Ouachita’s 2019 Issues in Christian Counseling Conference discusses family issues
March 01, 2019
- Madison CresswellOuachita Baptist University’s Pruet School of Christian Studies hosted the ninth annual
Conference on Issues in Christian Counseling on Friday, Feb. 22, on Ouachita’s campus.
The conference, which was sponsored by Ouachita, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
and the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, brought together 170 mental health professionals,
social workers, nurses and ministers to discuss the topic of “Family Issues.”
“Just a casual glance at statistics shows that families are encountering growing problems
today,” said Dr. Bill Viser, professor of Christian ministries at Ouachita and conference
organizer. “We feel this conference on family issues will definitely help the professionals
address these issues in a significant way for the families they see.”
“Through the conference, I wanted to gain a better understanding of working with families,
especially different types of families,” said Alicia Milton, licensed professional
counselor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. “In this generation,
we have more blended families than we ever had before, and it’s something everyone
should gain more knowledge about.”
In years’ past, the conference has given attention to issues in marriage, adolescent
issues, alcohol and drug abuse, depression and anxiety, to name a few. The conference
is approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) for continuing education
credit. Eight NBCC hours were available for Licensed Alcohol and Abuse Counselors,
Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, National
Career Counselors (NBCC), Nursing Professionals and Social Work Professionals who
attended all approved sessions.
Breakout sessions included “The Impact of Society on the Family,” “Ethical Decision-Making
and Emotions,” “Stronger Together: Trauma Recovery in Family Context,” “Truth, Honesty
and Openness: The Psychology of Will Shuts Applied to Family Therapy,” “Building Healthy
Christian Marriages and Families,” “Blending Families: Obstacles and Opportunities,”
“Suffer the Children: Helping Children and Families Navigate Crisis and Trauma,” “Working
with Families of Individuals Diagnosed with Serious Mental Illness: A Systems Approach”
and “Turning ‘The Talk’ Into a Conversation.” Breakout sessions specific to pastors
and ministers included “The Family and Technology,” “Counseling Children and Families
in Crisis,” “Helping Families Build Trust,” “The Healthy Family” and “Q&A on Topics
and Issues Related to Pastoral Counseling.”
Guest speakers for the counseling track included Craig Garrett, Larry Henderson, Ian
Jones, Elizabeth Kelly, Michael Kelly, Jeff Nave, Aaron New, Gerald Nissley and Kathy
Steele. Speakers for the pastoral track included James Barham, Hunter Bramlitt, Derek
Brown, Garrick Conner, Aamie Mason, Aaron New and Ryan Ropp.
Dr. Viser led the lunch session, “So You’ve Been Subpoenaed to Court: What to Know
About Being an Expert Witness” and explained how to testify in court as a mental health
therapist.
“You will be successful as long as you take cases you believe in, are familiar with
your notes and know that you don’t have to break therapist confidentiality,” he noted.
Students pursuing related fields of study also were invited to attend.
“In class we have talked about the importance of having a strong support system starting
with the family,” said Blaine Miller, a sophomore Christian studies/Christian ministry
major from North Little Rock, Ark. Miller is a student in Dr. Viser’s Christian Counseling
class at Ouachita and attended the conference. “Recently we have been discussing issues
children and teenagers can develop such as anxiety, depression, and anger that can
come from growing up in a broken or troubled home. A lot of the information that was
taught at the conference relates to what we learn in Dr. Viser's class.”
For more information, contact Mary Farley, administrative assistant in Ouachita’s
Pruet School of Christian Studies, at (870) 245-5599 or [email protected].
By Madison Cresswell
March 1, 2019
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