“Once Christian adults overcome the issues suffered as a result of childhood abuse & trauma, they can set and achieve goals to enrich their lives through the help of Christian coaching.”
What is the Benefit of Christian Coaching for Abuse Victims and Survivors?
In my specialty of helping abuse survivors, I think coaching is a powerful solution to aid those individuals in finding a better future. This is because abuse survivors have typically struggled with specific issues that, if not resolved, will continue to make it beyond difficult for them to achieve good goals in life.
Also, their issues usually result in exhausting the goodwill of people around them, and their friends, family, and even church leaders move on. Thus, the survivor loses any source of encouragement and assistance from others, so they are effectively alone. People, and often abuse survivors themselves, do not understand why what happened to them continues to disable them later in life.
It is relevant and imperative to have a Christian coach who understands the particular problems of an abuse victim and survivor. The coach comes alongside the survivor and helps them to plot a course for improvement. For survivors, it can be life-changing to have someone “in your corner” who understands, listens, prays, encourages, shares resources, and gives insights to help them move toward a better life.
Christian Coaching – Extended Explanation
Coaching is a relationship-based activity focused on helping a client to identify and work toward their goals, whether health, career, spiritual, marital, family, etc.
Christian coaching is done from a biblical perspective and allows clients to use their faith within the coaching experience. Goal setting is done with reverence to the client’s Christian understanding of a productive and God-honoring life. The coach may encourage their client using a Christian understanding of individual value and identity. In Christian coaching, focus areas may include a client’s discovery of their calling, spiritual gifts, or integrating their faith into other areas of life. Christian coaches may pray with or for their clients, use Scripture, and discuss Christian beliefs within sessions.
Coaches may share training and guidance, but the coach does not independently dictate the client’s goals or action items for moving forward.
Coaching is different from counseling. Unlike counseling, coaching does not focus on past experiences, traumas, or hurts. Instead, coaching focuses on actions to take in the present to impact the future. Coaches do not diagnose or treat mental illness, though coaches may provide references to mental health professionals if needed.
Benefits and Risks of Christian Coaching
With the right coach, coaching is not only effective but enjoyable. Clients often find that they gain a greater understanding of their goals, why they matter, and how they can achieve them. In addition to clarity, coaching often results in greater motivation, confidence, and successful movement toward goals.
While coaching is a tremendous opportunity for client growth and goal attainment, coaching is not without risk. If a client seeks coaching because they are dissatisfied with an aspect of their life, exploring how to move forward may result in painful emotions. The need for counseling may arise if the pain point is related to a very difficult or traumatic experience or situation. For those occasions, switching to counseling for a period of time dedicated to resolving specific issues may be appropriate. Once issues have been resolved, a return to coaching can be accomplished.
The Coach and Client Roles and Relationship
A client’s role is to prioritize coaching sessions and identified action items in their life. The client chooses their goals, prioritizes what to work towards, and has autonomy in agreeing on homework between sessions. A coachable attitude is open, vulnerable, receptive, and positive.
The coach’s role is to create a positive and supportive environment, set up professional and productive processes, ask good questions, and help the client brainstorm actions to achieve desired goals. The coach is responsible for keeping sessions on track and on time and giving thoughtful feedback on the client’s progress.
The coach and client agree to be prompt, attentive, and honest in sessions.
