Pastor… and Counseling Consumer Advocate?
A woman in our church approached me at the end of the Sunday service. She was clearly carrying a burden on her heart. As soon as we sat down, her anguished concern came spilling out. Her daughter, a college-aged young woman raised in the church, had confided in her that she was struggling with panic attacks and had also started cutting. She asked if I knew any counselors in the town where her daughter attended school. These types of requests are becoming more and more a part of my pastoral experience. In my ideal ministry world, everyone I meet with as a pastor would be helped through the rhythms of church-based pastoral counseling. But at times, I’m called upon to advise folks who are seeking counseling for themselves or others beyond my sphere of care. Continue Reading →
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