This week’s blog is sponsored by Fieldstone Counseling. Fieldstone Counseling is a biblical counseling organization based in Northeast Ohio, offering both in-person and remote counseling services. Fieldstone exists to engage life’s experiences with biblically-based, Christ-centered, and clinically informed counsel.
You know you’re an old parent when you find yourself giving quips and quotes that your parents gave you. My kids tell me all the time about how they love my little sayings here and there:
“Are you working hard or hardly working?”
“If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.”
“Don’t put off tomorrow what can be done today!”
One of my favorite sayings that I hear often from older generations is:
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Meaning, a bit of proactive care on the front end can save you a lot of heartache (and potentially money) in the long run. I find this especially true when it comes to counseling. Often, we think of counseling as reserved for only the most complex or chronic of problems–marriages on the brink of divorce, severe mental health issues, complex parenting situations. Yes, counseling can be helpful in those areas, but it’s also true that counseling can be helpful in the earlier stages of a problem as well.
Counseling provides a context for you to speak and be heard
Sometimes, it’s helpful to speak with someone and be heard. In a culture that is dominated by loud voices and big messages, sometimes your personal story of sin and shame, suffering and sorrow gets lost in the mix. When did you last speak with someone about what was on your heart? When was the last time you had the chance to talk to someone about something of essential importance in your life? Counseling can provide that!
In Scripture, we see ourselves clearly for who we are–sinners and sufferers in need of God’s grace and mercy.
Counseling can help you see early signs of danger
I’ve been told that early detection is the key to many of life’s physical health issues. A friend recently told me that I need to keep an eye on my rising blood pressure as that could be an indicator of cardiovascular issues. Trust me–I’m taking his counsel very seriously. Similarly, counseling can help you process and receive biblical guidance and truth on issues in your life before they become overwhelming or life-dominating.
Struggling with every day, low-level anxiety? Stuck in a rut at work and struggling to find meaning and purpose? Why not seek a wise counselor to work through these issues with?
Counseling can identify blind spots
In speaking and being heard, counseling can also help you identify those pesky blind spots in your life. What you might see as a difficult relationship actually ties back to a past hurt or trauma in a previous relationship. That persistent feeling of loneliness could be connected to insecurities about being rejected or abandoned by friends and loved ones. The bad news about blind spots is that they can cause serious accidents if you ignore them. The good news about blind spots is that an accident can be avoided simply by being aware of them.
Counseling can help you connect the truths of Scripture with the troubles of life
What happens in the counseling room? I think you’d be surprised at how simple and straightforward counseling actually is. We speak to each other from the heart, and then we seek to connect those important realities to the truth of who Christ is and the hope offered to us in Scripture. In Scripture, we see ourselves clearly for who we are–sinners and sufferers in need of God’s grace and mercy.
In light of this, take a moment and pause. Is there something in your life right now that you could use some solid, biblical counsel on? Is there someone in your life right now that you need help navigating difficult dynamics with? Take that ounce of prevention now–consider reaching out for help. Fieldstone Counseling is a biblically-based, Christ-centered, and clinically informed counseling center that offers its services to people looking for lasting hope for life’s hardships.
Visit us today and make an appointment at fieldstonecounseling.org
