The Inner Life of the Counselor

Praise for The Inner Life of the Counselor "Robert Wicks helps counselors to create a place of light within, as well as a nurturing spirit that sustains us in the places of darkness through which we all must pass at times. . . . He allows us to embrace and nourish our inner life so we as counselors may live both mindfully and with a greater sense of meaning . . . [and] underscores the importance of cleansing our reflections so we can avoid 'contamination' of those we care for and not lose our sense of meaning and mission as helpers in the process." —Bradley T. Erford, PhD ; President, American Counseling Association (2012–2013); author, Orientation to the Counseling Profession and Transforming the School Counseling Profession "Robert Wicks has skillfully drawn out practical learning from the wisdom traditions of the world that illuminates the precious nature of this healing space." —David Brazier , author, Zen Therapy "Robert Wicks takes the reader on a journey exploring The Inner Life of the Counselor and the vast wealth that exists in silence. Once again, he reminds us that the strength of the counselor is in bringing equanimity and an open heart to our life and work, forged through our capacity to sit with ourselves in meditation." —Cheryl A. Giles, PsyD , Francis Greenwood Peabody Professor of the Practice in Pastoral Care and Counseling, Harvard Divinity School "In The Inner Life of the Counselor , Wicks challenges each of us as counselors, in his straightforward yet profound way, to revisit the landscape of the inner horizon to access not only our knowledge, but also our innate wisdom as healers." —Craig S. Cashwell, PhD, LPC, NCC, ACS, CSAT , Professor of Counseling and Educational Development, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro; coeditor, Integrating Spirituality and Religion into Counseling, Second Edition

In That Place of Sanity: The Inner Life of the Counselor ix 1 Creating Space Within 1 2 Valuing and Accessing Alonetime 19 3 Recognizing the Cues of Subtle “Mindlessness” 45 4 Learning the Art of Leaning Back 65 5 Experiencing a New Type of Counselor Self–Nurturance 91 6 Alonetime as a University: Honoring the Wisdom of Mentors of Mindfulness 121 Appendix: Retreat and Reflect: Enjoying a 149 Fresh Experience of Your Own Inner Life A Brief Final Comment on a Counselor’s 173 Inner Renewal in Alonetime About the Author 175 Recommended Readings 177 References 179 Bibliography 185 Permissions 191 Acknowledgments 193 Author Index 195 Subject Index 197

Dr. ROBERT J. WICKS received his doctorate in psychology from Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia. Presently, he is a professor at Loyola University Maryland. He has spoken on Capitol Hill to members of Congress and their Chiefs of Staff, and at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the Mayo Clinic, and Harvard's Children's Hospital on his major area of expertise: the prevention of secondary stress. He has also addressed thousands of educators and professionals, spoken at the FBI Academy, and addressed caregivers in China, Vietnam, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and South Africa. In his practice, Dr. Wicks focuses on working with psychotherapists, physicians, nurses, educators, relief workers, lawyers, corporate executives, persons in full-time ministry, and members of the military. He has published over forty-five books for both professionals and the general public, and is the coauthor, with Mary Beth Werdel, of Primer on Posttraumatic Growth: An Introduction and Guide (Wiley). Visit his website at robertjwicks.com.