CHRISTIAN COUNSELLING, part 4

CHRISTIAN COUNSELLING.

Part 4

This time I want to concentrate on the counsellor. Who can become a counsellor? What kind of an education is needed? Can a counsellor demand to is done get paid? These might be a few of many questions that you are having. I do not have all the answers, but I I have many thoughts about this theme, and I have practised counselling fome counsellors or 40 years, but not always as a whole day practise.

Christian counselling is something that is done on a Christian foundation. That is the difference from therapy. A Christian counsellor might be educated as a therapist, but therapy is not the most important. Every person is created with a spirit, soul and body and the counsellor is supposed to take care of the soul. The soul consists of our will, our thoughts, our emotions and the subconsciousness. What is the subconsciousness? That is everything that we either have forgotten or neglected. It could often be unpleasant situations. What is hidden for us is not hidden for the Lord. He might reveal things from the subconsciousness either for the purpose of healing or deliverance.

I once was one of three starting a counselling centre and I worked together with a therapist then. We also had contact with doctors and pastors. Some counsellors look upon themselves as a person to talk to while others emphasize praying. Every Christian counsellor does not practise deliverance. Most of them believe in praying for the person, but they might not brake generational curses or soulish ties between people. If you want help, think about what kind of help that you need and find a counsellor that can give you that kind of help. Many people know that I practise deliverance and that is the reason why they ask me for help. God has given me gifts of the Spirit, and those gifts might reveal the reason to their problems and God gives me often pictures helping me to pray for people. I am making me dependent on The Holy Spirit, but some counsellors make themselves dependent on knowledge. I do believe that a counsellor should have some knowledge about how the soul is functioning, but they do not need to be a psychologist. I am educated as a social worker with additional training. That is not what makes me to a counsellor. During the eighties I sat for four years with the Bible and The Holy Spirit, and I was educated directly from the Lord.

Some believe that they can become a counsellor because they have experienced a lot of problems. I both agree and disagree. It really depends on where you are in your own healing process. If you feel very low or full of pain, I think you should wait till you feel better. There is a danger that you project your own problems on the person you want to help. What do I mean by that? You might put your own emotions on the other person, emotions that you haven’t worked with yourself. Empathy is always good when you are a counsellor, but sometimes you might identify yourself too much with the other person if you aren’t healed yourself.

Some people come to me saying that they do not have a filter. They say that they feel the pain of the other person so strong that they cannot sleep or lay it aside. If I should carry everybody I had contact with, I would be destroyed. I have to trust God that He takes care of those I talk to and pray with.

A counsellor must practise an oath of silence. All the information you get is holy and you should not share that with anybody. There are times when I want more people to pray for a person, but I always ask the person before I give information to someone else. I know of pastors who have told secret information to other members of the church, and I think that is terrible.

As a counsellor you must be very honest yourself and you should be very true to the Word of God, but you should not be judgmental. I never point my finger, but I call sin for sin. I never say: “Have you really done this?” God can forgive everything and so can we by the power of The Holy Spirit. Jesus carried all our sins and all our sicknesses on the Cross and there is therefore nothing that He can’t heal. That goes for now and the past and He is an expert in healing painful memories.

I practise Mark 16 and I lay hands on people. I also anoint them with oil. I always ask them first and if I get a no, I respect that.

Can a counsellor help a person of the opposite sex? I think that one should be a little careful. If I have an adult man, I have another man or woman with me. I might say yes to a very young man, but I also have men on Teams or WhatsApp.

Some people I have over a long period of time. Others might manage themselves after a few times. I give my clients two hours every second week.

I use the words of Peter from Acts 3:6: “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you” I do not charge people, but many are blessing me in different ways.

Some counsellors work alone, and others work two by two. I have six people praying for me and they get my schedule every week. We do not fight flesh and blood, and I am therefore very thankful for these six people.

ASK THE LORD IF HE WANTS YOU TO BECOME A COUNSELLOR!

Mother Else