STCHM Interview

On February 16, 2016, I contacted the office of Leslee O’Neal to set up an interview for further study of the field of ministry I am interested in. That day, we set up an appointment for me to meet with her that night. I conducted an interview with Leslee O’Neal, a Christian grief counselor for the South Texas Children’s Home. I met with her in her office at the STCHM office here in Corpus. We met for about an hour and a half.

I began the semester off with an absence in the class, which put me further back in the class than I wanted. I started my assignments late which put me in a period of unrest. I began my first ministry activity with a phone call to the Corpus Christi offices of The South Texas Children’s Home. The phone rang a couple of times, then I heard a voice on the other end. The voice was a familiar one. It sounded like a second-grade teacher I once had. It was a comforting one. I, being the shy guy that I am, and not wanting to talk very long on the phone, found myself rather enjoying the time I spent on the phone with the receptionist. I began to discuss my reason for calling. I began with my name and a short description of who I was. Then asked whether or not Leslee O’Neal was in that day. She replied with a voice that did not seem promising, “She is, but she is pretty filled up for the week.” My heart sank. I thought to myself, “I’ll never get this interview squared away.” I told the receptionist that I wanted to Interview Leslee for a class that I was taking that semester, and she told me that she would call me and let me know when something opened up. Mind you, I had not yet written out my questions for the interview. The call ended, and the next few minutes felt like an eternity. About 7 minutes had passed and to my surprise, my phone rang again. I answered to find that it was the receptionist again. She was calling to tell me that a portion of Leslee’s day had opened up and that she would see me. I suddenly became excited and ready for that night. We set up an appointment for that night at 6:00 pm. After I got off the phone, I looked at the clock and froze. I had 3 hours to come up with about 16 questions. Because I felt this call on my life to be a grief counselor, I actually felt at ease when writing my questions. In no time, I had a completed word document of 16 interview questions that I thought I would never finish.

The time came for me to meet with her. I walked into her office. Sat down on the couch and instantly began getting to know her. She was very kind and she wanted to hear more about me and my call to ministry. She began the talk with questions about me, my family, my education, my call. In return, I asked her the same sorts of questions. In a matter of 30 minutes, we felt fairly comfortable with each other. It was 6:30. It was time to get started. I began asking questions such as, “Did you become a Christian Counselor because you felt a calling from the Lord to help people in this way? If so, When were you called, How did it happen?, What education did you have to complete in order to become a Christian Counselor?, What degrees have you attained? and With your degrees, who are you able to counsel and what types of counseling can you give?” There were many more questions that I asked, and she answered accordingly. After the interview was done, I felt as if we had known each other for years. The total time I spent with her was an hour and a half. She shared with me, her life verse. Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, as one man sharpens another.” She explained that in counseling the client is not the only one who benefits, the counselor benefits as well. By the end of the night, I was extremely happy that I had taken this step in my calling. I felt like my calling was confirmed.

I feel like I am becoming more and more confident in the ministry that I am becoming involved in. This interview was a huge step in my life. I have come a long way, from the little kid who could not say a word to anyone, to a man who is taking some kind of initiative in his life. The interview has really affected the way that I see grief counseling and have seen it. I always thought that grief counseling was for people who have lost their parents or someone that they loved. I was right, but I missed a huge part of it. Grief counseling is not only about death. During the interview, I was given a piece of paper that had approximately 20 different emotions or feeling that stem from grief. feeling that I had never thought of. Feelings like denial, confusion, anxiety, depression, betrayal, helplessness, hurt, rage, dread, distrust, rejection, abandonment, bitterness, envy, anger, pain, panic, dismay, disappointment, and woe all stem from some form of grief. My eyes were opened to a whole new view of grief. A grief counselor is given the privilege of dealing with all types of grief. There is also not just one way to deal with any certain type of grief. Leslee gave me some materials to help determine what type of help to give people with a certain form of grief.

Summary: I asked Leslee if she liked what she did. Her response was a little unexpected. She said that she would rather be at home, eating popcorn and watching movies in the middle of the day, and sleeping in when she could. She does not necessarily like what she does, but it is what God has called her to and she is thankful for that calling. I benefitted greatly from my visit with her and am looking forward to seeing where God puts me in the realm or grief counseling.




Here is the full document of interview questions:




INTERVIEW QUESTIONS


Counselor Name and titles: _______________________________________

I. Calling

a. Did you become a Christian Counselor because you felt a calling from the Lord to help people in this way?

b. If so, when were you called? How did it happen?

II. Education

a. What education did you have to complete in order to become a Christian Counselor?

b. What degrees have you attained?

b. With your degrees, who are you able to counsel and what type of counseling can you give?

a. Children/Adults?

b. Family Counseling?____, Marriage Counseling? ____, Drug Addiction Counseling?___, Individual Counseling?____

III. Employment

a. How long have you worked as a counselor?

b. Where have you worked in your counseling career?_________________________

c. What is a typical day look like for a counselor?_________________________________

i. Do you pray with your clients?_______

ii. Do you balance clinical advice with biblical truth when counseling your clients?

d. Is it difficult on you emotionally to listen to other people’s challenges daily?

e. How do you keep from letting your clients’ troubles get you down?

f. Do you receive personal fulfillment in your job as a Christian counselor?

IV. Recommendations



Can you make suggestions/recommendations to me as a student pursuing a counseling degree about what could help me in my education and help me to attain good employment after college?

I hope this is helpful to those in search of their calling, or those who have a calling to Counseling ministry. #ACA #CounselorsHelp