Kindness First

When entering into counseling at Redemption it is important for you to know that you will be treated with kindness, even in your darkest, most shameful places. For we know that "It is the kindness of God that leads us into radical life change." Romans 2:4. You will soon find that kindness to yourself is both the most powerful and most effective skill to possess. You will not get far without it.

Doing the Deeper Work

In an atmosphere of kindness, expect to be asked to get out of your comfort zone. Healing is a whole-self experience, body, heart, mind and soul. Healing is less about things not hurting, or being difficult, and more about wholeness and becoming integrated while discovering who God created you to be. This is where the majority of work needs to be done, because so often, we've learned along the way that something is wrong with us as we are and therefore needs to change. This is tedious and complex work, work that will require you to think differently and open yourself to new perspectives. You will be asked to try things that may make you feel uncomfortable. While "No" is always welcomed and respected every single time, be aware we don't grow or heal without being uncomfortable.

Slow Is Fast

In therapy, slow is fast. In other words, in healing…slow is fast. Which goes against the grain for most of us. At Redemption we don't rip off the proverbial Band-Aid. We are gentle, thorough and care-full. You will almost certainly be asked to slow down and linger, probably to an uncomfortably slow pace. This means you will need to learn and practice new ways of being with yourself, with others, and in the world. And it takes time and practice to get comfortable being there. It's not as much about having patience as it is choosing to extend kindness and choosing to remain curious rather than find quick solutions. It's about choosing to be present to the moment, even in hard places. Easy to say, not so easy to do. Be gentle with yourself.

Whole-Person Healing: Body, Heart, Mind & Soul

Healing must involve more than just our minds. Therefore, healing, greater wholeness, must involve more of our humanity than just words and talking. We are creatures with a body as a fundamental part of who we are and how we were created to exist in the world. Our bodies are designed to work in unison with our hearts and minds to reveal God to the world; you are imago Dei (Genesis 1:27). We have God-given emotions that must be heard well and tended to. We must learn the language of our hearts and become fluent in it. Therefore, living as humans, as we were meant to live, necessitates that our bodies and hearts and minds become accustomed to doing life more harmoniously.

The Therapeutic Relationship

Counseling is a relational endeavor. Counseling requires the cooperation of two experts, the client and the therapist, each an expert in their own right. While the "work" primarily belongs to the client who is the expert on themselves and their lives, the therapist serves as guide and witness and coach to the healing journey. The therapist remains attuned to more than just the content that is being presented, but to the whole person. Often, things which are not directly spoken become the most important aspects of the healing journey. The therapeutic relationship, and the therapeutic space, become the container which begins to create new experiences for clients. These new experiences literally reshape the nervous system and give new imagination for the future.