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For Christian clergy leaders/professionals: Retreats and Counseling?
Retreats and Counseling!
Do you feel like there is no place to go and no one to talk to about your problems? Christian clergy leaders/professionals come to Nazareth Ministries for a retreat and for counseling when they need concentrated mental, emotional, and spiritual care that allows for focus on their current problem. Working on specific personal issues and concerns deserve the luxury of time, the right atmosphere, and a place that provides a spiritual focus. Personal care should not be rushed. In order to get to the heart of the matter, to really dig into an individual, or group’s, or couple's truths, enough time to really explore must be available, or progress can be painfully slow.
Having time and a place to talk and be heard over the course of one to two days is an incredibly satisfying and empowering experience. It gives client (s) and the counselor the necessary time to address deeper-lying issues and possible solutions. Time between sessions allows for personal processing, restful reflections, quiet meditation, and/or specific customized homework/tasks.
Retreats with pastoral counseling jump starts a process of change. Client(s) and counselor(s) work together to determine the problem, examine existing patterns, set goals for the changes the clients desire, and teach ways to reach those goals. Sometimes clients choose to work on one or two specific problems that they would like to solve, and sometimes they want to change the entire atmosphere of their situations and circumstances. Often there are long-standing issues that are causing current problems. The counselor is there to act as facilitator to reach the client's goals.
Whether your life is a little off track or seems as if its falling apart, an intensive counseling retreat can help give you new tools for dealing with the issues that seem unbearable and irresolvable. Over an extended day or weekend retreat individuals, groups, or married couples can learn skills specifically designed to begin to work out the issues and concerns in their lives. There will be opportunities to practice those skills in your sessions, and during your homework time. The counselor helps you see your personal challenges, and teach you ways to deal with them specifically. We suggest prayer, reading scripture, trusting the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and learning how to trust God and His Word in ways that apply to your specific issues and concerns.
Your Day Retreat schedule may be like this:
- Preparation: Upon confirmation of your sign-up for a Day Retreat we will need you to fill out an application assessment to begin your process.
- Upon arrival to Nekadesh Farm you will settle into the accommodations for your Day-time stay. Travel is not included in this retreat package
- Meet with the Counselor for the first session at 10AM in the morning. The first couple of hours are spent discussing your roots: your families of origin, your current family, for couples we discuss the roots of your romantic involvement with each other. We then switch gears and begin various tutorials and behavioral exercises focused on your specific needs. A snack or sandwich is provided for lunch while you enjoy some personal reflections and/or homework/tasks necessary for the next session.
- Homework may include: practicing new skills you've learned, for groups or couples, talking to each other on a new deeper level or for individuals taking time to think about their personal lives on a deeper level. In addition we suggest things to do to enjoy your down time, such as a bicycle ride, sitting on the pier, fishing, reading a book, or even taking nap or simply resting... and hope that you can have some fun and relaxation after the first intensive session.
- Meet with Counselor for second session at 2:00PM. This session tends to be more intense, dealing with the hotter topics (and deeper issues) that need to be addressed. The Counselor will guide you safely through those areas which have been too hot to handle in the past. When you leave later that evening we give you suggestions of ways (actions & strategies) to take your life in the direction you desire.
- The last session is short for termination purposes. We will review the previous sessions, discuss your progress. We will discuss ways you can continue working on your specific issues and/or discuss the goals for each individual, or group, or couple. Wrap for Day Retreats are usually around six. You can then return home, or enjoy an extra hour or two at Nekadesh Farm before heading out.
- When you return home we are available for free tele-counseling questions based on issues and concerns discussed at the retreat
Your typical weekend retreat schedule is:
- Preparation: Upon confirmation of your sign-up for a Weekend Retreat we will need you to fill out an application assessment to begin your process.
- Upon arrival to Nekadesh Farm you will settle into the accommodations for your weekend stay. Travel and Lunch and Dinner meals are not included in the retreat package.
- Meet with Counselor for first session at 10AM in the morning. The first couple of hours or so are spent discussing your roots: your families of origin, your current family, for couples we discuss the roots of your romantic involvement with each other. We then switch gears and begin various exercises focused on your specific needs. A snacks and a sandwich is provided for lunch while you enjoy some personal reflections and/or homework/tasks necessary for the next session.
- Homework may include: practicing new skills you've learned, for groups or couples, talking to each other on a new deeper level or for individuals taking time to think about their personal lives on a deeper level. In addition we suggest things to do to enjoy your down time, such as a bicycle ride, sitting on the pier, fishing, reading a book, or even taking nap or simply resting... and hope that you can have some fun and relaxation after the first intensive session.
- Meet with Counselor for second session at 2:00PM. This session tends to be more intense, dealing with the harder topics (and deeper issues) that need to be addressed. Counselor will guide you safely through those areas which have been too hard to handle in the past.
- Homework may include: practicing new skills you've learned, for groups or couples, talking to each other on a new deeper level or for individuals taking time to think about their personal lives on a deeper level. In addition we suggest things to do to enjoy your down time, such as a nice dinner at a local restaurant, sitting on the pier to watch the sun set, fishing, sitting on the porch, or barbecue or chill for the rest of the evening... and hope that you can have some fun and relaxation after the second intensive session.
- Meet with Counselor for third and last session at 10AM in the morning We will review the previous sessions and discuss your progress. We will either continue working on your specific issues while practicing your new skills and/or discuss our recommendations for each individual, group, or couple. Wrap up by noon. Return home, or enjoy an extra hour or two at Nekadesh Farm.
When you return home we are available for free tele-counseling calls about your specific retreat issues and concerns. Many people understand the experience of going away to a retreat and getting all excited about doing something new and different only to crash upon their return to normal everyday life. The retreat empowerment can fade over time just like last New Year’s resolution if no real commitment is made. When a true commitment is made most people’s retreat and counseling experience will stay with them as they continue to practice new skills and ways of thinking, doing, and being in their everyday lives. Commitment is the key!
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