Thirteen years ago, I started my “practical” journey as a
counsellor and healer in a church set up.
Months of dreaming, studying and planning turned into my minister at the
time Richard Maybery commissioning myself and my dear friend and supporter
Rhonda Crouse… in some ways I have reflected on it lately in my often-religious discourse FILTER I see my life
experience through … it was the day I was “ordained” and started my official
journey as a counsellor doing my
practical student hours as a member on church staff and a small part of a BIG DREAM.
The reason I remember the day so clearly is because I was fully pregnant and although Rhonda had
visible signs of God touching her as she was prayed for, all I really felt was the
early pangs of labour… (yes, as Richard and the leaders of the church laid their
hands on me I went into labour. My
gorgeous baby was only born two days later however, it was the longest and
intense of all my labour experiences.)
I do not want for the lack of space and time to unpack the journey story today…. But what a story it is. I
have wrestled this role I should play
and what role I should wear as I
engage with my world. Some of you
reading my blog and who are close to me know this to be true. Many people have tried to help me define and
box it over the years some by invite and others not… all done in a way to try
and bring a definition to this complex women's call. The one thing that has always
through the journey remained key and informed my practice is the belief that the
church should be a healing community.
The defining of myself as a counsellor, healer, caregiver
has gone through so many different fires
in the last thirteen years, but the core belief of myself in that role has
remained the centre of all I have done…
The journey, the movement of this role, the struggle… has been complicated by many different things. One of the struggles has been trying to get a
DEGREE that would break me out of my
pseudo qualification to really being allowed to do what I do. This has been painful.
Yesterday, I stood up and showed off my work and myself to
other voices of people and all the
people in the room did not know me and were professional Therapists and later I
found out lecturers at Universities and I am so glad I did not know that when I
stood up to start. They risked coming to
my session at the Narrative Conference… and it turns out that many who came, came because I was new to the scene of
narrative and they were looking for something fresh.
It was very scary for me and I had to be very brave. I opened my mouth and shared what I had prepared…
years of learning and the affirmation
of findings of a research project that confirms we have a valuable
product. I was so affirmed by this room
of people yesterday who received me, gave me invites to deeper relationship...they liked my tale and affirmed the work. I am still this morning chewing on some of
the feedback, praise, invites… and who the people were that gave me feedback!
I felt celebrated…
I felt it was ok to be me and be whatever it is I am without
a box…
AND
It felt good, really good to be accepted!
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