Did they also tell you you had to accept abortion? incest? abuse? Kids come with all sorts of baggage that a counselor must “accept”.
Perhaps your professors’ use of the word “accept” meant that we must accept the child in whatever form they come…homosexual or not. As a counselor, I must accept where the client is at that point in their life and work with them toward whatever goal they want to pursue. I must accept THEM as a whole package; it does not mean I have to agree with or espouse their choices or way of life. Goodness knows many clients do not make choices that I personally would accept for myself.
My job as a school counselor is to help the student/client to improve their way of life from their perspective, not mine. Do I encourage homosexuality, abortion, etc.? Of course not, knowing the psychological difficulties that stem from them. Do I judge a student who is in the midst of or has repercussions from those experiences? Of course not. I help them from the point of crisis to a more fully functional way of life (again, from their perspective, not mine). Your job as a counselor is to put yourself in your client’s shoes and help them walk toward health. You wouldn’t have to tell a homosexual student that they were “wrong”, but you could help them realize how the choices they are making are putting them at risk for a lot of unhealthy consequences (physical as well as mental).
Every day, I have to remind myself that “this is not about ME”; this is about meeting the student/client where they are at and holding their hand (figuratively) while they work toward health. I can suggest a path and offer them new skills along the way, but their choices are their own and I must honor that. Do I privately pray for them? You bet! Do inwardly I ask the Holy Spirit to help guide them? Absolutely! Do I pray that the Holy Spirit guides MY words and actions so that I can participate in God’s will for this person? Yes.
Integrating faith and counseling can be done, and you will find your own personal style that you are comfortable with. It takes practice and a lot of prayer, but it will come.
