Lay Counseling is one-on-one counseling in a non-clinical environment. Volunteer leaders and staff are trained and taught the principles of counseling in order to offer loving care towards others. We currently have twelve lay counselors who lead support groups and as well as counsel. The goal of our counseling is to promote Christian maturity through developing a deeper relationship with God. For more information, email Janice Bilger.
Our Lay Counseling Team
Janice Bilger, Mike White, Lisa White, Yates Dowell, Katherine Dowell, Hank Graeser, Peggy Graeser, Woody Fisher, Judy Joyce, Paul Layne, Joy Broadway, Lara Hall, Angie Vardell, Sheyla Orengo, Kira Austin, Fran Holsworth and Sharon Wells.
How Can Lay Counselors Help?
- Providing a healthy mental framework for processing life situations
- Helping to improve relationships with others
- Facilitating behavior change
- Helping to develop healthy coping mechanisms
- Providing guidance on important decisions
When people are facing difficult situations—depression, anxiety, a failing marriage, grief or loss, infertility, sexual addiction, substance abuse, domestic violence, family discord, broken relationships, job loss, sickness, cancer, child rearing, and other challenges and crises—they need a network of support from both clinical professionals, the church, and the broader community. A lay counselor program plays an integral role in weaving together the comprehensive support system and providing a safe space for people to bear one another’s burdens in a biblical, loving way.
What Can I Expect in a Lay Counseling Session
With lay counseling the first few sessions should be dedicated to discussing and aligning on the goal of counseling—in other words—what does the client hope to gain from meeting with a trained lay counselor? As counseling is a collaborative effort between both the lay counselor and the client, goal setting will serve as a guide for the ongoing communication through therapy.