We are living through a globally significant time. Whatever ‘normal life’ was for us prior to March 2020 will almost certainly not return. Not that we will never again embrace our friends and family or will always be queuing outside the supermarket but the world will look and feel different. Many areas of life will have changed. Employment opportunities, travel, immigration, political relationships, to name a few, will all be affected and on top of that there will be many who will be facing the future without a loved one due to the virus. This can be a very unsettling prospect.
It is clearly understood by the health professionals that the measures being taken to safeguard our physical health can themselves lead to a deterioration in our mental health. We were created as relational beings. Physical, relational, emotional and spiritual contact between us is essential for our continued wellbeing. The longer we are deprived of it the greater risk of damage, particularly to the young who are unable to understand why they can’t simply play with their friends or visit their granny.
Relationships, which were already under some form of strain, may find a period of enforced ‘togetherness’ an even greater burden. Those relationships which had already deteriorated into physical animosity may further descend into violence. It is not a comforting picture but very many people are aware of the negative influences upon society at present and are doing what they can to help and the staff and counsellors of Christian Guidelines are among them.
Christian Guidelines was established to provide a service to those in need around us, a service that is firmly based upon the Word of God and seeks to bring healing and wholeness into individual lives and marriage relationship. The service is still available, though provided in a different way during this Covid 19 lockdown. Our office has temporarily ‘re-located’ and can still be contacted by telephone or email.
We cannot provide face to face counselling but we can offer telephone support to those who may need some contact with a counsellor while waiting for the face to face sessions to recommence. In situations considered particularly urgent we can arrange for online counselling. These are temporary provisions to address the current crisis and will be withdrawn once we are able to re-open our counselling facilities.
Please understand that this is not a ‘telephone helpline’ service. The process to access our services has not changed. Application is made by contacting our office to request a Self-Referral Form which can be supplied online or through the post. It can be returned online or by post and once received it will be assessed by our Counselling Co-Ordinator to determine the most appropriate form of help we can provide.