Christian counseling: Feeling safe and improving outcomes for trauma therapy?
You’ve started looking for a Christian counselor in Denver CO.
You probably googled Christian counselor Denver and pages of group and individual practices came up on your screen. Maybe you’ve looked at lists of people on the Better Help and Psychology Today directories. You check which of these Christian counselors are trauma therapists. Your friend has recommended her therapist, but you don’t want to run into your friend there.
Are you feeling confused? It’s easiest to select the person with the most stars and reviews. You can move forward after a 15-minute consultation. Maybe that’s too quick a decision and you want to interview a few therapists. There’s no rush.
A few questions you may have for a Christian counselor in Denver who specializes in trauma therapy:
Maximizing your counseling outcomes in Denver CO doing trauma therapy with a Christian counselor.
What makes them a Christian counselor vs. a counselor who is a Christian?
What spiritual practices will the counselor bring into the session?
What are their specialties?
How do they treat trauma?
Where did they go to grad school? You can take a look online at faith statements of seminaries and private universities.
The goal is to be informed. It allows you to avoid some unpleasant surprises. Become familiar with where the counselor is in their faith journey; and what they believe. You will have a better alignment of your hearts, minds, and spirits. Your work in counseling will flow easier too when you and your counselor/trauma therapist are both headed in the same direction. The idea is to collaborate on life applications from what you have learned. Remember to listen for the Holy Spirit’s leading when your intuition or gut sense is that something’s off. If you are not at peace, trust yourself, and wait until the time is right to make a decision or mention something needs to change.
Feeling safe tips taken from Lisa M. Najavits’ Seeking Safety (2002 Guilford Press):
Choose self respect
Use coping - not substances - to escape pain
Take good care of your body
Do the best you can with what you have
Learn to trust
Ask for help from safe people
Think of the consequences
Be present, live one day at a time.
Never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never give up!
Trauma therapy and improving outcomes with a Christian counselor.
Remember you will get more productive work done if your trauma therapist requests feedback. Some counselors offer outcomes evaluations (once a month or more) for you to complete. Evaluations help you note whether you felt heard that day; what went well, what could have gone better? Talking about outcomes is one of the top ways to improve your therapeutic experience.
This article may have gotten you excited about two or three steps you want to take. Or maybe you are in the place between being and doing? You can reflect on the kind of person you want to become. You can use your journal as a means of clearing your mind and heart, thinking through what happened, talking to God and listening to His replies. He’s in the relationship irrevocable, He’s for you, and wants to help and guide you. What are the changes you need to make to move from who you are to who you want to be? One place to start is turning around to walk or run towards God. He wants to protect you and enable you to walk towards thoughts and beliefs that are life-giving. You can ask, seek, and keep asking for His help, love and presence.
For additional support, you can start trauma therapy with a Christian counselor. Call me today at 720-577-5985 to book a free 15 minute consult or click here to schedule.
