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The Inner Life of the Counselor
One of the greatest gifts helping professionals can share with others is a sense of their own peace. However, retaining and renewing a sense of a healthy perspective requires not only self-care strategies, but also an awareness of basic profound, yet simple, wisdom themes.
The Inner Life of the Counselor presents classic and contemporary wisdom that examines and explores each of these themes in a way that both professional and non-professional helpers will find revealing and meaningful in understanding their own journey.
Informed by the author's over thirty years of experience as a therapist, mentor, and clinical supervisor of professional helpers?as well as by his expertise in resiliency and prevention of secondary stress?The Inner Life of the Counselor thoughtfully looks at those elements that encourage sustained personal growth and professional development, such as self-care, stress management, and mindfulness.
Lively, practical, and marked by an elegant sense of simplicity, this nurturing book demonstrates how exploring the inner life can lead counselors to new wisdom and inner peace?not only for themselves but also for those who come to them for relief and insight. It is an invitation to pause, reflect, renew, and navigate one of contemporary society's most challenging yet rewarding professions.
The Inner Life of the Counselor presents classic and contemporary wisdom that examines and explores each of these themes in a way that both professional and non-professional helpers will find revealing and meaningful in understanding their own journey.
Informed by the author's over thirty years of experience as a therapist, mentor, and clinical supervisor of professional helpers?as well as by his expertise in resiliency and prevention of secondary stress?The Inner Life of the Counselor thoughtfully looks at those elements that encourage sustained personal growth and professional development, such as self-care, stress management, and mindfulness.
Lively, practical, and marked by an elegant sense of simplicity, this nurturing book demonstrates how exploring the inner life can lead counselors to new wisdom and inner peace?not only for themselves but also for those who come to them for relief and insight. It is an invitation to pause, reflect, renew, and navigate one of contemporary society's most challenging yet rewarding professions.
- GenresCounsellingNonfiction
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2012
2 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Robert J. Wicks
88 books37 followersThere is more than one author with this name. See also: Robert Wicks & Robert Wicks.
Robert J. Wicks (born August 2, 1946 in Queens, New York) is a clinical psychologist and writer about the intersection of spirituality and psychology. Wicks is a well known speaker, therapist, and spiritual guide who has taught at universities and professional schools of psychology, medicine, nursing, theology, and social work for more than thirty years. He a Professor Emeritus at Loyola University Maryland
Robert J. Wicks (born August 2, 1946 in Queens, New York) is a clinical psychologist and writer about the intersection of spirituality and psychology. Wicks is a well known speaker, therapist, and spiritual guide who has taught at universities and professional schools of psychology, medicine, nursing, theology, and social work for more than thirty years. He a Professor Emeritus at Loyola University Maryland
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 15, 2019
It's a dangerous illusion to believe you still have time. Time for what? What are my priorities? Where and with whom do I want to spend the rest of my life with? Still undecided?
Robert Wicks in his book "The Inner Life of the Counselor" challenges us to look deep within before making important decisions in our lives and our life's work.
Do we want to live our lives in transparency or hide under a bushel? We need one another to explore all the possibilities of who we are now and who we can become because growth is the only evidence of life. We need the courage to create. That is quite a challenge. What does it mean to create? To create a space to be free and open to one another?
Looking into our past helps us understand where we came from but as adults we need to re-interpret our youth. Let it tell the stories to find the truth that will give us the inner freedom to be present in this moment. Now.
Inner freedom is ongoing and our inner circle of family and friends can wake us up and encourage us. We can't do it alone, we are all in this together.
It takes humility to admit we are not done growing that we have a lot of growing up to do and when you're in your 70's it's quite natural to just let go and let things happen but we were created for more, more love, more compassion, this takes a lifetime and then some.
So parents, grandparents, teachers, friends and family members let us face our humaneness and be more accepting of our children, grandchildren etc because we all have a lot of growing up to do. We all need to "lighten up", to experience the joy of growing together. No one has all the answers and if we remember that Jesus taught by asking questions and how he loved the little children.
Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki put humility's paradoxical quality of being grateful, yet honest, about who we are in this way. He said, "You are all perfect as you are". Then, after a short pause, and with a twinkle in his eyes, he quickly added, "But you could all use a little improvement".
It's a double edged sword.
Little steps.
Robert Wicks in his book "The Inner Life of the Counselor" challenges us to look deep within before making important decisions in our lives and our life's work.
Do we want to live our lives in transparency or hide under a bushel? We need one another to explore all the possibilities of who we are now and who we can become because growth is the only evidence of life. We need the courage to create. That is quite a challenge. What does it mean to create? To create a space to be free and open to one another?
Looking into our past helps us understand where we came from but as adults we need to re-interpret our youth. Let it tell the stories to find the truth that will give us the inner freedom to be present in this moment. Now.
Inner freedom is ongoing and our inner circle of family and friends can wake us up and encourage us. We can't do it alone, we are all in this together.
It takes humility to admit we are not done growing that we have a lot of growing up to do and when you're in your 70's it's quite natural to just let go and let things happen but we were created for more, more love, more compassion, this takes a lifetime and then some.
So parents, grandparents, teachers, friends and family members let us face our humaneness and be more accepting of our children, grandchildren etc because we all have a lot of growing up to do. We all need to "lighten up", to experience the joy of growing together. No one has all the answers and if we remember that Jesus taught by asking questions and how he loved the little children.
Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki put humility's paradoxical quality of being grateful, yet honest, about who we are in this way. He said, "You are all perfect as you are". Then, after a short pause, and with a twinkle in his eyes, he quickly added, "But you could all use a little improvement".
It's a double edged sword.
Little steps.
October 22, 2013
When I began doing therapy, the concept of the therapist being a “blank slate, upon which the client projects” was firmly engrained. For the clinician to express a personal opinion, reflect a “value” or otherwise be more than a highly trained (read “deeply indoctrinated”) echo chamber of the clients’ identity was verboten. It was frustrating to be repeatedly told to “be warm and inviting” while “not intruding” in the client’s world. Fortunately, the profession has progressed to understanding the value of the clinician’s Self in the treatment event, that to Be with a hurting person/couple/family is, possibly, the single most effective practice in the helping moment. That “Being” is a demanding task when the helping professional is: assessing, listening, responding, attending and directing the client. This book offers a strategy for strengthening, developing and protecting the core Being of the clinician.
Dr. Wicks, a master therapist, offers practical, broadly read, quickly integrated information of how the interior life of the helping professional can be maintained in a healthy state, therefore allowing the professional to “be more present” in the clinical hour. Using the writings of Contemplatives ranging from 3rd Century BC Buddhist monks, 3rd and 4th Century Christian Desert Fathers (and Mothers) to contemporary mystics, he reveals the benefits of developing and strengthening the inner life of the counselor.
There is much discussion of “Mindfulness” (the discipline of being “(more fully) aware” of one’s life and living) in the considerations framed in this work. Dr. Wicks recommends frequent meditation and mindfulness practices in accomplishing this goal. His argument is, in part, that those who sit with the pain of others MUST attend to the pain found in the vicarious trauma experienced in doing treatment or they will find their effectiveness being greatly compromised. His arguments are well documented and speak from a perspective of long experience. A 50+ page appendix contains scenarios and questions to help the reader address some of the issues of disquiet and “mindlessness” within themselves that could be interfering with living life with more fullness.
Though this book was written with mental health clinicians in mind, its usefulness is not limited to that demographic. Anyone who experiences the prolonged exposure to others pain, fears or suffering could benefit from the information and exercises found in this book. It is not a large book but one that the reader will want to read carefully and refer back to it often to be reminded of the potent “moments of quiet” available to everyone in the most unusual places and times, it only takes a desire to find them.
Dr. Wicks, a master therapist, offers practical, broadly read, quickly integrated information of how the interior life of the helping professional can be maintained in a healthy state, therefore allowing the professional to “be more present” in the clinical hour. Using the writings of Contemplatives ranging from 3rd Century BC Buddhist monks, 3rd and 4th Century Christian Desert Fathers (and Mothers) to contemporary mystics, he reveals the benefits of developing and strengthening the inner life of the counselor.
There is much discussion of “Mindfulness” (the discipline of being “(more fully) aware” of one’s life and living) in the considerations framed in this work. Dr. Wicks recommends frequent meditation and mindfulness practices in accomplishing this goal. His argument is, in part, that those who sit with the pain of others MUST attend to the pain found in the vicarious trauma experienced in doing treatment or they will find their effectiveness being greatly compromised. His arguments are well documented and speak from a perspective of long experience. A 50+ page appendix contains scenarios and questions to help the reader address some of the issues of disquiet and “mindlessness” within themselves that could be interfering with living life with more fullness.
Though this book was written with mental health clinicians in mind, its usefulness is not limited to that demographic. Anyone who experiences the prolonged exposure to others pain, fears or suffering could benefit from the information and exercises found in this book. It is not a large book but one that the reader will want to read carefully and refer back to it often to be reminded of the potent “moments of quiet” available to everyone in the most unusual places and times, it only takes a desire to find them.
August 29, 2013
Lots of self-care suggestions for counselors. However, I think the suggestions for self-care apply not only to counselors but for everyone in the helping ministry, for example, spiritual directors, prayer guides, caregivers. Many ideas and reflection questions can be found in this book. At the end of the book, Wicks gathered the wisdom of some spiritual leaders and put forth their voices and thoughts. Wicks invites readers to reflect on these nuggets. Good stuff!
July 15, 2013
The author's gentleness and wisdom in addressing the issues around working in the helping professions is outstanding. I've read several of Robert Wick's books and they're all enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews