Has a friend ever approached you with a problem or for advice on an important issue in your life and you weren't sure how to respond? When I was a child, my best friend's father died and I didn't know what to say to him, so I didn't say anything. For the better part of a year, we just didn't talk about it until near the end of our time together. This uncertainty about what to say in life's most challenging situations creates anxiety in many people. But anxiety is unnecessary. The more I learned about counseling and what it means to counsel a person, I discovered that it is very simple and that anyone can do it. You don't have to be a professional at it. Most likely, your friends will see you before going to a professional. So you will always be a valuable line of defense for them.

There is no magic trick to counseling, and that really is one of the first principles of a good Christian counselor Chicago. Don't try to pretend you have the answers and don't try to do counseling as a kind of formula. What works in one situation may not work in another. In all your counseling, be sure to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

To be a good advisor to a friend, you must know how to listen. The purpose of counseling is not that your friend can tell you about her problems and you can give her the answers. A good peer counselor will ask a lot of questions and reflect on what you hear the person communicate. Often in the counseling process, her friend will achieve the enlightenment she needs simply as a result of having someone who can facilitate the process of understanding her thoughts and feelings. This understanding will often help them make the decision they need.

To be a good christian counselor, you must point your friend to God. As your friend's advice, you are a facilitator. If you use the trust that your friend has placed in you to draw your friend into a dependent relationship with you, you have exacerbated your friend's problems and created more for yourself. God is the one who will bring healing to his life. As Christian counselor, we direct people to God and allow him to work on healing.

To be a good christian counselor, you must also be aware of your strengths and limitations and learn to discern when certain problems are beyond your ability to facilitate healing. At this point, you should know what resources you can direct your friend to for these particular problems.

To be a good Christian counselor Chicago, you must maintain a level of confidentiality and never divulge information that you know unless it is a matter of life and death. If possible, in a situation where outside help is needed, do your best to get your friend to make the call. By doing this, you give them responsibility for addressing the issues they are dealing with. This speeds up your healing process and preserves your friendship in the process.

In the end, listen, empathize, ask lots of questions, talk little yourself, point your friend to God, know when to use additional help and resources, and let your friend be in control of the healing process. By doing these things, you are well on your way to an effective Christian counseling ministry within your personal sphere of influence.