COUNSELING ADVOCACY
WHY ADVOCACY?
Christians were never meant to live in isolation. In fact, God intended the community of believers to assist one another in making lasting change for the glory of God (Romans 15:1-2, Ephesians 4:11-16, Philippians 2:1-4). Because we believe that transformational change happens in the community of believers, we ask that all counselees bring an advocate with them to their counseling sessions. Advocates are an amazing addition to formal counseling. They can be a life giving part in the change process for the counselee as they walk through the valley alongside the hurting person.
WHO IS AN ADVOCATE?
AN ADVOCATE IS SOMEONE WHO:
1. Loves God
2. Firmly believes in the sufficiency of God's Word
3. Cares deeply for the counsel (Proverbs 17:17)
4. Is available to attend counseling sessions with the counselee
5. Prays for and with the counselee before, during, and after the sessions
6. Reminds the counselee of what they were taught
7. Encourages the counselee
8. Holds the counselee accountable
9. Helps the counselee complete the assigned homework
10. Helps provide important context for the counselor regarding the counselee's background/history
IMPORTANT NOTES ON ADVOCACY
1. Our counselors will help with the selection of, and give final approval to the advocates. Ideally, we desire advocates to get a recommendation from a leader within the community of Redemption Bible Church. This is important as we are looking to leverage the power of mature believers who will not judge but will intentionally pray for, encourage, challenge or even rebuke the counselee instead of being enables or flesh sympathizers.
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2. As a general rule, first degree relatives (spouses, parents, siblings, etc.) don't make good advocates. We have seen that people who live both roles struggler's to remain objective, which may hinder the counseling process. Again, our counselors will try to help you discern if your initial choice is a good fit.