ver
wonder what makes for a competent counselor? Is it what the counselor
knows? What model the counselor follows? What supervised practice the
counselor has had? Yes. Each one of these factors is part of what makes
for a competent counselor. But we too often focus on knowledge and
strategies and forget the character of the counselor. So, here are seven
characteristics we hope to instill in the character of those who
graduate from Biblical Seminary. By themselves, these seven won’t make
for a competent counselor. But, without them, you may have an
experienced but dangerous counselor.
1. Spiritual maturity. Not only must the counselor
know the bible, its story line, etc., they must also have understood and
experienced the Gospel. Spiritual mature counselors evidence a public
and private trajectory towards holiness and humility. They no longer
quibble about insignificant differences among believers. In the words of
one of my theology colleagues, they must know the difference between
dogma and doctrine and opinion.
2. Self-awareness/insight. One can be spiritual
mature, but not particularly insightful about the self. The competent
counselor has a grasp of their own narrative (and how the Gospel story
is changing it) and how it impacts past and present relationships. The
competent counselor understands strengths and weaknesses and is not
defensive.
3. Capable of building trusting relationships.
Nothing much good comes from counsel provided by standoffish and
stand-above kinds of counselors. The competent counselor is able to
build trusting relationships by being interested in individuals (more so
than in outcomes), able to walk in another’s shoes, cross cultural
lines, and able to empower others more than tell others what to do.
4. Flexibility in response styles. The competent
counselor understands the need to use a variety of conversational
responses depending on the needs of the client. Sometimes we ask
questions. Other times we are silent. Competent counselor responses
include reflections, summaries, focusing, confronting, joining,
problem-solving, and sometimes self-disclosing. Counselors who only use
one or two of these styles may not be able to work well with clients who
find those particular styles problematic. The competent counselor is intentional in her or his response choices.
5. Assessment and hypothesis skills. The competent
counselor is able to move from a counselee’s problems and descriptions
to a wider view of the person/situation and back again. This counselor
is able to pull multiple pieces of data into a cohesive understanding of
the situation. At the same time the counselor forms and tests possible
hypotheses to clarify motivations, attitudes, and capacities. For
example, is the child’s impulsive behavior merely rebellious or is it
ADD or anxiety based?
6. Observation skills. The competent counselor not
only understands people, their needs, solutions, and has the capacity to
use multiple response styles, but also is observant regarding their own
impact on the counselee. They observe subtle reactions from clients and
seek to moderate their counseling style and/or gently explore the
meaning of the reaction. Without these skills, the counselor blithely
works toward a goal without knowing if the counselee is really
following.
7. Ability to care for self. Finally, the competent
counselor recognizes personal limits, boundaries and actively seeks to
sustain a life of personal care. Far too many counselors bypass care for
one’s own spiritual well-being under the guise of sacrificial giving.
Just because one is spiritually mature one day does not mean such
maturity is permanent. Neglecting spiritual renewal will diminish other
counselor competencies over time.
Phil Monroe is Professor of Counseling & Psychology and Director
of the Masters of Arts in Counseling Program at Biblical. He maintains a
private practice at Diane Langberg & Associates. He blogs regularly
at www.wisecounsel.wordpress.com. See also http://www.biblical.edu/index.php/phillip-monroe.
Hakuna maoni:
Chapisha Maoni