May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had Romans 15:5
We conclude today with the last two roles of counselor. Once again, this is my personal take on such roles, and other counselors may name other roles.
The last two are “SafeSpace” and “Diagnostician.” The idea of “safe space” is just that. The counselor becomes a safe, non-judgmental person to whom the client can open up with his/her deepest hurts, fears, secrets, doubts, and transgressions. The fact that the counseling session is confidential allows such interaction. The ability to simply bring into the open such deep feelings and thoughts is freeing in and of itself. Light breaks the power of darkness- those things which can hold us captive. And there is, of course the biblical axiom, “The truth shall set you free”. It does.
Finally, a counselor performs the role of diagnostician. Diagnosis is probably more an art than a science, although it is informed by rules and scientific research. In the world of insurance and third-party payers (such as Medicaid, for example), diagnosis becomes an essential tool.
It is important also as a way to communicate with other clinicians when a client is referred to others, and it is a way of explaining to the client that there is a name for what they are suffering, and that there are ways to successfully deal with it. It becomes an educational and clinical tool, not a label of failure. This is an important distinction which I typically share with my clients.
So there you have it my friends. I hope this little digression from typical posts has not been distracting.
Blessings!
Reflections of a Counselor 