially presents to the counselor. It is also the level of problem identification in which most counselees are stuck. Examples of the presentation level problem in counseling can be phrases like, “I’m depressed,” “I am an alcoholic,” etcetera. The presentation level problem answers the question, “Why am I here?” The presentation is to the counselor what the symptom is to the doctor. It is a result or effect of something else happening in the body.
The performance level problem is the “something else” of the above analogy. The performance level problem is the cause of the symptom (i.e. the presentation level). In other words, the performance level problem is to the counselee’s problems what the undiagnosed stomach cancer is to a patient’s severe and unexplained indigestion.
Although performance level problems usually start coming out in the first couple of sessions, many times in biblical counseling the counselor will get a number of presentation issues before the counselee will divulge performance issues. This could be for several reasons. The counselee might not know that there is a deeper lever, the counselee does not yet trust the counselor, the counselee wants to see if the counselor is capable of handling smaller issues first, the counselee might be wrestling with admitting his sin, etc. The counselor should be careful to address even this auxiliary level of the core issue in order to be faithful stewards (Matt. 25:21, 23).
The counselor would be wise to expeditiously help with these issues, and treat them as important in order to help the counselee have hope and encouragement in which to solve larger issues (Prov. 13:12). The reason why it is so important to move behind the presentation level to the performance level is because counseling directed toward the presented problem is like giving the stomach cancer patient Tums for his indigestion. The symptom has been cured temporarily, that is, until the core issue (i.e., the cancer) gets worse. The core issue has been left to grow because the effect has had a band aide placed on it. The cancer patient’s behavior has been changed because he is taking the Tums, but he is still going to die due to undiagnosed cancer. An example of this principle can be seen in the case of Rob and Teri below:
Example: a couple that has been married for about 10 years came to you due to a failing marriage. Both had a multitude of presentation level problems. After some preliminary basic questioning about their marriage and the gospel it was ascertained that neither of them evidenced any fruit of salvation-not followers of Christ. Although you tried to address some presentation level problems in order to try and help put out a couple of raging fires, it would be foolish to continue with them for any long period of time in this fashion if they are not willing to accept Christ.
Therefore, they would not and could not submit to the counsel of God’s Word (Rom. 8:7; Rom. 3:10-18). Addressing the presentation level alone would ignore the performance level issue –they were unsaved thus they acted like unsaved people (Matt. 12:34; 15:18-19; Gal. 5:19-21). Addressing the presented problems would deny them the life changing message of the gospel. the couple could indeed benefit from following principles in God’s Word. In this way they would have a better marriage, but then die and go to hell. We should get to the specific cancerous tumor which is the counselee’s problem. Their problem is their unconfessed, unrepented of, unforgiven sin. Thus, we dare not toss them a presentation level “Tums” to make them feel better. We give them the truth, in love, about their standing before God. They are in danger of judgment because they are false converts. Their bad marriage is simply an outworking of that fact.
We hope our short time considering the presentation and performance levels in biblical counseling was helpful. It is critical that we move from the presentation to performance level in order to address the core issue(s).
Next Level: We will consider the “preconditioning level.” What is it and what do we do with it? Until then may our Lord bless you and keep you.
https://gracecentralchurchsc.com/posts/foundations-of-biblical-counseling-presentation-and-performance-levels/
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