Why Consistent Pastoral Counseling Makes a Big Difference.
What is Pastoral Counseling? As a Pastoral Counselor I recognize my role as being a caring shepherd of the people God loves. A shepherd is responsible to lead and care for sheep. A pastor is responsible for leading and caring for people. I see this as my calling - to lead people into truth and care for their emotional and spiritual needs. Traditional therapy is based upon psychological theories and hypotheses of human thought and behavior, many of which are helpful and effective. Pastoral Counseling is based upon the truth of God’s word and his perspective on his creation. He knows what we think, why we behave the way we do. He knows what really ails us and he knows what heals us.
Being committed to hearing the truth about yourself is critical to changing the way you think. The process of learning and thinking of your self in true rather than false ways will better enable you to address the real challenges you face. It requires humbling ourselves to see who you really are and who God really is. A Pastoral Counselor lovingly guides you to walk consistently in the truth.
When we have walked in unhealthy patterns for so long, breaking through to a new path and learning a new dance takes time. In a counseling session you may learn new dance moves but when you go back to your daily routines, there is a great tendency to go back to the old dance moves. Consistent Pastoral Counseling is helpful in reinforcing the new patterns of “thought” that effect your behavior. The changing of those thoughts require knowing and focusing on what is true on a repeated basis.
To maintain a healthy meaningful relationship you must take time to consistently engage in conversations of thought and actions. Pastoral Counseling is effective in many of the same ways. In meaningful relationships you should be able to be Honest, Open, and Transparent (H.O.T.). These are the kind of relationships we aim to develop at Families in Rich Encounters, (F.i.R.E). It is in relationships like these where you can be seen and known - seen for who you really are and known for what you really do.
Without these authentic relationships we don’t get validated as the valuable person we are and we don’t get confronted by those we know who love us. Without feeling validated and lovingly confronted, we easily hide and pretend so that no one really knows us and we don't honestly know ourselves. A Pastoral Counselor's responsibility is to see you and really get to know you for who you really are and what you really do so that you can be honestly affirmed and graciously confronted with God’s truth - the truth of your intrinsic value AND your human brokenness. A Pastoral Counselor will address both realities with a consistent reminder that you are loved and there is hope!
From a young age I believed that my God given calling was to help people deal with troubling situations in their lives and to lead them in God’s direction and into His loving care! I am delighted God has allowed me to fulfill this calling. Please let me know how I might be able to help guide you in your time of need.
