Caption: Julie McAllen's (photographer)
Retrieved from :http://fruitageofthespirit.wordpress.com/2011/02/19/wonderful-counselor/
Through out the Bible Jesus Christ was called the counselor. What makes Jesus a
wonderful counselor to me is that He understands us. He understands exactly
what you are going through. And when you come to Him in need of counsel he
knows our situation, he knows your heart and knows your mind.
As a counselor, I believe it is our calling to be christlike when counseling. We are
to help and understand our counselees without judging them. I was encouraged
after reading the first three chapters of John C. Thomas and Lisa Sosin's book
Therapeutic Expedition. The writers mentioned the significance of counseling
even during the days of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
The first chapter reminds me the scripture in the Bible that states "Unless The
Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it, unless The Lord guards the
city, the watchman stays awake in vain" (Psalms 127:1). This verse makes me
understand that I have to be prepared spiritually and emotionally in order to help
others. The second chapter talks about how to help and third talks about the
cautions.
Working in the past as a substance abuse counselor, countertransference was
something that I struggled with the most. I viewed my clients and their addictive
behavior as something that was intentional. I was always harsh and
confrontational with them. After reading chapter one to three I learned not to
transfer my own thoughts or feelings to my future counselees because that does
not portray me as Christlike.
Thanks for the reminder that Jesus is so patient with us and understanding. We sometimes forget the price he paid for us and the suffering. The thing that really overwhelms me at times is, if it were just you or me he still would have paid. Thank you for your transparency and for letting us see a glimpse of your heart.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post. Especially your transparency, even when it is humbling. When I read about countertransference, I also found that challenging to work through mentally. I could definitely see myself having to work hard to prevent that from occurring within my sessions. I think to a certain extent, we all fall into countertransference throughout our everyday relationships. In relationships with friends and family our thoughts, feelings, and emotions are often portrayed in a less filtered manner. However, as a counselor it is important to be self aware and work hard at preventing countertransference from occurring within the counseling relationship. I appreciate your post! Thank you for your thoughts :) Now that you are aware of an area that needs to be worked on, you will be all the more aware and cautious in the future! Blessings!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your own past experience dealing with countertransference. I understand the negative consequences that can occur when a counselor uses one of the “helping hazards” that are mentioned in the text, but it’s harder for one to see themselves doing one. Educationally I know that all counselors are at risk of committing a helping hazard but on a personal level I cannot see myself committing one of them. I am not self-aware of any stereo-types of predigest I hold, this makes me believe it would be a good Idea to seek counseling for myself.
ReplyDeleteSeeing how chapter three resonated with you about the cautions that should be take when engaged in a counseling relationship, I too was concerned about how I would react to a client’s issues. Countertransference was eye opening and allowed me to realize that I need to work through my own issues so that I would be able to be objective with my clients (Thomas & Sosin, 2011 pp. 69-73). This particular aspect is detrimental to the counselor/client relationship if not kept in check. This chapter was the one that I took to heart, because even though I knew there were concerns that needed to be addressed, I did not realize the power that we have and the ability that we possess to both help and to harm. Grasping this chapter is vital for our success as counselors.
ReplyDeleteThomans, J. C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expedition: Equipping the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group.
I am so glad that the reading facilitated some growth and self-reflection! As counselors in training, we sometimes think that we should have all of the answers for our clients. But there is beauty in our humility and frailty. When we can sit with someone in their mistakes and pain just as Christ does with us, we are truly a conduit for His Love, redemption, and acceptance. God Bless you Heater!
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