Short-term Counselors in Urban China

Job Description

Counseling is an area which lacks resources and training in China. In urban China, in particular, people have come from all over the country to find 'a better life'. Along the way, some bad decisions may lead people into life situations that leave them feeling helpless. Others have difficulty dealing with the circumstances that they have found themselves in. All of these people need, not only someone to turn to, but Jesus.

As a trained counselor, you would be an excellent resource, not only to counsel people in various life situations, but also in providing training to locals who work with these people in the long-term. With a vision to reach all sectors of society, there are opportunities to counsel people in marginalized communities such as women who previously worked in the sex industry, people afflicted with long-term illness, and people living with disabilities and their families. As you serve as a channel of God's grace to them, we also hope that you will get a taste of what God is doing in urban China.

China's cities will hold 1 billion people by 2030, and have lately seen migration of unprecedented proportions. In this city of over 10 million people, you will be living in one of China's second tier cities, and as people pour into cities such as this one, they become not only homes to massive communities of people from all parts of China, but also mixing pots of all levels of society. The result: chaotic, traffic-filled, polluted cities, that are filled with people who need to, and long to, know that they have been created and have value. With this longing, these cities of the urban billion become home to people who are very open to the gospel, and want to know what it is that fills Jesus-followers with such certain hope.

Responsibilities

- Providing counseling support to specific projects that serve people from marginalized backgrounds (including those previously in the sex industry, people with physical disabilities, people living with sexually transmitted disease)
- Providing training to long term local workers in order to help them provide longer-term counseling support for these projects
- Possibly working on short-term projects (such as creating a telephone counseling service helpline)

Qualifications

- Counseling training and relevant experience
- Some degree of Mandarin language ability is useful

Living Situations

Other useful qualities:
- Willingness to learn, listen, and take direction from others
- Non-judging, grace-filled attitude
- Attitude of flexibility
- Willingness to love people who are not always easy to love and serve people who don't always appreciate you