An interview with Charis counselors Bill Bodio and Sheree Harrington
In 2007, a friend of Charis Counseling interviewed two of our counselors, Bill Bodio and Sheree Harrington, to learn more about who they are and what a Christian counselor does. Now, with the launching of this new website, we thought it would be interesting to dig out the interview and post it online.
Bill Bodio is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LHMC) and has a Masters in Education. He has worked at the main Charis Counseling Center in Middleboro, MA for 13 years. Sheree Harrington is licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) and an ordained minister, with a Masters in Divinity (M.Div.) from Gordon Conwell-Seminary. Sheree currently works in the Auburn, MA office of Charis.
Let’s listen in on this past interview…
What mental health contexts have you worked in before? and why do you now choose to work at Charis?
BILL: I have worked in probably every conceivable mental health context. I’ve worked with the chronically ill, I’ve done extensive work with addiction, I’ve worked in the public sector at an outpatient clinic… but its only been the last 12 years that I’ve worked in a “faith-integrated” sector.
I decided to come to Charis because I became really aware that the medical model (of psychotherapy) was really reductionist and had some real limitations. For example, it looked at all suffering as pathological and as something that we should try to get rid of as fast as possible. But as a Christian, I believe that some suffering can be a grace and that we need to find ways to find meaning in our pain, as well as joy.
SHEREE: Let’s see… I’ve worked in community health settings, I’ve worked at a children’s psychiatric hospital, and I’ve worked with kids who are physically challenged. What was missing from those sectors was the ability to express my faith and to work with people who share my faith.
What kind of cases do you find most fulfilling to work with?
BILL: The most fulfilling cases are ones that are challenging, when the individual is resistant to change, or the complexity of the case is high, but you hang in there and in the end, develop a genuine and authentic relationship with the individual that leads to growth and healing.
SHEREE: I like to work with women who are struggling to find their identity in Christ. Many of them come in with anxiety and depression. It is most fulfilling to see them move from not having an identity (in Christ) to claiming that identity and really realizing how much value they have in Christ.
What roles do prayer and Scripture play in your counseling?
BILL: I like to stress that all of what we do needs to be viewed as an instrument of prayer. All of our daily routines, all of the things we care about, can be approached through prayer.
SHEREE: For me personally, it is important to gear myself up for counseling everyday by praying and asking God to allow me to encourage people where they need encouragement, challenge people where they need to be challenge, plant seeds of faith in the lives of people who are not Christians, and build up those people that are (Christians).
During counseling, I typically open and close a session with prayer, but I always ask the client first. Not everyone is at the same place spiritually, not even among Christians. As for Scripture, I try to use it when appropriate. If it fits with what we’re talking about, or if I can weave it in somewhere, I will.
If I am working with someone who is not a Christian, I make an effort to meet those people where they are. I don’t proselytize or beat them into accepting Christ. I can weave Christian principles into my counseling without saying Jesus or God in every sentence. The client figures out pretty quick that I’m not trying to pedal something.
Great post again mate. I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there. It doesn’t have to be hard yet mose people fail to realize the basics.