Helping Profession

Went through a 3-days Foundation Counselling training at my centre over a span of 3 weeks.

Instead of being taught "technically" how one should develop a foundation for counselling, I felt that I was being taught the life skills of how to survive in this line of job. Ok... Not that there wasn't technical skills been taught. There was lots of role play and hee...that was FUN! But more than that, it was a good mingling time with the bosses and "ka kia".

A few things that I brought back:

1) Counselling is about self-development. HOWEVER, it is not about developing ourselves but helping others develop themselves. Counsellors should not step into this helping profession thinking that we wanna find the "light" ourselves. Hmmm... But again, no doubt that when I started this course, many of the theories taught are applicable to self and in a way, I do "understand" a little more of myself. But we have to learn to get our heart in the right place when we start counselling anyone.

2) As counsellors, we are given the "right" to influence others. And that, may or will, place us in a powerful position. We were challenged over and over AND over again that we MUST be HUMBLE!!! Go back always to the Ethics and Values. Check our heart always.

3) Yet another thing that I have yet "mastered" given my length of time in this profession is to work ACCORDING to NOT my agenda. Many times often so, as counsellors or workers or whatever, we have a set of agendas in our mind. We plan, we say we wanna the people we help to do this, to do that but forgot that we ARE NOT them!

4) Self Awareness MUST always be exercised! In all situation, we have to aware of ourselves, our feelings, our thoughts, our action plan. Whenever we meet with someone we wanna help, or placed in a situation where we need to render help, we cannot just listen without a plan at the back of our mind. We have to do active listening and acknowledge their ramblings if they are rambling, we have to also have a plan on how to guide and help them. Haha... Else, I can't imagine if I am stuck in a room for hours!!

5) There are LOTS of theories for counselling (And I know NONE of them. Hmm.. Okie.. Maybe the Iceberg model). But ultimately, after all theories and all, we have to fall back on the most fundamental counselling skills. I guess... that's to attend best to the person we are helping, observation skills, questions, active listening, etc etc etc....

Ok... So at the end of the 3 days, instead of being technically trained, I felt that I am very motivationally trained.. Hmmm... Is there such a word as motivationally? But I felt very challenged to ALWAYS go back to my heart. Why I started this profession? What is my heart condition? What does God want me to do in this profession? It's amazing how easily we COULD fall into the trap of the satan by getting big-headed, proud and all... But at the prayer meeting yesterday, somehow when I was praying, I started to think "Ok, Daddy, what can I pray for myself. What do I need for a breakthrough?" Then I realised that MATERIALLY I have ALL that I need. There is nothing more that I need. Anything more than that is just a plain "want". And I started to ask for a spiritual breakthrough. I want to see a stirring in my own spiritual realm. And don't know why, I started to feel for those I'm helping. I started to cry for them. It suddenly pained me to see their situation. I just felt God telling me "I love them too! I love all you are helping too! And you, you are my instrument and vessel to them." It's been a fun time last night.

And so now, it's continuation of my PP (Professional Paper)