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LifeJune 09 2001Christian counselorglad to see growth Clients need not be members of the church Charlotte Ferrell Smith <charlotte@dailymail.com> Daily Mail staff Carol Williams looks forward to the day a client no longer needs her services. "My goal is to get you out of counseling," Williams said. Williams is founder and president of Tri-County Christian Counseling Services Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio. Once a month, she comes to Charleston to work two to three days in an office at Bible Center Church where she has been a visiting counselor since 1988. Her clients are not necessarily church members and their identities are kept confidential. "I see new people all the time," she said. "People get better and move on. In short-term counseling, I give clients skills they can take with them to use. I find most counseling can be short term if people learn and practice skills. I give homework. I also help them see life from a different perspective. I believe most clients have the answer, but they are so close to the source they can't see objectively." All counseling is Bible based and sessions end with prayer. "It's not me who has the answer," she said. "God allows me to be a vessel. I pray for each client." She sees people from all walks of life, including some with little or no religious background. "I believe everyone is born with a sense of God," she said. "Something inside them is seeking out truth. I don't stuff things down their throat. I take people where they are and respect where they are." When she first opened her counseling center in 1986, she had no idea it would grow so rapidly. Tri-County Christian Counseling Services Inc. now includes eight counselors with clients coming from several states seeking services. "I didn't go looking for any of the people at my office," she said. "God brought them to me one by one." Many referrals are from pastors. She began working at Bible Center in 1988 when Bob Spradling was pastor. Current executive pastor Peter Faulkner said Williams remains there because her counseling style is just what is needed and her integrity is topnotch. Her fee is $95 for the first session and $80 for subsequent sessions. She specializes in short-term counseling. Those who need additional help may be referred to other local agencies. While financial assistance is sometimes available, Williams finds those who pay something work harder toward recovery. She believes her background in teaching and guidance counseling in schools helped prepare her for her current job. "I always knew I wanted to work one on one with people," she said. She holds a degree in education from Bob Jones University, a master's in guidance and counseling from Miami University in Ohio, a master's in counseling from Liberty University and has studied clinical counseling at Wright State University. For more information on Tri-County Christian Services, check out the Web site tcccs.com. Writer Charlotte Ferrell Smith can be reached at 348-1246. |
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