Jay E. Adams (b. January 30, 1929) is an American Reformed Christian author who is mostly known for his book, Competent to Counsel, in which he states that any Christian is more competent to counsel than any secular psychologist. He recently wrote Sermon Analysis — A Preacher's Personal Improvement Textbook and Workbook. It is notable that he has published more than 100 books, including for example

* Joyfully Counseling People with New Hearts, by Jay E. Adams, Softcover, 79 pages, ISBN 9781889032627.

His books have been translated into 16 languages, and he received his doctorate in preaching.

Adams advocates the counseling method known as Nouthetic Counseling, which he claims is practiced in the Bible. This counseling process is unique to pastoral counseling and Christian Counseling because it seeks to counsel man solely from the Bible. Nouthetic Counseling advocates three main steps: To confront, to have concern and to lead to change. Adams has been instrumental in the founding of the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors and Timeless texts, which now publishes his books.

Derek Tidball argues that Adams has made an "enormous contribution to the revival of biblical pastoral theology,"[1] while John F. MacArthur considers that in Competent to Counsel Adams gave the Church "an indispensable corrective to several trends that are eating away at the Church's spiritual vitality."[2]

Schools that adopt the Nouthetic approach to counseling include, Central Baptist Seminary, Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary, Bob Jones University, Maranatha Baptist Bible College, Calvary Bible College and Theological Seminary, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and The Master's College. Although Adams originated his teachings at Westminster Theological Seminary, that institution has modified his approach.

現今牧師和協談人員面對愈來愈多的婚變個案，應該如何處理﹖作者從聖經的角度出發，提出具體的原則和應用程序，幫助教牧人員再思舊約和新約對婚變的態度，並知道如何處理錯綜複雜的離婚事件。