Presbyterian Church in Ireland - Mission Overseas - INDIA: Gujarat Diocesan Counselling Centre provides a vital and much needed ministry

16th August 2010

Set up almost a decade ago, the Church of North India’s Diocesan Counselling Centre, based in Ahmedabad in Gujarat, provides a vital healing ministry to individuals and families who are in need of help with major difficulties or deep personal issues.

Since its inception, the Diocesan Counselling Centre has been run by Rev Julias Khristy and his wife, Anita, who, supported by Presbyterian Mission Overseas, spent a year (1999-2000) together in Belfast training in Counselling, and gaining practical skills and experience.

Through its dedicated staff, the counselling centre is helping to bring lasting healing and restoration to the lives of the many people who come seeking help with a wide variety of needs.

In one recent case...

A seven year old boy arrived at the centre with his parents. They had been referred for counselling by their pastor. The parents looked very worried, quickly explaining to the staff that for the past eight months their only son had been severely troubled by something very strange. Though the boy was brave, intelligent and enjoyed life, this strange experience had been disturbing him very badly.  As he slept at night, in his dreams everything suddenly became huge. Fear created by these distorted images caused him at first to shiver, then become feverish. As a result, he had been hospitalised more than 10 times in a matter of just a few months.

While one counsellor talked to his parents, the boy was counselled by another. As soon as the young boy was taken aside, he began to talk openly and in graphic detail about his terrifying experiences. It transpired that he was addicted to watching TV; in particular, a large number of cartoons. The cartoon images appeared in his dreams but greatly enlarged, causing him to become frightened and feverish. Thankfully, using a simple therapy technique, the counsellor was able help the boy and within a week his parents reported back to say that he hadn’t had any reoccurrence of the bad dreams. This young buy continues to receive therapy, to ensure long-term healing and full restoration to normality.

This is just one ‘success story’, an example of how the Gujarat Diocesan Counselling Centre is providing much-needed help to people in need of specialist counselling.

Anita Khristy writes:

“In July, a variety of people came for counselling with a total of 32 receiving 35 hours’ of counselling. Those who benefitted from this help, included children, couples, young people, families and senior citizens. A number of people from other faiths were among those who were counselled.

We recently had the privilege of attending a Christian Counsellor’s Network in Hyderabad, which has opened the door for us to touch the lives of many more who are in need, people who we’ve not been able to reach before.”

Within the next month, it is hoped to start a counselling course for people from other faiths. This is a major development and a new challenge for the Khristys and the team of counsellors who work with them.

They covert prayer for wisdom and sensitivity as they develop this new arm of their ministry, and ask for continued prayer for the ongoing counselling ministry.

More on: Church of North India (CNI)

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