Are You Called To Do Spiritual Counseling?

In an age where so many aim for wholeness and personal growth, spiritual counseling

is a very satisfying and growing occupation.

In fact, many helping professionals (e.g., registered nurses, physicians, counselors, counseling psychologists, chaplains, addictions counselors, etc.) often elect to develop their ability to offer spiritual counseling

to meet the needs of their clients or patients to create deeper meaning and joy as whole persons.

In order to be able to serve others ethically and responsibly as a spiritual counselor, there are several personal and professional factors that you should keep in mind. Personal qualities of integrity, authenticity, and compassion are absolutely necessary to be able to help anyone else.

First of all, working as a spirit guide requires you to be committed to your own spiritual growth on a daily basis in order to help others grow. Before you can help others on their life path effectively, you need to be deeply engaged in the deeper questions of life. This can come from daily spiritual practices such as prayer and meditation, as well as

study and reflection of spiritual matters.

It is also common for a person to have a spiritual guide before becoming one. At the very least it makes sense to talk to one or more experienced spiritual counselors and ask them about their work. How did they train? What do they find most rewarding about spiritual counseling? What are the biggest challenges? Are they certified?

While not required, certification can be an asset in a field as it demonstrates your commitment to learning and professional standards. There are several virtual study programs available. Be sure to evaluate the quality of the organization and the instructors before you enroll. Does the organization have a good record and reputation to date? Will it still be there if you need extra time to complete the coursework?

An advantage of a certification program can be the exposure to a wide variety of philosophies and strategies for spiritual counseling. Highly regarded programs offer courses in from research, spiritual, and experiential perspectives. They may include such topics as meditation, “positive prayer,” abundance and prosperity, chakras, energy, and healing.

As you develop your understanding of what it means to offer spiritual counseling, work with one or two clients who understand that you are new at this. There is nothing like direct experience in offering spiritual counseling to hone your skills and to identify where you may need further work. You may find great benefit in one-on-one work with your own spiritual counseling mentor for your personal growth and for developing healthy ways of working with any client challenges.

As a spiritual counselor, you will need to be in touch with physical, mental, and spiritual solutions to the life problems and opportunities that your clients face. While this endeavor obviously requires a special devotion, it also offers incredibly satisfying rewards.