PASTORAL COUNSELING SKILLS

How can we be effective people who are helping others? Do we have the qualities or potentials to help others? And who are we to counsel others?

It is with these 3 fundamental questions that Ms Iganasia Mbata, a psychologist, counselor and lecturer at the University of Dar-es-Salaam Tanzania introduced the participants of ICOF 2017 program to the module of Pastoral Counseling Skills.

Through sharing with one another their own experiences of guiding people and being guided themselves by other people, Ms Iganasia helped the participants to understand that, though psychology holds that “every human being has the potentials to self-growth or self development”, helping or guiding others in psychotherapy journey requires that one must first discover who he/she is. In other words, to be in the capacity of giving counseling, help to others, presupposes first and foremost a self knowledge, one must weed into his or her own life to allow the good seeds to grow before trying to help others weed into their lives. However, one does not have to be perfect in order to be a counselor.

After these preliminary considerations, Ms Ignasia defined what is counseling? Pastoral Counseling? Spiritual Direction or Counseling. She also showed to the participants how the practice of these professions is an art and requires acquisition of skills such as the basic attitudes of counseling, Approaches of counseling, characteristics of guidance, supporting counseling skills, communication skills, use of defense mechanisms and the ethical issues in counseling.

Many participants of ICOF 2017 program acknowledged of having been assigned the role of counseling others without being taught the art to do it. This module on Pastoral counseling skills has empowered them now to learn to become effective people who help and guide others in terms of counseling.

By Father Sosthène Palm M.Afr

LINK REKOMENDASI

Togel 4D

Bo Togel Terbesar Di Asia