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| Great Wall of China Photographer: Myself |
Throughout my minimal experiences as a “counselor” thus far,
it has been interesting to see my own perspective begin to shift on what the
role of a counselor is within a relationship with the client. While the first
week, the idea of simply listening without questioning seemed so foreign and unnatural,
it has begun to feel more and more comfortable. In the Thomas and Sosin (2011)
text, they constantly refer back to the need for a counselor to establish a
genuine relationship with the client. For counselors to be effective, the
client must feel as though the counselor cares for them and is not just there
to impose their own opinions into the situation. As Thomas and Sosin (2011)
presented the skills of active listening and being present with the client, I
was humbled in the realization that so much of counseling is to just be (pp. 138-139). Although techniques and skills are necessary, if they are not
built onto an authentic love for the client and a desire to see them move from
a place of brokenness into one of healing it is going to be evident to the
client.
Counseling is not about going into a situation and handling
it for the client, and it is not about going in and giving all of our opinions
and advice; rather, it is journeying with the client in this process and guiding
them into a place of healing. Christian counselors need to be intentional in
connecting with clients in a way that is modeled after the relational God whom
we serve, and “although creating a connection is not an end goal, it is the
means to accomplishing other goals” (Thomas & Sosin, 2011, p. 132).
Reference
Thomas, J. C. & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expedition: Equipping the Christian counselor for the
journey. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group.
Great blog post :} I definitely agree with you on the authenticity part. We can't "fake it till we make it" in our profession, its just not possible, especially if we want to see healing. I am glad you are finding it more comfortable to simply listen without questioning, it still seems a bit foreign to me. haha. I'm definitely trying to better myself during the practice sessions by finding alternatives to keep the session going without asking questions----all in the while being genuine! I hope you the best on this journey, Debbie.
ReplyDeleteDebbie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post! I think so often as counselors, we believe that there is a certain point that we must reach, a destination if you will. However, you are so right, its all about the journey. As long as we stay with the client, we are doing our job. Its is not to lead them to the best destination we see fit. It is instead our job to walk with them along the way.
Dear Debbie,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your post! Many times counselors can lose sight in the counseling relationship. All of the techniques we learn are helpful and play an important role in the counseling session. However, the ultimate skills is connecting with your client. Additionally, it takes a lot of pressure off of the counselor to know that it is not his or her job to fix the client’s situation. Just being present with your client can be more helpful than if one were to just fix the situation.
Great job,
Camille