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Lars Grijsen
Lars Grijsen
· 30 Jun 2022
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Mental guidance — an introduction

Lifelong learning, that always appeals to me! I have regularly followed a training or course in recent years to keep my knowledge up to date. Often it had something to do with sermons or being a missionary church. This season, I started a spiritual counseling course from the School of Spiritual Direction institute. I have wanted to follow this course for a long time, but so far it didn't work out well. The amount of reading and assignments is quite considerable, but I really enjoy being back in the 'proverbial' school desk.

What is spiritual counseling?
Christian spiritual guidance is very old and goes back to the early church in the first centuries AD. A tried-and-true form of Christian spirituality, you can say. In English, it's called “spiritual direction”. The direction of spiritual guidance is a journey from the head to the heart. Looking for and experiencing God's presence from words alone. Spiritual guidance is a praying process in which you (further) develop a deeper, personal relationship with God. So it's not so much focused on a problem you're experiencing, but it's focused on your relationship with God. In spiritual guidance, the third person in the conversation is actively sought: in addition to the two interlocutors, God is present as a companion with a capital letter. Spiritual guidance is not so much about giving advice or instructions, but in the meetings there is plenty of time for a conversation and forms of prayer and silence are given a place.

My own experience with mental guidance
In my education, I learn all the ins and outs about mental counseling. Part of it is also receiving it yourself. I started doing that a little earlier, just because it's also good if you don't do the training. Once every 6-8 weeks we meet. My spiritual counselor is a good listener and asks simple but good questions. Sometimes I think beforehand: what should I talk about today? In the encounters, stories and memories always emerge. We discuss what's happening in my life. We look for how God guides me and what he says. Almost always I get more insight and clarity about processes and decisions in my work and private life. What is special is that we often find an image or metaphor that exactly describes the situation or my search. Such an image then helps to come back to it later or think about it for a longer period of time. In our meetings, I can also share honestly about my spirituality. Sometimes I can share nice things about that. But also being able to share my laziness or low motivation (which is there every now and then) in this makes me humble and reactivates again. I read somewhere the other day that a human being is more than just data. The human body is animated. We have a soul and I think that awareness is much needed to take good care of it. Mental guidance helps me to get in touch with my soul. And with God.

#spiritualcounseling #spiritualdirection #spirituality #religie #faith

  • Comments (36)
kevinbacca92
the spiritual part of the human being is important, although sometimes we don't develop it so often, and also each religion or belief has its own ways of doing it, but it is always present, there is something that tells us that it exists.
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Susann cherry
I like this type of blog because I think that spiritual is more important than other things in these times that we live so plasticop and superficial
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Freli
The body goes beyond the physical plane, being what you have spoken, the spiritual, where you can access many things.
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Alfred
The spirit makes more of our lives than we can take into account something to know It's fascinating:D
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Néstor David
It's an extensive but interesting article, I wish you the best of luck finding that spiritual side that we all want.
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Lety Zambrano Cartaya
This article is as interesting as people's answers, and it may be that the spiritual part is important is each person's interpretation
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Florencia Sendell
Even if many do not want to see it that way, the spiritual part in the human being has been vital for so many years, it will be for a reason,
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naf1971naf
I'm happy for you @Lars Grijsen having a guide on the path that leads us to God and walking it with a cheerful attitude is magnificent, I hope you will soon find that spiritual approach
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Maria
our spiritual part is as important as any physical part, we will not be happy if we are not at peace, thank you for sharing
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Kinderworkshops Petra
Nicely worded. I myself am not ecclesiastical and believe in my own way. I do believe there is more between heaven and earth.
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miradademujer36
There are very few who really care about the spiritual part today when everything is superfluous but how good of you if you take the time to develop
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enigma
Nice training, seems to me. It doesn't just have to be Christian-inspired. I think you can generally go through spiritually so that everyone can benefit from it. Curious about your experiences.
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Lars Grijsen
@enigma surely. Spirituality is not reserved for the Christian faith. This training, however, is. Incidentally, I can imagine that a concrete belief also helps in spirituality. If you e.g. don't know what you believe in, it's also more difficult to experience that spiritually. nonetheless?
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Ali
It is very important to take into account the spiritual part, since we are a tripartite being composed of body, soul and spirit, although sometimes we don't know exactly how it works, but by studying it we can understand it more easily.
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mlourdesbermudez
Hello how are you. Good point. Nowadays you see a lot of this, of course; in Venezuela! People are looking for a place of prayer and they give themselves a lot with the name of: house of prayer.
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Alberto
It is a constant search that occurs through the search for an evolution, such as having more knowledge of the spiritual life.
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armandofuen2012
Connection that is our soul is the spirit that keeps us in the physical body that we have to connect to go further
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Encaustichris
Wow. What a story. I am not active in the church, but I am convinced that there is more between heaven and earth. I hope you can and want to share some insights here on Yoors, of course only if that feels right for you.
In any case, I think you're going into this new course.! Good luck, fun and happiness!
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Daniel
The physical and spiritual parts are two in themselves, but you have to keep both because they are very useful for a balance
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EscudosDeportivos10
it is a fairly profound search and development for each person according to their religion, belief or perspective, I congratulate you for being in this constant search.
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Adrianna M
Exactly, I agree with some comments, the spiritual part will always be present in us, although each person has a different perspective of it.
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Dewaputra
That seems very interesting to me, provided that it does indeed go back to the first centuries of Christianity. That would mean that this spirituality is based on gnostics, as is reflected, among other things, in the Gospel of Thomas, which was later declared forbidden by the church in 325 AD.
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Lars Grijsen
@Dewaputra Gnosticism was not the only current in the first centuries of Christianity, though.!
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Marleidys364
the spiritual part of each person according to their belief is a very beautiful subject and I congratulate you for developing it in your life.
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Gabriela
I share the same thing that you do, it is vital for us to maintain our spiritual side, since it tends to sustain you many times, whatever your mentality.
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Madeleine
Nice piece of Lars! I always remember the soul of Tracey Chapman's beautiful song with that beautiful, wise text.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoNtYC_XDC8
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Nathaniël
@Lars Grijsen I just saw your post appear in my mail and am very surprised that this is in a difficult period for me.! Maybe we can talk about spiritual things sometime. I'm very interested in it and you might be able to help me with that:)
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Rasher
It is essential to have that spiritual part in our course because learning more things makes us connect with more new things
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Mieke Van Liefde
It is very difficult to find a good spiritual counselor. Nice that there are courses for that (I didn't know). Of course, you can also just pray that the right person (s) come your way (whatever works). Ultimately, it is always God who leads.
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danielojeda12
Sallos human beings, guidance or mental counseling, because learning is permanent if you make it so every day; but there are things that are forgotten. However, there are things that are not forgotten, such as riding a bicycle.
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