Transcription
Hi, my name is Laura McKee. I'm the chairman of the biblical counseling major here at CF&I, and today I'm going to be sharing three tips to stay healthy in the counseling ministry.
Tip number one is to maintain a healthy support system. As counselors, we hear stories of pain and of suffering all the time. We are pouring out and pouring out and pouring out, so it is very important that we have people that we trust, that know us, that are able to pour back into us, into our lives. People that are able to check in and say, "Hey, how are you doing? Hey, you seem stressed. Hey, how is the Lord moving in your life? What is your quiet time been looking like?" Because as we're asking other people to do that, it's important that we have people that are asking those questions of us as well. Many counselors experience things called compassion fatigue and burnout, and what happens when that does occur is that counselors start to become numb and not very empathetic to the problems and to the hurt and the pain that people are sharing with them. And so, by maintaining a support system, that helps battle that and make sure the counselor stays healthy.
Tip number two is take a break. Everybody needs a break, a vacation, something that's fun to do. I love to look at Jesus's example of ministry; he was always getting off by himself, going and hanging out with friends, going to dinner. And when I look and see that Jesus needed that time, it's easy for me to say, "I also, I'm gonna need that time" to be able to stay healthy in ministry. And that can look different for everyone, whether it's taking a hike in the woods, reading a book, going shopping—whatever that is for you, do those things to take a break from the ministry. By doing that, not only are you following Jesus' example of ministry, but you are going to be taking steps to stay healthy and be able to stay engaged in ministry for the long haul.
Tip number three is to pray, pray, pray. I say it three times because it is the most important thing that I can tell you to do. Prayer is our strongest weapon against the enemy, and I encourage counselors to pray before their meeting with someone, asking that the Lord's will would be done, that he would speak through you, that he would be a mouthpiece, that the words that are spoken would bring life and bring healing. I also encourage counselors to pray and seek the Holy Spirit's wisdom and guidance in the middle of the counseling session, asking that he would just continue to be at work. And then finally, pray afterward, asking the Lord to seal the work that has been done, also giving that person back to the Lord, saying, "Lord, I trust you with their lives; take them; use this counseling to bring healing in their lives." Thank you for watching. Again, my name is Laura McKee, and if you're interested in learning more about the biblical counseling major, I encourage you to go online to wwcfi.org. [Music]