Counseling for Church Leaders: A Practical Guide

Counseling for Church Leaders offers biblical and practical encouragement to church leaders-in the broadest sense-as they help the hurting. Though Bagents and Snodgrass share insights learned from decades of counseling experience and include resources for further study, their appeal flows primarily from Scripture. Their emphasis is on God's leaders helping God's people God's way. Chapters explore God as counselor; a biblical understanding of human wellness; why people seek counseling; and the basics of listening, empathy, and emotions. Discussions include traps to avoid during counseling, the power of prevention, and practicing self-care during the helping process. "How to" chapters explore working with the angry, the fearful, the grieving, and the depressed. Counseling for Church Leaders also addresses helping those who are stuck and under-connected as well dealing with toxic people. Bagents and Snodgrass affirm the ability, obligation, and opportunity for each Christian to lead by helping others. They make no argument that every Christian should become a therapist. Rather, they appeal to church leaders-at every level-to value, enhance, and practice the time-honored people-helping skills that show others the love of God.