This document provides an overview of counseling from a Christian perspective. It defines counseling, discusses the role of active listening for counselors, and covers various counseling specialties and types of mental illnesses. It also highlights key differences between Christian and secular counseling, focusing on the biblical foundation of Christian counseling. Ethical issues like dual relationships, exploitation, and maintaining proper boundaries are examined.

1. As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens
the countenance of his friend.
A Platform built to provide encouragement & motivation
to Pastors & Leaders, for such a time as this.
Host: Bishop TM. Slowe.
Tel # 347-636-0943
Email: guyanaterry@hotmail.com

2. Topic: Counseling
.
Presenter: Bishop Terry Slowe

3. What is Counseling?
Counseling takes place when a counselor sees a client
in a private and confidential setting to explore a
difficulty the client is having,
distress they may be experiencing or perhaps their
dissatisfaction with life, or loss of a sense of direction
and purpose.
It is always at the request of the client as no one can
properly be 'sent' for counseling.

4. The Counselor and active listening.
By listening attentively and patiently the counselor
can begin to perceive the difficulties from the client's
point of view and can help them to see things more
clearly
possibly from a different perspective.
Counseling is a way of enabling choice or change or
of reducing confusion. It does not involve giving
advice or directing a client to take a particular course
of action.

5. ARE YOU A GOOD LISTENER?
Think about your relationships with the people in
your life. If asked, what would they say about how
well you listen?
Do you often misunderstand people or only vaguely
remember what people have said to you?
While listening, do you sometimes think about how
you will respond to the person, judge what they are
saying or what they are wearing, or start to daydream?
Do you frequently interrupt a speaker with an idea,
suggestion, or to finish his/her sentence?
 Do people seek you out to talk with?

6. HOW DO YOU LISTEN ACTIVELY?
Hearing is the first step…pay close attention to
make sure you hear the message correctly.
Interpretation: Make sure your understanding of
the speaker’s message is accurate
Evaluation. Ask questions, don’t jump to
conclusions.
Respond. Let the speaker know that you have
heard them.
Document available on improving listening skills.

7. In the counseling sessions
The client can explore various aspects of their life and
feelings, talking about them freely and openly in a
way that is rarely possible with friends or family.
Bottled up feelings such as anger, anxiety, grief and
embarrassment can become very intense
counseling offers an opportunity to explore them,
with the possibility of making them easier to
understand.
The counselor will encourage the expression of
feelings and as a result of their training will be able to
accept and reflect the client's problems without
becoming burdened by them.

8. Acceptance and respect for the
client are essentials for a counselor
enabling the client to look at many aspects of their
life, their relationships and themselves which they
may not have considered or been able to face before.
The counselor may help the client to examine in
detail the behavior or situations which are proving
troublesome and to find an area where it would be
possible to initiate some change as a start
The counselor may help the client to look at the
options open to them and help them to decide the
best for them.

9. some of the most common types
of counseling specialties:
 Abortion counseling * E-mail counseling
* counseling the depress
* Exit counseling
* Career Counseling
 Marriage counseling ,Trauma counseling
* Mental Health Counselor
 Suicide intervention , Pastoral counseling
* Peer counseling, adolescent counseling
 * Grief & trauma counseling
 Relationship counseling
* Rehabilitation counseling
* School counselor
 Sexual trauma counseling , HIV/ AIDS

10. Types of Mental Illnesses
According to the National Institute for Mental Illness,
approximately 26.2 percent of adult Americans (over 1 in
4) are affected by some type of mental illness each year.
Here are some of the common mental illnesses that
counselors work with:
Anxiety disorder
Attention deficit disorder
Bipolarity
Borderline personality
Depression
Eating disorder

11. Generalized anxiety
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Panic disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Social phobia
Antisocial personality disorder
Down Syndrome

12. Christian Counseling - The
Differences
As a general rule,
both Christian counseling and secular counseling
share the same desire to help people overcome their
problems, find meaning and joy in life, and become
healthy and well-adjusted individuals,
both mentally and emotionally
Most counselors have graduate degrees and have
spent years learning their craft.

13. The word "counseling" can have
multiple meanings,
Including offering advice and encouragement
sharing wisdom and skills,
setting goals, resolving conflict, etc.
Counselors usually probe the past (whether the problem
happened a week ago or during childhood) in an attempt
to repair the present
Sometimes they explore possible affects of physical and
chemical imbalances that can cause physiological
problems.
A major part of counseling is resolving and restoring
conflicts between people.

14. Christian Counseling - The
Foundation
Christian counseling is distinct from secular
counseling.
Christian counseling rises to another dimension.
In contrast to psychologically-integrated systems,
Biblical counseling seeks to carefully discover those
areas in which a Christian may be disobedient to the
principles and commands of Scripture and to help
him learn how to lovingly submit to God's will,“
Christian counselors are able to do that because they
have an absolute standard by which to measure their
objectives and evaluate their counselee's lifestyle.

15. They see the Bible as the source of all truth. 2
Timothy 3:16-17 says,
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the man of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work.“
a secular counselor has no absolutes with which to
judge morals and the choices people make.
Christian counselors understand that the Bible has a
lot of practical wisdom about human nature, marriage
and family, human suffering, and so much more.

16. A Christian counselor's major
strategy
A Christian counselor's major strategy is to help their
clients substitute biblical truth for error as they go
about their day-to-day lives.
They know that the truth, when known, believed, and
obeyed, sets people free.
When people are set free, they are fulfilling their true
calling.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set
you free" (John 8:32).

17. Common areas
Emotional conflict
Conflict resolution
Conflict resolution research
Dispute resolution
Problem solving
Creative problem solving
Mediation
Reconciliation
Dialogue

18. Family therapy
Responsibility assumption
Psychotherapy
Interpersonal communication
Intrapersonal communication
Nonverbal communication
Nonviolent communication
Relationship Education

19. Stress management
Experiential education
Human Potential Movement
Self-help
Health psychology
Social psychology (sociology)
Social psychology (psychology)

20. Developing Trust in Christian
Group Counseling Through
Confidentiality
Most people seem to understand the common phrase,
"What is said here, stays here." But they may not truly
understand the complexity of the phrase
Therefore, it is important that a facilitator fully
understand the concept of confidentiality in order to
explain it well
Confidentiality may need to be broken based on
certain laws and ethics of the counseling field.
In general, it is the obligation of the group facilitator
to protect the members' disclosures.

21. Counselor may be required by law
to break confidentiality:
When a group member poses a danger to themselves
or others.
When the counselor may believe that a participant
who is under the age of 16 may be the victim of incest,
rape, child abuse or some other noted crime.
If the group member may need special help from a
person that has been taking care of them or is
ministering to them.
When the counselor or group facilitator gets a
subpoena to go to court.

22. Understanding Body Language
It's imperative that a facilitator have good communication
skills
And equally important is paying attention to the
nonverbal language of group members because body
language can often speak louder than words.
: “Nonverbal communication is 2 to 7 times more
significant in the persuasive process than words.
The perceived attitude related to public speaking is 7
percent verbal,
38 percent vocal and 55 percent facial.”

23. People have four ways of contact
with the world,
What we do (actions speak louder than words)
How we look (first impressions are lasting images)
What we say (verbal)
How we say it (tone of voice, inflection)

24. Some examples of body language
are
crossed arms,
nodding, slouching,
wiggling, smiling
eye contact, tears and frowning.
What people say with words should be mirrored by
their body language
Any inconsistencies provide facilitators with
opportunities to get to root issues of participants.

25. Christian Counseling Skill of
Emotional Presence
Christian Counselors Should Offer Empathy and
Mercy with Jesus as the Model
Emotional presence literally means emotional
involvement in which Christian counselors open their
hearts to those in need of their services
An effective Christian counselor feels touched by
others' pain, struggles, temptations, victories and joys
They are connected to and care about the lives of
clients. At the same time, they are not co-dependent
with them, nor do they take on their emotional pain.

26. What does a Counselor usually do
Listen effectively to what you are saying
Interrupt you when it is useful and appropriate
Facilitate your untangling of thoughts, feelings and
worries about a situation
Offer you their insights into how you act, think and feel
Teach, show and help you express your emotions in your
own way
Teach, show and help you work out your own solutions to
problems
Teach, show and help you accept what cannot be changed

27. Key Ethical Issues In Christian
Counseling
These words apply to every aspect of our lives,
including our calling to be Christian counselors
admonished to walk circumspectly (prudently,
cautiously, discreetly, watchfully) before both God
and man.
We are regulated by both laws and ethical codes.
guidelines for this circumspect behavior are provided
in the form of ethical codes.
While laws reveal the minimum standards that
society will accept/tolerate;

28. Key Ethical Issues In
Christian Counseling cont.
ethical codes establish the rules of conduct.
Christian counselors are required to adhere to the
ethical codes of their profession.
Ethical issues occur in various areas of counseling;
there are two areas that evoke the largest number of
complaints filed with ethical boards:
issues of confidentiality and dual relationships.

29. *Dual Relationships
To the degree possible, counselors should avoid
entering into a dual relationship with a client.
A dual relationship is basically the participation in
more than one role with the same client.
Most professional codes of ethics warn of the
potential dangers of dual relationships
Counselors make every effort to avoid dual
relationships with clients that could impair
professional judgment or increase the risk of harm to
clients.

30. (Examples of such relationships
include, but are not limited to
familial,
social,
financial,
Business
or close personal relationships with clients
Dual relationships involve the breakdown of proper
professional or ministerial boundaries.
A dual relationship is where two or more roles are mixed
in a manner that can harm the counseling relationship
Examples include counseling plus personal, fraternal,
business, financial, or sexual and romantic relations.

31. Exploitation
Exploiting a client for self-interests is the underlying
danger of the dual relationship
While exploitation can occur in numerous ways,
there are two specific factors that need to be
addressed:
power differential and intimacy
A misuse of this power (or the use of undue
influence) by the counselor is unethical.
When a counselor enters into a therapeutic
relationship with a client, the counselor has an
obligation to promote client well-being and not
succumb to self-interests

32. Exploitation cont.
One aspect of the counseling relationship that opens the
door to exploitation is intimacy
Intimacy is defined as a close relationship marked by the
exclusive sharing of thoughts and feelings.
In the therapeutic relationship the client discloses
information that in many cases has not previously been
shared with anyone
Deeply personal sharing is encouraged to facilitate the
healing process.
The counselor listens attentively and does not judge the
client. The client responds with relief and admiration to
this kind and caring person.

33. Boundaries
If the counselor does not have well-established
boundaries, he/she may be vulnerable to the client’s
“admiration
In our society, intimacy is equated with sexual
behavior—hence, the stage is set.