I am reading some counseling mumbo-jumbo tonight and just thinking about what it all means.... In this particular text, "Characteristics of the Effective Clinician" (which I'm not creating a reference page for because this is my blog and and I don't want to!) it is talking about characteristics of leaders in mental health and basically what makes good role models in the field. I was thinking that I would love to be a role model in the field eventually, maybe speak at conferences, etc. But, to quote Solomon in Ecclesiates, "there is nothing new under the sun". All this is to say that there is nothing I can go out and talk about that hasn't already been discussed. There's nothing new in this field. That is why every counseling text book and journal article is filled with citations of other texts and articles.
People are people and we can develope as many new theories, identity models, and stages as we want, but when you're face to face with a client during a counseling session, it's going to come down to sin and redemption. Now I know that's not the answer that everyone is looking for, but to be an 'effective clinician' the human being is the key.... not the newest theory.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentlness, self control - now those are some "theories". Back to the basics may be the best way to progress yet...
Lastly... I'm posting one of my favorite commercials ever:
Have you ever felt like this guy that walks into the room? What a great way to portray the need for action rather than idleness.... anyway, I've always like this so I thought I'd share! Now go and do!
On our way home from our yearly florida family vacation we stopped at a gas station north of jackson... It was one of those places where you could get almost anything. My dad thought it was a particularly nice place and told me he wanted to buy a new hat, some $5 tools, and maybe even take home the dog that was sitting out front of the store because "he looks like he'd be good at chasin' rabbits." 
