Books written on Christian counseling generally describe what it is without showing us how to counsel. This course relies almost entirely on the book “Skills for Effective Counseling” written by Elisabeth A. Nesbit Sbanotto, Heather Davediuk Gingrich, and Fred C. Gingrich, who have decades of professional experience and show us how to do it. Recognizing the limitations of training in counseling through the internet, we will learn and practice through many exercises the "microskills" necessary to effectively counsel people. Some of the topics that we will deal with are: the person of the counselor as an instrument; how do I perceive the counselee and how does he see me?; how do I develop the ability to accurately reflect what the counselee communicates to me?; how can I manage emotions and develop deep empathy? All this will be considered from a faith-based integration perspective.
