We recognise that there are many people who are training or working as professional counsellors, psychotherapists, social workers and psychiatrists who need help to think more deeply about what it means to be a Christian in their profession. We want to offer more intensive training for those people who struggle with this but cannot access such training in their own countries. To this end, the European Christian Counsellors Network supplies a biblical framework for Christian counselling and provides opportunities for individuals to be mentored as well as gain access to helpful resources. Leading this Network is Richard Winter, British psychiatrist, Professor of Practical Theology, and Director of the Counselling program at Covenant Seminary. Teaching in the 2010 Network is Diane Langberg. Eric Bobbitt and Glynn Harrison will also contribute to the discussions from their own experience.

Participants can bring case presentations for discussion with the speakers individually or over meals.

Applicants must be training or working as professional counsellors, psychotherapists, psychiatrists, or social workers. Prior preparation will be set for all applicants.

Focus of the 2010 Counsellors Network

Last year there were several requests from Eastern European participants for teaching on war trauma and domestic abuse. These are common experiences in many countries and so we have responded to this request and included the closely related topics of sexual abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Diane Langberg is uniquely qualified to address all these topics in depth. (We should really spend a whole day on each one but we will have to be content with an overview!) She has counselled many victims of sexual abuse and has written books for counsellors and victims. She has also counselled families dealing with domestic abuse and has helped many Christian leaders deal with issues of the abuse of power. She is now spearheading a team to teach counselling of PTSD in the violence-torn country of Rwanda. She is also a wonderful student and teacher of scripture and will help us relate biblical and secular wisdom in counselling.

We have chosen familiar and popular topics for the general workshops, Pre-Forum and Post-Forum Seminars.

Your Commitment / Covenant to Complete the Pre-Conference Reading

The book Counseling Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Diane Langberg, Xulon Press (2003) is an excellent book that should be read by all Counsellors Network participants before coming to the Forum. 

Review for Counseling Survivors of Sexual Abuse

“I highly recommend this book to anyone who is working with survivors of sexual abuse. Langberg has great insight and experience in working with survivors and this book has helped me tremendously in helping women overcome and heal from the horrible effects of childhood sexual abuse.” -  Susan Adams

The book Trauma and Recovery: From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror by Judith Herman, Rivers Oram Press/Pandora List (2001) is an additional recommend reading for all Counsellors Network participants before coming to the Forum.

Review for Trauma and Recovery

“This book comes across like a textbook in places - but it is probably the most comforting and most worn book in my collection. This is a great resource for anyone who is working through Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - or who loves someone who is. I found great comfort in her use of the research that has been done to date on this disorder. This book delves into all communities of PTSD that have been researched to date - this includes war veterans, rape victims, disaster survivors, etc. It is fascinating to see the similarities and the differences between these groups and the various manifestations of PTSD among them. It also offers some good ideas and advice for progressing through recovery.

I learned much about myself as I read this book. Well worth the cost and time to read it - I will always have it in my library - and refer to it often.” -Judy Skubal

Participants from Western Europe will need to obtain these books on their own, while participants from Eastern, Central, and Southern Europe will have these books mailed to them as part of their partial scholarship to attend the Forum.

Richard Winter is the leader of the European Christian Counsellors Network. He is currently Professor of Practical Theology and Director of Covenant Seminary’s counselling program. Richard is British and, before coming to Covenant, served as a worker at the English L'Abri Fellowship. He is a qualified clinical physician with a specialty in psychiatry who served as Senior Resident in Psychiatry at Bristol General Hospital in England. As an elder, he has served in a variety of ministry and leadership roles in the church. He is the author of The Roots of Sorrow: Reflections on Depression and Hope, Choose Life: A Christian Perspective on Abortion and Embryo Experimentation and Still Bored in a Culture of Entertainment.

Diane Langberg is a practicing psychologist whose clinical expertise includes 35 years of working with trauma survivors and clergy. She is director of Diane Langberg, PhD & Associates, a group practice in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is a faculty member of Westminster Theological Seminary.  She is the author of Counsel for Pastors’ Wives (Zondervan), Counseling Survivors of Sexual Abuse (Xulon Press) and On the Threshold of Hope: Opening the Door to Healing for Survivors of Sexual Abuse (Tyndale House). She is Chair of the Executive Board of the American Association of Christian Counselors, serves on the boards of GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in a Christian Environment) and the Society for Christian Psychology. She is also the founder of The Place of Refuge, an inner city, non-profit trauma and training center. 

Glynn Harrison is Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Bristol, England and a retired clinical psychiatrist. His research was focused in the psychotic disorders and evidence-based practice, for which he was awarded numerous research grants. He has acted as an Adviser to the World Health Organization and UK Department of Health. He is a Lay Minister in the Anglican Church and frequently lectures and gives seminars on biblical aspects of counselling and the interface between faith and mental health.

Eric Bobbitt is a pastor of Zionsville Fellowship in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.  With a MA in Counseling Psychology and a MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, he directs the pastoral care and counselling ministries, along with providing leadership in men’s discipleship.  His service in a variety of settings includes university ministry, substance abuse residential treatment, public school counselling and pastoral ministry.  He and his wife Jan have five children.

Day 1

Lecture and Discussion: Counselling Victims of Domestic Violence

Diane Langberg

Violence in the home is a major health and development issues worldwide.  For many it invades or dominates the “sanctity” of the home – even so-called Christian homes.  In this seminar we will consider verbal, emotional and physical abuse in the home, the impact of such abuse and what a godly response from the counsellor might look like.

Day 2

Lecture and Discussion: Counselling Victims of Sexual Violence

Diane Langberg

Global statistics suggest that one in three females and one in six males will be victims of sexual violence at some point in their lives.  This seminar will focus on how to counsel victims who have endured the trauma of sexual abuse. We will learn about the different types of sexual abuse, the impact of such abuse long term, what kinds of family systems tend to allow for abuse and the spiritual impact of sexual abuse in a life.

Day 3

Lecture and Discussion: Counselling Victims of War Trauma

Diane Langberg

Many soldiers and civilians suffer long term from the trauma of war.  Multiple losses, horrific images, human cruelty and the constant threat of death often result in severe post-traumatic stress disorder.  We will discuss PTSD, its long term effects, how traumatic memories continue to impact lives and what counseling can contribute to helping soldiers or civilians begin to heal.

Day 4

Case Studies and Group Discussions

There will be small and large group discussion based on participant case studies on sexual abuse, domestic abuse, war trauma and PTSD. 

All participants will submit at least one case study on these topics in writing (by e-mail) to Richard Winter by 30 April.  Not all case studies will be presented to the group but hopefully the exercise will facilitate discussion after the lectures on the first three days as well as the final day’s discussion. The last hour of the final day will be reflection on the Forum and plans for next year.

Evening Plenary:

Leadership, Authority and Power in the Church and Home

Diane Langberg

The proper and godly use of power and influence in the Christian home and in the church will be considered in light of the example and teachings of our Lord to whom all power has been given.  We will first come to an understanding of what power is and how we use it as well as consider various ways in which we can abuse our God-given power and bring harm to the sheep we have been called to shepherd.  Finally, we will consider what power that is redemptive looks like in the life of a leader.

Pre-Forum Seminars:

Understanding and Dealing with Addiction

Richard Winter

If we are honest, many of us struggle with addiction to alcohol, nicotine, pain-killers, sleeping pills, pornography, sex, other drugs or food. If not outright addiction, then we are living on the edge of it.  We are prone to misuse God’s good gifts in order to dull the pain of life in a fallen and very broken world.  Once caught in this vicious cycle we find it very difficult to escape and often destroy ourselves in the process. We become willing to sacrifice anything and anybody for the relief of pain.  Addiction is associated with much denial and self-deception. Many people in our churches are struggling with this problem and do not know where to turn for help when they become honest enough to admit they have a problem.

In this seminar we will attempt to answer the following questions: 1. What is addiction? 2. What types of addiction are most common? 3. Why do people become addicted? 4. Is there a difference between the way men and women become addicted?  5. How do we recover from addiction? 6. How do we help others to recover? 7. How does the Bible talk about addiction?  8. How does addiction relate to the biblical concepts of slavery and idolatry? 9. Is there a difference between Christian and secular counselling for addiction?  10. How do we help ourselves to resist addiction and live in Christian freedom?

Post-Forum Seminar:

Sense and Sexuality: Searching for Sexual Sanity in a Confusing Culture

Richard Winter

Sex is a powerful force for either creativity, love and goodness, or destructiveness, deceit and evil. Sex can give us a taste of heaven or hell.  The Bible has a wonderfully high view of sexuality - our sexuality is designed to give us a taste of relationship with God. How are we brainwashed by the vivid and powerful cultural messages about sex and our bodies? What has the Bible to say about how we should care for our bodies? What has the Bible to say about sexuality in a world where “anything goes?” What is the relevance of the incarnation, resurrection and union of Christ with the church to our sexuality?  How can we move towards purity in singleness and marriage? Now that the overwhelming flood of pornography is so easily available on the Internet, most young men and women are learning about sex, love, women and relationships in all the wrong places.  How can we protect ourselves and help those caught in sexual compulsion and addiction?

General Workshops

In the World But Not of It: The Christian Family and Culture

Eric Bobbitt

Despite biblical teaching and the best of intentions, many Christian families lack the actual manner of living that corresponds to the scriptural pattern.  The surrounding culture’s forms, priorities and values are threatening to shape family more than biblical purposes.  To help participants gain a perspective on the pervasive power of culture, a case study of the dynamics and challenges faced by the American family will be briefly presented.  Participants will be encouraged to make a basic evaluation of the trends and pressures encountered by the families in their culture in order to call families to faithfulness in their time and place.

Understanding Spiritual Experience: A Scientific and Theological Investigation

Glynn Harrison

‘Spiritual’ and ‘other world’ experiences are not confined to people with religious faith: fifteen percent of people have heard voices; hundreds of thousands of Americans say they have been abducted by aliens; and conspiracy theorists attract huge followings. We will review recent developments in the neurosciences that show how, as ‘sense-making creatures’, we are innately disposed, at an intuitive level of cognition, to think that there are unseen connections, patterns and forces inhabiting the world. These insights bring both challenges and opportunities for Christian apologetics and we will ask how we can begin to discern what is authentically Christian in spiritual and supernatural experience.

Goodbye to Self-Esteem and All That: How To Stop Comparing and Judging Yourself and Embrace Your Biblical Identity

Glynn Harrison

This workshop builds on last year with a more practical emphasis, but will be fully accessible to first-timers. Over the past 30 years we have witnessed the rise and fall of the self-esteem movement, although the concept continues to be popular with self-help gurus, educationalists and with many Christian authors.  We will review the potential hazards of trying to ‘build’ self esteem, whether we are using secular or so called ‘Christian’ models, and explore how biblical teaching on identity provides an alternative framework for pastoral care and counsel.

The New Psychology of Gratitude: Discover the Radical Biblical Formula for Contentment

Glynn Harrison

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder” (G. K Chesterton). Gratitude is a major theme of scripture, especially in the psalms and the writings of Paul, and yet remains a relatively unexplored dimension of Christian thought and spiritual experience. As a mental phenomenon it has been virtually ignored by the psychological sciences until now. In this workshop we explore recent developments in the new psychological field of ‘gratitude studies’. And we focus on the potential health gains of building a grateful disposition nested in a Christian theology of ‘thanksgiving’.

Men in Church: How to Grow Confidence and Maturity in Faith and Leadership

Glynn Harrison

Surveys of religious trends show a marked deterioration in the church-going ‘gender gap’ over the last few decades. Other data suggest that those men who do attend are less involved and complain about feeling marginalised. In this workshop we will examine claims that the feminisation of our spiritual and cultural life is deeply entrenched in western Christianity, including in much of the evangelical tradition. We will explore specific strategies focused on re-balancing the ‘masculine’ in evangelical spirituality, men-friendly Christian rites of passage and the crucial role of mentoring and leadership.

How the Church Can Minister to Those Who Suffer

Diane Langberg

We live in a fallen and often chaotic world and many are suffering in our midst. The body of Christ is called to follow her Head by entering into the sufferings of others bearing His fragrance.  In this workshop we will learn what it means to be in crisis and specifics about how to come alongside in a helpful, healing way.  We will also consider the cost to the caregivers and how they can care for themselves so they will not burnout.

Understanding and Coping with Loss and Grief

Richard Winter

Loss and death are a major part of life in a fallen world. How should we respond? Is there a normal pattern of grief? What circumstances affect our grieving? The Bible tells many stories of painful loss. Does it give guidelines for how we grieve? Can we be full of sorrow yet have joy at the same time? We will address all these questions in this workshop as we discuss how to understand and cope with loss and grief.

Wrestling with Worry, Anxiety and Fear

Richard Winter

We all struggle against worry and anxiety, some to a greater degree than others.  Is it sinful to be afraid and to worry? What does the Bible have to say about dealing with day to day anxiety? Does the gospel set us free from worry?  What can we say to those who suffer from phobias, panic attacks, OCD or PTSD? What is the place of counseling and medication? We will address with all these questions in this workshop as we discuss wrestling with worry, anxiety and fear.

Breaking the Power of Pornography

Richard Winter

Sexuality is a wonderful gift from God but has great potential for evil if it is abused. Now that pornography is so easily available on the Internet, most young men and women are learning about sex, love, women and relationships in all the wrong places. It is claimed that it is harmless and educational but, many fall prey to addiction. Many marriages are profoundly impacted by pornography, leaving significant scars on the relationship or sometimes completely destroying it. How can we remain pure when there are temptations all around us? How can we protect ourselves and help people break free from sexual addiction? We will address all these questions in this workshop as we discuss how to break the power of pornography.

Counselling for Sexual Problems in Marriage

Richard Winter

Many couples think they know all about sex because they have been educated by movies, magazines and pornography. Other couples have been scarred by abuse and promiscuity. Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation surrounding this topic, but many couples can be helped by basic teaching regarding the differences between men and women and the importance of safety and trust for a good sexual relationship.  It is also important to understand the effects of abuse and premarital sex. The Bible’s rich teaching on sexuality is very practical, and we will delve into this teaching in this workshop.