Summary
Do people really need to interact with other people to be able to live healthy, happy lives? An article I read from a trauma specialist seems to think so. In the article the anonymous author states that he or she believes that interacting socially with people helps one not only connect to others and find worth but relieves mental and emotional stress. When we share are emotional and mental burdens with other people it helps us to release the strain from our own bodies and therefore exhibit less physical symptoms caused by stress. Having interactions with people also allows us to understand different perspectives, and challenges us to think and grow in our beliefs.We can gain new insight from others about our problems and daily activities that may change the way we live.
How Does This Apply to Counseling?
In our Coun 507 class we talked about the fact that as believers we acknowledge that God made us in His image. One way God reveals himself to us is through the Holy Trinity because of this, we understand that He exist within Himself as a community. Since God made us in His image, and He also exist in a community, Christians believe that God has created each and every human being with the desire and longing to be with others and to be known by them. This is important to understand as counselors because many people are not able to interact with others in healthy ways. If social interaction is difficult for a potential client, and community is not achieved, they may feel a longing or discontentment within themselves and not even understand why. This also applies with a client's relationship with God. If they feel disconnected from God or feel that He does not want to be involved with them intimately, they may be disgruntled about their spiritual lives and it is our job as counselors to help them better their lives in every way.
What it means to me
I think this article expresses the importance of building relationships with one another. Whether it's with friends, co-workers, clients, or God we need to understand that these relationships are apart of life and are essential for being fulfilled. We must learn how to communicateto one another and love each other better in order to have the healthiest relationships we can, and in turn teach others how to change their understanding of relationships so they can live happier, healthier lives.
Tosha,
ReplyDeleteThe points you make about the necessity of community and relationships are very important. As counselors in training, we must be aware of the importance of relationships as we establish some in our own lives. Being connected to other individuals has many benefits. God's intent before the fall was for us to live in perfect harmony with each other and with Him. We must try to establish meaningful relationships with one another as we go throughout our lives.
Tosha,
ReplyDeleteIt is so true that we have an innate desire to connect with others on an intimate level. It is really cool to learn about the intimacy within the Trinity and to understand that we, as humans made in the image of God, were designed for community. I can personally attest to the importance of close knit community; if I didn't have my few strong, Christian friends to pour myself into, I think I would struggle a lot with discontentment. Great post!
Tosha,
ReplyDeleteThe points that you stated in this article are very true about the necessity of community and relationships. I think that we do have an innate desire to connect with each other on an intimate level, which is an awesome skill set to have. But these days people do not act as a close knit community we like to think of ourselves. I know that God wants us all to live in perfect harmony with each other and with him as well; that is why Jesus died on the cross.
Mercedes
Tosha,
ReplyDeleteI think it is great that you shared this since this is something that we all must give importance to, not only in our personal lives but in the counseling environment. As you mentioned, especially as Christians, we are to love others in order to draw them closer to God. Likewise, if we push others away, we will fail to see what God wants to show us through others. I believe that God uses relationships to help us all mature spiritually and emotionally. Sadly, in our generation, relationships on any level are not given much importance and consequently people are being damaged. Even Christians, including myself, we often fail at showing others how God intended relationships to be and instead of leading others to Christ we repel them. That is why we are to remain faithful in developing a strong relationship with Christ, in order to have relationships that show the work and love of God in our lives.
Great blog!:)