Caption: Learning
to Take a New Path
“A Maze” ©
2006 Wiros, used under a Creative Commons Attirubution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
License. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Labyrin.jpg.
Retrieved from: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Labyrinth#mediaviewer/File:Labyrin.jpg
It’s been said that people will
associate their feelings about God in a way that relates to the experiences one’s
had on earth. Thomas and Sosin (2011) mention that one will react to situations
based on his or her attachment style. While for some this may result in a
positive reaction, there are times when one’s attachment style can result in
inappropriate responses. For example, when discussing how one with an insecure attachment
style would respond spiritually to a negative event, Thomas and Sosin state “That
person may intellectually know that she can turn to God when afraid and she can
quote verses about her security with Him…, but she is unable to ascertain that
on an experiential level” (p. 440). These authors continue with “…what a person
‘knows’ about God cannot readily supersede what he or she experiences and feels
on the inside” (p. 440). However, these authors further discuss how being present
with your client and creating a safe place for him or her can result in
cognitive restructuring. Thomas and Sosin state “…as counselors abide in
Christ, reflect His likeness, and draw on His power in counseling, without
reference to spiritual language at all, shifts in counselee working models
occur and experiences of self, others, and God, and the biological processes in
the brain actually reformat” (p. 446). This concept baffles my mind! I am thankful
that even in a non-Christian counseling setting, I am able to help restructure
someone’s unhealthy mindset by abiding in the Lord. I am thankful that even
though the world can cause destructive tendencies and coping mechanisms for
people, that the Lord has created a way for one to restructure his or her
mindset. I feel blessed to one day have an opportunity to help someone
accomplish this.
Reference
Thomas, J. C., & Sosin, L. (2011).Therapeutic expedition: Equipping the Christian counselor for the
journey. B&H Publishing.
Hey Camille,
ReplyDeleteFirst, I like the picture you choose; we all make choices and need to learn to turn around and take a different path in the maze of life. Second, I agree that one's experience can and does have an affect on one's view of God. The father in the home has more power than he may realize. Like you said toward the end of your blog, there is still much hope for such people with skewed mindsets; and what an honor it is and will be to have clients in our care! Lastly, I think it is so cool that one's physical brain changes as experience and thoughts change as well. The fact that God designed us and our brains this way, points to redemption and God's sovereignty. I liked your blog and thanks for your thoughts!
Camille,
ReplyDeleteAttachment is something that Thomas and Sosin touched on, and it is something that we have been confronted with in many classes thus far. Attachment is vital in a counseling relationship and I believe that true change will only come when a counselor works with a person and is able to bring about change despite a challenging attachment style like you discussed from the text (Thomas & Sosin, 2011, p. 446). As Christians it is amazing to know that we can bring about change if we only stay close to the Lord and know that He is our ultimate source of strength and wisdom when we are in counseling sessions like you mentioned as well. One challenging aspect of spirituality in counseling however, is the ethical codes that we are required to abide by, and how we have to be careful when touching on these subjects (Thomas & Sosin, 2011, p. 441-442). It is vital that even though our faith plays an integral part of our lives that we touch only on what our clients ask for us to explore. This will come with time, but at the outset it is a daunting task to try and keep these things separate, even though we still will have a support system in the room with us, the Lord. With the Lord’s help, we can still bring about change as you mentioned by just staying close to Him, and this will become more and more necessary as we move forward in our professional careers.
Thomas, J. C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expedition: Equipping the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group.