A quarterly e-newsletter for partnering counsellors of the Clergy Care Network

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”
2 Thess 2: 16-17

1. Cornelsen’s Comments
2. Introductions
3. Recommended Resource: Pastors at Greater Risk
4. Article: Cybercounselling by Dan Mitchell
5. Upcoming Workshops & Professional Development
6. Help us Help You: Your EAP Affiliation Info Needed
7. Please Contact Us: how to reach us

Spring greetings from Langley and from the offices of the Clergy Care Network! Welcome to the first edition of the Good Hope e-newsletter for Clergy Care Network counsellors. I feel very honoured and privileged to be a part of this ministry to pastors and their families, and am sure you feel similarly.

It has been exciting to be part of CCN as it was developed and got off the ground…the hotline was started in October 2003 and as more churches and pastors are hearing about the Clergy Care line (1.888.5.CLERGY), calls are coming in more regularly. We recognize you as a vital part of this ministry. Although we can assist pastors and family members over the phone, others require longer term counselling care. We are so thankful to have such high quality, empathic, Christian professionals to whom we can refer our callers! As part of our appreciation, we want to keep you updated with what is happing in the Clergy Care Network and inform you of new resources and professional events in the counselling world.

In this newsletter we are pleased to introduce you to one of our very own CCN counsellors, Dan Mitchell. He is a pioneer in the new industry of cybercounselling and has written an article explaining how cybercounselling is an innovative way to assist pastors who are serving in remote areas or small rural towns.

We thank you for your willingness to serve Canadian clergy, and look forward to what God has in store for all of us!

Blessings to you all

Geof

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Geof Cornelsen, Director of CCN & Counsellor
Geof Cornelsen is Director of Clergy Care at Focus on the Family (Canada). He earned an M.T.S.(C), from Trinity Western Seminary in 1993 and is a Registered Social Worker. He has been an associate pastor, director of recruitment in a Bible college setting, and a senior pastor. Since attaining his counselling qualifications he has directed three Christian counselling offices and has also worked as an Employee Assistance Program counsellor. Having experienced the thrills and spills of being in ministry, Geof has a passion for helping ministry families. Geof is married to his wife of 19 years, Jennifer, and has two daughters, Raina 5 and Lacey 3.

Jennifer Antonsen, Clergy Care Assistant & Counsellor
Jennifer began working as a counsellor and administrator for the Clergy Care Network in December 2003. She has a BA in Religious Studies, and an MA in Counselling Psychology from Trinity Western University. She has worked in group homes, with the Ministry for Children and Family, has set up a church counselling service, and has led marriage workshops. Some of her most valued life experiences include mission work in Madagascar and Haiti and university studies in Israel. She considers it a joy and privilege to work with clergy and their families. Jennifer is married to her husband Brad.

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Pastors at Greater Risk by London & Wiseman

Each newsletter we would like to highlight a resource that we recommend. For our first newsletter we would like to introduce you to an excellent book that provides an overview of the stresses, temptations, struggles and expectations placed on pastors. Pastors at Greater Risk, is written by H. B. London, Jr. and Neil B. Wiseman. Although this book was written to pastors, by pastors, it gives great insights into the realities of life in the ministry. If you are new to the field of counselling pastors or would like to become more informed of the great risks, challenges, and spiritual battles that they face, this up to date and comprehensive book (2003) will be a helpful guide. Chapter titles include: Avoiding Hazards in Ministry Marriage, Showcase Kids or Strong Families, Recovery from Stress and Burnout, and Online Sex or Off: Finding Freedom from Sexual Addiction. This is also a valuable resource to suggest to clients who need compassionate and practical solutions for the increased risks they face.

A former pastor, H.B. London is currently the VP of Ministry Outreach and Pastoral Ministries at Focus US; Neil B. Wiseman has been both a pastor and professor, and is now serving as a church consultant. The two have coauthored many books together.

To order this book call Focus on the Family (Canada) at 1.800.661.9800

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Cybercounselling
Written by Dan Mitchell

This just may be the perfect resource for many pastors.

With the dawn of the Internet, new tools for communication, particularly e-mail and chat, have become means of delivering counselling services. Ethical codes, as early as 1998, have been created to guide practitioners (http://www.nbcc.org/ethics/webethics.htm). Protection of client confidentiality, client screening, compensating for lack of visual cues, and legal jurisdiction are all issues that practitioners must consider carefully. Some effectiveness research has been done, but it is primarily exploratory. Only pioneering studies have been reported. Yet thousands of counsellors are advertising their online counselling services. And it’s a field that is growing exponentially.

If you think about it, people have been supporting each other and maintaining relationships through letters for centuries. Nowadays email has become a natural means of communication for many. In the context of counselling, email means that counsellors can be easily accessed without having to coordinate busy schedules and with no need to travel. It seems natural, then, that pastors will make use of the Internet and email technology to access Clergy Care counselling support. Dr. Roberta Neault, president of the BC Chapter of the Canadian Counselling Association and a member of the Focus on the Family Clergy Care counselling team observes that

“Cybercounselling could be a particularly appropriate solution for pastors who serve in small communities where it might be almost impossible to access a Christian counsellor that isn’t a member of the local congregation. Through cybercounselling, highly specialized counsellors are as close as the nearest computer with Internet access. What an amazing service to pastors and their families who have chosen to follow the call to serve God in remote or isolated regions (personal communication, March 9, 2004).”

The need felt by pastors and their families for better access to counselling support is very grave. Rev. Dr. Bruce Milne, international Christian author, Vice-President of the Baptist World Alliance, and for seventeen years Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Vancouver writes,

"It is difficult to conceive of any role in contemporary society that brings greater all-round challenge than pastoring. Never have pastors been in greater need of sympathetic, insightful, accessible, and confidential support, than they are today. I commend this ‘Focus on the Family’ initiative wholeheartedly. It has the potential to do great good to God's servants, their families, and their congregations, and to significantly advance the work of His Kingdom in our time (personal communication, February 22, 2004)."

The fact is that pastors rely heavily on the Internet. M.J. Vlach, author at Pastors.com, reports that

“four-fifths of all Protestant Senior Pastors have access to the Internet. About half of them gain entry to the Internet daily. In addition, Pastors are also more likely than others to maintain friendships, buy products, and have religious experiences on the Net (retrieved from www.pastors.com, February 19, 2004)”

You may be wondering whether cybercounselling can really be effective. Here is the feedback of a client – by request and shared here with permission – who has participated in both in-person and email counselling:

"[Cybercounselling] has worked really well for me for a few reasons:

I am quite comfortable expressing myself in writing/typing.

Email allows me time and space to gather my thoughts then review what I’ve written. I write, go away and then come back and make changes until I’m comfortable sending something to you. The same is true in receiving responses. I have time and space to go through and think about things as I read.

Its also been really convenient as I can schedule time to write during a working week and I don’t have to drive to [the counselling office] which has been a bit of a problem at times ;-)

Having the responses saved in my little archive is also helpful. I find myself going back to the letters and re-reading to see what progress I’ve made, like a diary or journal."

Many pastors serve in rural areas where counselling services are too distant to be accessible. And reaching a Christian counsellor may be even more difficult. Given the importance of their leadership role in God’s family, pastors have more concern than most about their privacy. Cybercounselling, provided it is done securely, ethically, and skilfully, addresses all of these concerns.

If you'd like to learn more about cybercounselling, contact Dan Mitchell at 604-984-2393 or mitchell@therapyonline.ca or visit TherapyOnline.ca. If you are thinking about extending your virtual reach to the Lord's dearly loved shepherds and their families, why not consider taking the Canadian Counselling Association accredited course, "Cybercounselling: Level 1." The next Cybercounselling course will be offered this spring.

Dan Mitchell, one of Focus on the Family’s approved Clergy Care Counsellors, was among the world’s first counselling practitioners to deliver online counselling services. In 1995 he and his colleague Lawrence Murphy founded TherapyOnline.ca. The company offers a secure e-mail system known as PrivacEmail Professional™ that complies with ethical standards for counselling. Mitchell and Murphy have several publications on Cybercounselling and have presented at international conferences. Some 60 experienced counselling practitioners have been trained in their Cybercounselling: Level 1 course.

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CCA Conference 2004 Illuminating Practice: Spirituality, Story and Song
Where? Winnipeg, MB
When? May 26-28, 2004
Cost? varies

Utilizing Non-Traditional Approaches in the Treatment of Grief and Mourning
Where? Toronto, ON
When? June 4, 2004
Cost? $164
Focus: This workshop explores a variety of strategies that can be of particular assistance to our bereaved patients and clients.

CCSSW (Canadian Conference on Spirituality and Social Work) Conference
Where? Winnipeg, MB
When? June 1-3, 2004
Cost? $75

INPM (International Network on Personal Meaning) Conference
Where? Vancouver, BC
When? Jul 22-25, 2003
Cost? $120-$395
Focus: Transforming Loss, Suffering & Death: Through meaning, hope and faith

*Please note that informing you of these conferences does not necessarily equal our endorsement or approval of content contained within.

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Your EAP Affiliation Information Needed

If you are an affiliate counsellor with any major EAP organization in Canada please let us know. Pastors who call our office may want to avoid using an EAP that they think may not espouse the same values. However if we know that some of you are affiliates, we can encourage them to request your services when they access their EAP Client Access Lines.

Just phone us or e-mail with your EAP info- our contact information follows.

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If you would like to be in touch with Geof or Jennifer, please contact us via email or phone. If you would like to write an article for upcoming editions of Good Hope, refer other counsellors to become referrals for CCN, or know of a valuable resource for counsellors, please call us or drop us a line.

Geof Cornelsen 604.539.7940 cornelgj@fotf.ca
Jennifer Antonsen 604.539.7930 antonsjl@fotf.ca

Clergy Care Network 1.888.5.CLERGY

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