Spiritual Discernment in Counseling

Abstract

As a professional counselor, it is crucial to develop an awareness of our personal values and an ability to identify and manage potential biases. This paper identifies my values and understanding of the origin of these values. I will explore the views of vocational decision-making and the will of God that are advocated in Christian circles today. I will explore and identify my approach to spiritual discernment. I will develop a strategy to work with clients with different approaches to spiritual discernment. Finally, I will conclude with a practical application focusing on approaching a situation that could potentially challenge my belief.

Keywords: Bull’s-Eye, discernment.

Spiritual Discernment in Counseling

Personal Position

Based on the information presented in the article, I agree with the Bull’s-Eye approach. I consider and focus on the importance of praying for wisdom to make every godly decision. I believe that while God may allow Christians to stray from the “perfect” plan for their lives, they cannot stray beyond God's so-called “permissive” will. I also believe in depending on the inner peace of the Holy Spirit as a guide to decision-making. I rely on that peace to know whether I am going in the right direction. I consider the Holy Spirit an internal GPS. While I believe in signs and miracles, I do not usually look for signs of decision-making. However, I do not trust every spirit; rather, I test the spirits to determine if they are from God, since many false prophets have gone forth into the world (1 John 4:1, NIV).

Past and Present Influences

The most influential factor in my Bull’s-Eye approach was growing up in a Pentecostal environment. As a little girl, I remember my sister taking me to Sunday school and vacation Bible school. I know I went to church because I was afraid of condemnation and going to hell. I remember my grandfather was extremely religious. Every time I visited him, he always had a radical and judgmental comment about serving God. I tried to avoid him just so he wouldn’t talk to me about sin. I did not enjoy being around him when he talked about everything I was doing wrong. I was raised in a Pentecostal environment where outside appearances determined “how Christian you were.” Your skirt or dress had to meet a certain length, no make-up, no shaving your legs, no cutting your hair, pretty much anything that spelled personal hygiene was considered a sin. As I grew up, I found it difficult to follow the “rules of serving God.” I found myself feeling guilty because I was doing things that were separating me from God’s divine purpose. I thought serving God was an impossible task.

After I graduated high school, I attempted to mend my relationship with God and follow His divine calling. I registered at a Biblical college and began taking classes towards a bachelor’s in biblical studies. Once again, man-made rules and dogmas made it impossible to believe that God could use someone like me. I was in an environment where appearances and the Gifts of the Spirit, not the Fruits of the Spirit, determine how good of a Christian you were. I want to make it clear that I do believe as followers of Christ we have to be different than those in the world. However, I think the Fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, represent more what Christ is about, far more than our appearances (Gal. 5:22-23, NIV). After a couple of semesters, I dropped at out college and moved back with my mom. I spend over five years searching for my purpose in life, making many mistakes that could have potentially ruined my life.

A significant turning point in my life was joining the military when I was 25 years old. This major factor influenced my belief in the Bull’s-Eye approach. I joined the Army to get away from the life I was living. In the town that I lived in New Jersey, there was little hope for a successful future. I did not know at the time that God was aligning a path for me. When I joined the Army, I thought I was just following my own desire to get far away, I did not know that it was all in God’s divine plan. During the eight years spent in the Army, I experienced some of the most important events in my life. I acquired leadership skills that have now helped advance in my current job. I also experienced a number of life crises that God utilized to shape my therapist character. I met my husband and life partner. This period of my life was the first time I clearly saw and understood the hand of God aligning my path.

After the military, I moved to a community with a supportive church and pastor. I learned about God’s love and calling for my life. For the first time in my life, I understood that I was imperfectly created by a perfect God. Suddenly, His grace was sufficient, and His power was made perfect in my weakness, (2 Cor. 12:9, NIV). I finally understood that Jesus came for the sinners, and that sick people are the ones that need a doctor. I learned that everyone has problems that they need help with. I began to pray for wisdom. I prayed that I could hear like Him. I prayed that I would have a heart that would love as God loves. I prayed that I could see what God sees in humanity. I prayed that I could feel what God feels for humanity. I learned that if I was going to help people, I could not see humanity in the flesh but with the Spirit. I learned that I was not capable of loving and understanding people, so I needed spiritual guidance and wisdom.

Seeking God’s will has been a constant challenge for me. Even after finding my calling to help people and going on my journey to becoming a counselor I still question if I am on the right path. I have realized that I have spent so many years focusing on what men are saying or thinking about me that it is tough for me to break the habit. I still find myself questioning God after a little disappointment if I am going in the right direction. Yet through the struggle of it all, I always feel joy and peace. I may have thoughts denial in my mind, but I never cease to grasp the hand of God in my affairs. I am now a semester from graduating with my Ed.D. in Community Care and Traumatology. I would have never guessed that I would be accomplishing such task. I sometimes if I am as accomplish as people believe I am.

Practical Application

As a counselor, it is highly possible that my personal position could potentially influence how I address a client’s concerns. I believe that God ordains and aligns our steps. Therefore, I would be inclined to respond to the client in a manner which would influence to think in the same way. This could potentially be devasting for the client not only could I be challenging their own belief, but this could possibly make them feel invalidated. Besides, attempting to fix a client’s problem is like repairing their broken water pipe, it takes responsibility and opportunity for growth away from the client (Thomas & Sosin, 2011). There is also the factor of the client’s autonomy. This means ensuring the clients’ rights to make their own informed decisions and actions (Sander, 2013). Part of the task of the therapist is to help clients learn how to consider various options and make their own decisions (Sanders, 2013). It is imperative that when addressing spiritual issues, the client has the freedom of choice and right to self-determination. One way to help ensure that clients’ rights to autonomy and self- determination are to provide the client with appropriate informed consent and explain to the client the nature of the spiritual intervention being offered (Sanders, 2013).

The first step I would take when meeting with my client would, of course, be to establish a connection with them. I would begin to develop that rapport by validating their feelings and commend them for coming in to speak to me. I would provide an accepting, empathic environment for exploring their issues and concerns regarding their career path (Sanders, 2013). It is not easy to accept that we may be following the wrong way. As humans, we need reassurance that we are making the right decisions. We live in a society in constant need of approval and validation. Since our childhood, we are constantly asses to ensure we are on the path of growth. Whether it is physical, intellectual, academic, or spiritual, we are continually assessing if we are taking the right steps towards success.

Another approach I would use with this client would be by providing implicit intervention. I would offer to keep them in my prayers, asking God to give them guidance, direction, and purpose as they make any difficult decision. During my sessions with the client, I would use a more patient-centered approach and shift the focus more on how the decision is affecting the client. I would focus on how much stress is the situation causing them. I would ask them if the choice of their career path is changing their relationships with others and what advice and support have they offered. I would work on setting goals for improving and strengthening those relationships, maybe boundary setting or assertive communication if they are struggling to communicate their needs. I would focus on their understanding of their relationship with God or higher power and explore their believes about discernment. I would encourage them to read the Scripture, particularly verses that focus on our faith in God and understanding of how He guides our path. I would share with them that our lives are intelligible precisely because we can have confidence that our existence is the result of the actions of an all-knowing, intelligent God (Jones, 2011).

Most importantly, I would assist my client in exploring their interest and passion. I would consider a variety of career assessments to begin identifying and narrowing down areas of interest. I would assist the client in identifying potential career paths. My goal would be to provide them the tools to identify her interest. I would encourage the client to explore their strength and vulnerabilities and consider them when making a choice. My goal would be to help them understand themselves and to equip them with the tools necessary (Thomas & Sosin, 2011).

Finally, I would consider my client’s style of learning and level of understanding. I do not believe there is a one-size-fits-all approach to therapy. The client’s personality and learning style will play a role in deciding what types of assessment and how many can I provide to my client. I would base my techniques of intervention on the client’s response to the evaluation and their level of engagement. I would have to have a clear understanding of the client’s goals for therapy. Some clients come into treatment questioning their career path because of someone’s else opinion and before without truly exploring their own desires. One factor that must also be considered is the patterns of changes, consistency, and impulsivity on the client. I need to examine is if the client is always changing their mind or what other psychological factors are influencing their decision to question their career choice. Ultimately, my goal is to assist them in seeing a clear picture of their options and redirect them on their way as soon as they identify the path they wants to take.

References

Horton, D. (2009). Discerning Spiritual Discernment: Assessing current approaches for understanding God’s will. The Journal of Youth Ministry. No. 2

Jones, S. L. (2011). Modern Psychotherapies: A Comprehensive Christian Appraisal (Christian Association for Psychological Studies Books) (p. 64). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

Sanders, R. K. (2013). Christian Counseling Ethics: A Handbook for Psychologists, Therapists and Pastors, 2nd Edition. IVP Academic, 20130420. VitalBook file.

Thomas, J. C. & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic Expedition: Equipping the Christian Counselor for the Journey. B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.