Companions in Hope: The Art of Christian Caring

This book is a great asset for teaching both at a graduate course in pastoral counselling and in a parish setting for lay care-givers. It gets to the point and offers people a clear way they can be there for each other in helpful manner without being professional counsellors. I am so happy to see that this title has been resurrected. Wicks is the best!

I was fortunate to hear Thomas Rodgerson give a talk at an interfaith training course on caregiving. I was so moved and inspired by his comments that I ran right out and bought this book, which expands on many of the things he said during his talk. Being a natural rescuer type, I have always had a tendency to reach out to hurting people wherever I meet them, and this book has provided me with some invaluable tools in doing so. I've turned to it again and again as a reference during my dealings with people in crisis or just people who need someone to talk to. A good subtitle for this book could be, "How to Listen," and I wish it could be required reading for caregivers of all types. It is especially useful in being of help to people who are depressed, and I have used the things I learned from the book in depression forums on the Web with very good results. The best thing I got from reading this book is an understanding of how to get out of the way and let God work through me in other peoples' lives. Now I don't feel so much like I need to "fix" anyone or say just the right thing or take responsibility for saving someone. The book is written from a Christian perspective, but the methods described in this book would work for anyone. Read this book along with Henry Nouwen's "Wounded Healer" for indispensable help if you find yourself in a position of caring for those who hurt (and don't we all end up in that position at some point in our lives?)