While the name is relatively new, the sort of counseling done by nouthetic counselors is not. From Biblical times onward, God's people have counseled nouthetically. The word itself is Biblical. It comes from the Greek noun nouthesia (verb: noutheteo).
The word, used in the New Testament primarily by the apostle Paul, is translated "admonish,correct or instruct." This term, which probably best describes Biblical counseling, occurs in such passages as Romans 15:14: "I myself am convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and competent to counsel one another."
In that passage, the apostle was encouraging members of the Roman Church to do informal, mutual counseling, something that all Christians today should learn, as well. On the other hand, the leaders of a congregation are to counsel nouthetically in a formal manner as a part of their ministry: "Now we ask you, brothers, to recognize those who labor among you, and manage you in the Lord, and counsel you.“
The three ideas found in the word nouthesia are confrontation, concern, and change. To put it simply, nouthetic counseling consists of lovingly confronting people out of deep concern in order to help them make those changes that God requires.
By confrontation we mean that one Christian personally gives counsel to another from the Scriptures. He does not confront him with his own ideas or the ideas of others (II Timothy 3:16).
By concern we mean that counseling is always done for the benefit of the counselee. His welfare is always in view in Biblical Counseling (1 Corinthians 4:14).
By change we mean that counseling is done because there is something in another Christian's life that fails to meet the Biblical requirements and that, therefore, keeps the person from honoring God (Acts 20:31).