I’ve spent years walking alongside people processing healing — students, clients, survivors — each learning to name their emotions, reclaim their voice, and relate to others in healthier ways. Tools like Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Emotional Intelligence (EI) have become part of that journey. I’ve used them, questioned them, and witnessed their impact. These frameworks help people grow in self-awareness, manage emotions, and develop empathy. But over time, I’ve also wrestled with a deeper question: What happens when these tools are rooted in worldviews that don’t begin with God?

SEL and EI offer practical value in classrooms, counseling offices, and trauma recovery. Yet their philosophical foundations often diverge from a Biblical worldview, which centers transformation on Christ, not the self. As Christian educators, counselors, and trauma-informed professionals, we must use these tools with wisdom and discernment. We must integrate emotional growth with theological truth, so that those we serve are not just emotionally equipped, but spiritually grounded. To understand their limitations, we must look beneath the surface.

What Are SEL and EI?

SEL teaches emotional and relational skills, primarily in schools and youth development programs. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) outlines five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making (CASEL, 2020). SEL strategies are often used to improve classroom behavior, engagement, empathy, and resilience, particularly among students impacted by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Research supports SEL’s positive effects on academic and behavioral outcomes (Durlak et al., 2011).

While similar in focus, Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence (EI) is most often applied in leadership, counseling, and organizational contexts. His model emphasizes five key areas: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills (Goleman, 1995). Both SEL and EI promote emotional maturity and relational effectiveness, offering valuable tools in educational and therapeutic environments.

Imagine a Christian teacher using SEL techniques to help students calm their anger, or a counselor using Goleman’s EI model to guide a trauma survivor toward emotional clarity. These tools work well in practice, but only when they align with Biblical truth.

The Philosophical Roots of SEL and EI

While practical, SEL and EI often spring from secular humanism, which prizes self-growth over surrender to God. Some SEL programs push personal transformation without God or empathy unmoored from biblical justice, nudging people toward relativism or self-focused spirituality. 

For instance, Alice Bailey (1880–1949), a New Age spiritualist, saw education as a way to awaken humanity’s “inner divinity” and unite the world under universal spirituality (Bailey, 1957, Education in the New Age, lucistrust.org). Modern SEL rarely names Bailey, but her influence lingers in programs that embrace moral neutrality or self-exalting beliefs. These ideas collide with Scripture, which declares we’re made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), broken by sin (Romans 3:23), and redeemed only through Christ. 

Likewise, Daniel Goleman’s EI assumes transformation happens through mastering emotions, rooted in a secular view that trusts human effort over God’s grace. This model, if unfiltered, fuels self-reliance, sidelining the Spirit’s sanctifying work (Romans 12:2). Rather than discard these tools, we must reframe them through Christ’s truth.

A Biblical Vision for Emotional Growth

Scripture values emotional development but places it within God’s design for wholeness and holiness. Our emotions are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), but distorted by the fall. True healing comes through the renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2) and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). When reframed through a Biblical lens, SEL and EI competencies take on deeper meaning:

• Self-awareness: Rooted in our identity as God’s image-bearers (Genesis 1:27).
• Self-regulation: Empowered by the Spirit, not merely willpower (Galatians 5:23).
• Empathy: Modeled in the humility and love of Christ (Philippians 2: 3–4).
• Decision-making: Informed by God’s wisdom, not shifting cultural norms (James 3:17).

Picture a classroom where students don’t just manage emotions — they reflect Christ. SEL and EI can support that vision only when anchored in God’s Word.

Using SEL and EI with Discernment

Christian educators and practitioners can use SEL and EI redemptively when filtered through Scripture. Emotional development is not the final goal, but a step toward spiritual maturity, Christlikeness, and relational wholeness. To use these frameworks faithfully:

• Pray for discernment: Ask God to reveal unbiblical ideas in materials.
• Integrate Scripture: Connect lessons to Biblical truth (e.g., Galatians 5: 22–23 for self-control).
• Equip others: Help colleagues recognize secular assumptions like self-reliance or moral relativism.
• Point to Jesus: Use emotional literacy as a bridge to share grace, not just self-help.

As Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). Emotional growth detached from truth falters. But when rooted in Christ, it becomes a vessel for witness, healing, and restoration.

A Hopeful Path Forward

SEL and EI provide helpful strategies — but they must serve God’s purposes, not human self-fulfillment. Imagine a school where students learn to handle anger while discovering God’s peace, or a counseling session where a survivor begins to rebuild trust through Christ’s love. When we use emotional tools with spiritual discernment, we help others flourish emotionally and eternally.

References
CASEL (2020). CASEL’s SEL framework. https://casel.org

Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child development, 82(1), 405–432.

Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence. Bantam Books.

Bailey, A. (1957). Education in the new age. Lucis Publishing.