I’ve been praying about continuing my education and have always wanted to pursue a doctorate degree, so guess what………… I’m officially a seminary student!
I will be getting the Doctor of Counseling (DCoun) degree through Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
It’s a continuation and the next phase of the exciting adventure I’ve already started with my coaching and counseling training in the past.
Although I do most of my work in the field of coaching, I am also a counselor and meet and/or hear of so many people on a daily basis who are hurting or could use support and guidance. There’s a big need for that role in ministry. I’d like to be equipped in the best way possible to help address those needs and to bring true hope and healing in Christ to those who need it.
Clinically Descriptive and Biblically Prescriptive
Their counseling model really appealed to me. I love that they integrate a clinical and biblical approach to their counseling model.
Resilience
One of my passions in life is the idea of resilience. With all of the twists and turns our life has taken over the years, and even this summer, I know that God will use my story and experiences for the good of others. My prayer is that I will always follow through the open doors that He prepares for me and that I will never ask “Why me?” but will instead always ask “How…..how would You have me to use this for Your glory?”
For my dissertation, I plan to focus on the topic of resilience in some form.
I’m not exactly sure what that will look like yet but I’m positive they will guide me in the best approach to take for my research. I’m interested in post-traumatic growth, resilience after adversity……. how people come out on the other side and not only survive but thrive. How they grow through their experiences. I’m also interested in day-to-day resilience, even when there isn’t something traumatic or “big”. What are the factors that go into resilience? What makes one person come through strong and another get stuck?
I believe there’s a combination of a lot of things, including nature vs. nurture, as well as a spiritual component. We’re all “wired” differently. We respond to things in different ways. What may bother one doesn’t bother another, and vice-versa. We have our own temperament and that plays into how we naturally approach life. We’re also shaped by many of the experiences we’ve had and the things we’ve learned about life through them. Obviously, hope in Christ plays into the equation also.
I personally think mindset is probably one of the biggest factors. How we look at things is huge. Do we have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset? Do we see ourselves as a victim or survivor? Do we think things happen from an external locus of control or from an internal locus of control? How do we really see our circumstances? There is so much I’ll be able to look at in this topic!
I think it will be a really interesting research project to do and I look forward to learning more.
It still relates to coaching!
Even though I will be studying counseling again, it really all relates to coaching as well. No matter if it’s a counseling situation in which someone needs healing, or a coaching situation in which they’re already “healthy” but are moving forward toward goals, many of the same factors come into play. People get stuck. They don’t know what their next step is. It comes back to those same factors….mindset, how they look at the world, their temperament, the experiences they’ve had, their relationship with Christ….
Resilience allows a person to keep moving forward even when challenges come their way. Resilient people can be knocked down by life, but they come back stronger than ever.
As you can see, that can be life in general, not just some traumatic experience. They adapt well not only to trauma, tragedy, and adversity, but to any significant source of stress— such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, workplace and financial stressors, loss… I’m sure at one point or another, we all face situations that call for resilience.
So, even as a coach, this applies to my clients on a daily basis. Sometimes resilience is the fine line between a simple, everyday situation turning into a complex issue that could have long-term negative effects or continuing to move forward. Stress and transition can be hard on anyone.
I’m really looking forward to my studies and can’t wait to see how God will use all of this. (Remind me that I said this in a few months when I’m writing papers and asking myself why in the world I thought this was a good idea! 🙂 )
