Pastoral approaches to counselling - Learning Record

Unit 9 Pastoral approaches to Counselling

Weekly Learning Record #15

Student name: Elena Stavreva

Christian counselling introduces different approaches within the context of Christian faith. Some of the models may be with Biblical, relationship, prayer or Holy Spirit emphasis.

One of the models is the so called 'Faith-Imagination' where the client is invited to re- visit a memory while inviting Jesus to come along, providing images about His presence, attitude, feelings, words and etc. related to the time of the specific memory. Jesus is present in the imagination and the remembering is happening here and now. It is possible to experience emotions, thoughts that were present at the time when the memory took place. It seems quite helpful for getting in touch with thoughts, ideas, emotions that were hard to process at that time or perhaps circumstances didn't allow time for realizing and processing emotional or mental pain.

Another model is found in the Refocusing Therapy where the use of 'clean language' and 'God Space' are important elements and they are some of the interventions used in applying it. From the point of view of applying the model in therapy (being the counsellor), I find that the descriptive and expressive part of the model are providing me with information about the state and the issues or the presenting issue of the client in an environment of richness and details which without the metaphor may not be accessible or may be less accessible. The questions that are used during the process of exploring are related to a metaphorical sense of the issue which can have shape, colour, size and etc. In case the metaphor is negative, the questions used will revolve around 'And when it's ... like that, what do you need from God?'

It seems that using the connection with the 'and' that goes before every question that follows, gives sense of being connected and staying in and within the presence of this connection. This is where and how the client seems to feel safe and confident in sharing and being able to let go of some elements or completely deal with the negative presence of their issue. It looks really helpful but I think that to start with, I will be able to use a range of three to five questions as I will need to practice in order to memorize them well or use notes.

I find really fascinating the skill to work with the metaphor and it is absolutely beautiful. I would love to learn more of it and at the same time I am aware that this will require

some time and lots of practice to be good enough in applying it.

'Faith-Imagination' on the other hand, looks a bit more simple as the questions may be offered in a less structured way and yet, there is still a need to facilitate the process of staying in the imagination with Jesus. Having had the opportunity to be the client in seeing Jesus in my memory was one of the most enriching experiences from emotional and mental point of view. The greatest benefit for me is that my mind doesn't have to work in processing thoughts (which is usually an on-going activity if I don't see images) and it is still 'at work' or engaged in something and my emotions are having their own 'space' and 'time' in expressing themselves.

Date: 02.05.2018