Teenagers, mental health and the gospel
If you ask any teenager today to summarise in a word what they think of the state of the world, I doubt you would get one positive answer in a thousand.
Recently, in my sixth form PSHCE class, the teacher started the lesson off with that question, and sure enough the answers were immensely depressing. ‘Racist’, ‘Sexist’, ‘Classist’, ‘Empty’, ‘Dying’, ‘Pointless’ – by the end, the teacher seemed slightly taken aback at the dark direction his ‘think about the world’ exercise had taken!
Finding a counsellor: Do they have to be a Christian?
As a pastor, when I feel that someone is a bit stuck, I often refer people to a friend who has worked as a professional counsellor for several decades.
Where I have been ineffective by listening or offering some Biblical advice, my friend is often able to help them get un-stuck by asking the right questions and guiding them as they navigate the difficult landscape of their life.