“Praise be to the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of
all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can
comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we our ourselves have received
from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:4).
That was the word that God gently whispered into my heart,
after I had encountered Him. An
encounter, which not only brought about healing and restoration of my childhood
pain but assured me of His undeniable power, love and desire to restore “the
years the locusts have eaten” – a 7-year journey for me. A process timed well enough for me to work
through my issues and experience lasting restoration and wholeness.
So, how does one comfort others? I had years of experience of hiding and
avoiding my pain, had finally surrendered and accepted comfort from God, was
actually rejoicing in that when God’s Word penetrated my heart; Somehow, I did not feel qualified enough to give
the comfort I had received. While
wondering about this, I was invited to consider the Level 1 Counselling Course
in 2008. This course offered a preview
into counselling and demonstrated basic skills which helped me to understand my
journey and recognise how comfort could be offered to others.
With God’s Word now firmly embedded in my heart, I then proceeded
with the Level 2 Advanced Certificate in Counselling. The theory which offered in-depth insight into
the different approaches to Counselling, and to the development of advanced
skills, proved invaluable.
I have been counselling for just over 2 years, and in
hindsight I can see that the greatest preparation for giving comfort, started from
the very first day of the course. The
course was structured in such a way that an atmosphere of safety was first created
to replicate a trainee counselling room.
The early morning devotionals, subsequent discussions together with our
daily journals aimed at developing our self-awareness. The various exercises involved group work
which meant continuous dialogue. This
and the personal nature of some of these exercises required that we practiced an
important set of skills - genuineness, respect, and empathy.
Thinking back, as much as I would hate to admit, the dreaded
fish bowl sessions have stood me in good stead.
Role-playing a client exposed emotions that needed a response of care,
sensitivity and empathy to be displayed – a crucial aspect to be captured in
order for comfort to be given. This is
always important, but especially when meeting with someone new, where trust is
yet to be established. Role-playing a counsellor
was a new experience, which necessitated honest critique. So, a teachable spirit is absolutely essential,
especially in areas where more growth is required.
It was beneficial that this course was not run
consecutively, but rather spaced out over a 3-month period. In this way, it allowed me to continue
considering a single weeks’ training.
This further developed self-examination, resolved issues triggered, and allowed
application of my counselling skills.
This enabled me to gain clarity as we all debriefed on our practical
experiences upon our return for the 2nd and 3rd weeks of
training. The assignments thereafter just
strengthened and moved me to remember that God is the Healer and that I am just
a vessel which He has chosen to be used in this way.
What I have found is that this ministry requires regular
maintenance. So it has become necessary
for me to hold onto the outline of the course which is daily devotions and
meditation, constant self-awareness, continuous dialogue in the form of
supervision and on-going training to stay abreast of various troubles.
Giving comfort from a Christian perspective, is not giving
advice or telling a person what to do, it is about taking what God has done in
our lives and offering it to someone in trouble, creating a space for hope and
peace to be restored, culminating in renewed dignity, value and self-worth - ultimately
holistic restoration.
