Welcome
For this first entry, I want to address what people can do when feeling overwhelmed with life's challenges.
Life can come at us pretty hard. For some it's fear and anxiety. For others it's trying to cope with the loss of a loved one, facing ongoing problems in a relationship, or just simply trying to deal with too much at once.
What can you do? Here are a few suggestions:
1) Accept the fact that you are facing a problem that is affecting your wellbeing, sense of peace, contentment, or ability to function. Ignoring the issue is not an option.
2) Explore more effective ways of addressing the problem. Repeating what has not worked for you before will not lead to different results, nor will doing nothing about the problem.
3) Talk to someone you trust who is wise or has effectively addressed and resolved a similar issue--a friend, colleague, family member, or minister. If you are a person of faith, you should also concurrently use your faith resources.
Why meet with a professional counselor? Counseling has helped millions of individuals, couples, and families address their challenges and acquire the skills to overcome them. Through a confidential, warm and safe environment, a counselor can help a person explore and resolve issues that may seem insurmountable. Whether prolonged grief, difficulty in relationships, anxiety, stress . . . counseling has been beneficial to many, helping them find and cross the bridge over troubled waters.
Question: Is it more difficult for individuals who profess faith in God to seek assistance from a professional counselor?
Comments
Your web site is impressive! Just impressive. Best wishes
Posted by: Percy | March 6, 2009 02:24 AM
Hello everyone! Thanks for starting this blog Keny.
I think some of the reasons Christians might be hesitant to seek counseling are because they may interpret it as having a lack of faith in God, or they may adhere to "the Bible only" method of seeking answers. I don't mean to imply at all that the Bible is not the infallible word of God, or that it doesn't provide sound guidance...I definitely believe both of those things. However, I also believe that one of the amazing ways that God can and does choose to help us is through others. I think that the Christian may be much more open to counseling when he/she begins to realize that the counselor is indeed one of the vessels that God can choose to utilize in providing assistance and relief with life's troubles.
Posted by: Novell Blain | March 6, 2009 04:05 PM
I'm finding that as a mental health professional people of color and particular servants of Christ find it hard to "admit" that their lives are in need of a tune-up. They have no problem going to the doctor for physical needs but their mental health is usually the last thing they seem to take care of. It's ironic considering the Bible has always pointed to seeking wise counsel when in need and being in one's right mind and living with inner peace is something that's stressed throughout the Word. Few have made the connection. (Miss ya Keny! Miami isn't the same without ya.)
Posted by: Delphine Gervais | April 5, 2009 01:08 AM