Since I’m doing more counseling this season, thought I’d share…
Five (5 1/2) questions I always ask when counseling folks:

Where do you see yourself in your own story? (assuming they can see their story and believe they are one!)
What’s the next chapter?
What are the current and past blocks to walking into the next chapter?
Where are you spiritually alive and growing?
How do you interpret your life?
What is your “upper story” for interpreting—your grand narrative?
How does your story fit into that grander narrative?

After prayer beforehand, I always start there, and see what emerges in conversation! I usually use the arts in counseling, asking folks to make some art about where they are now, and what they see next. An image of now and next helps!

If they are blocked, often the art in collaboration with The Spirit, will by pass it and give them an image of the next season, so they can move forward, or work on removing the blocks themselves. The more I counsel people, the more i see the same patterns. What a joy to help someone move forward in their narratives! It’s been my chief joy lately!