Ouachita’s Counseling Conference to tackle “Depression” Feb. 26
February 10, 2016
- Rachel GaddisOuachita Baptist University’s Pruet School of Christian Studies will host the sixth
annual Conference on Issues in Christian Counseling Friday, Feb. 26, in Walker Conference
Center. Highlighting the issue of “Depression,” the 2016 conference is sponsored by
Ouachita, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and the Arkansas Baptist State
Convention.
A new feature of this year’s conference will be an opening ministers banquet to be
held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25, also in Walker. An additional ministry focus
is an afternoon breakout session option on applying counseling skills to current youth
issues for youth ministers.
The keynote speaker for both the ministers banquet and the conference is Dr. Frank
Page, president and chief executive officer of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive
Committee. He is the author of several books and publications, including his family’s
personal journey shared in Melissa: A Father’s Lessons from a Daughter’s Suicide.
Event coordinator Dr. William Viser, professor of Christian ministries at Ouachita,
said he hopes “the conference will de-stigmatize the problem of depression in the
church and give pastors, professionals and nurses more effective tools for dealing
with an individual’s depression.”
“We need all the trained professionals that we can get into the field to deal with
the overwhelming problem of depression today,” Viser added.
Continuing Education credit approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors
(NBCC) is available to licensed alcohol and abuse, professional and marriage and family
counselors; national career counselors; nursing professionals; and social work professionals.
In addition to professionals and pastors, the conference is open to their spouses
and full-time college students.
The conference is scheduled to begin on Friday at 8 a.m. The day will consist of two
large group sessions, and participants also will have the opportunity to attend breakout
sessions of their choice.
Following Page’s keynote, morning breakout session topics include “Ethical Considerations
with Therapy-Resistant Clients” and “Darkness to Light.”
Another large group session, titled “When Helping You Is Killing Me: Recognizing the
Pitfalls of Caregivers and What the Caregiver Can Do about Them,” will be led by Viser
during lunch.
Afternoon breakout sessions topics include “Depression and Counseling for People of
Faith,” “Depression: Illness or Choice,” “Cultural and Social Construct Influences
on Depression and Individual Responses,” “Pharmacotherapeutic Management of Depression,”
“Dark Nights and Depression: Exploring Salutary Depression for Believers,” “Pastoral
Care of the Depressed Person,” “Test Everything and Hold onto What Is Good: Using
Christian Cognitive Therapy for Treating Depression in Teens” and “Ministry Skills
for Youth Ministers.”
Registration for the banquet and conference are available at www.obu.edu/iccconf16. The cost for the ministers banquet is $10, which includes dinner and one copy of
Page’s book, Melissa: A Father’s Lesson from a Daughter’s Suicide. The cost for the conference is $100 for mental health professionals, nurses and
social workers; $70 for pastors and youth ministers; and $20 for full-time students
and spouses of participants. The registration fee includes up to seven NBCC clock
hours, a certificate of attendance, handouts for sessions attended, morning and afternoon
snacks and lunch. Late fees will apply for registrations after Feb. 19.
For more information, contact Tracey Knight at (870) 245-5599 or [email protected].
By Rachel Gaddis
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