Kitchen Table Counseling: A Practical and Biblical Guide for Women Helping Others

Total pun intended! This book is such a great guide for your normal day-to-day counseling. It 100% described the kind of counseling I find myself doing and dreaming about doing in my home. It is an inspiration to women who feel like they are trying to find their place in the church, might be stay at home moms or work from home wives. It is informative and practical! One of my favorite books to write a book report on for my college counseling class. I recommend it to those who have a heart to open their home to hearts that hurt. It is the sort of book you can read multiple times and still get more out of it!

I have read a myriad of books on relationships, counseling, women's issues, ministering to women, etc., but I was surprised to find that THIS one actually lives up to its claim of being practical and biblical. This book proves that any woman with compassion can be an effective counselor because they are simply facilitating biblical wisdom to the listener. I love how strong Muriel's spirit is. She doesn't give up on people and she doesn't let those she counsels become a drag on her time or her marriage. She is an excellent study of a woman called to ministry because she has wonderful boundaries. Reading this book gave me important tools on how to minister to anyone without letting them become dependent on me, minister to people who are going through things I've never experienced, and minister in such a way that the people you are trying to help are not your mission in life but your mission is to show people Jesus. I loved this book. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn how to serve the church or who just wants to learn how to give good, biblical advice to those in need.

Do you find yourself listening to strangers pour out the details of their divorce as your ride the bus commuting to work? Do women stop you at church and want to "vent" about their latest go-around with their mothers-in law? If so, you may have the gift of counseling. Unfortunately, many with this gift fumble around for the words and Scripture to help people. Kitchen Table Counseling is a concise training manual for those hard issues we hear when people bear their souls. Written by Muriel L. Cook and her daughter Shelley Cook Volkhardt, this book shares a myriad of counseling stories. The Cooks were missionaries to China for 14 years and now trek all over the country as popular keynote speakers for retreats. Currently Muriel serves as Counselor-at-Large at Multnomah Bible College. Shelly, also a missionary, co-authored the book, Holy Habits. This mother-daughter team has combined their years of experience in mentoring women, to teach the lay person how to bring a woman from crisis mode to discipleship mode. The book begins with six principles a KTC (Kitchen Table Counselor) uses: (1) ask for God's guidance; (2) lance the boil; (3) meet her felt need; (4) take her to Jesus; (5) believe for her; (6) help her become independently dependent. In the second section, Muriel and Shelly delve into some of the more common problems encountered with those ministering to woman. Depression, difficult relatives, temptation in a marriage, and pornography are only a few of the difficult subjects tackled. Always practical (for example, where and when is the best place to meet), this book gives women a how-to lesson. One of the most helpful parts of the whole book shows the different steps taken when working through a problem. Few of us have time for intense counseling training. Many of us have friends and acquaintances in our life who need our help. Muriel and Shelly have helped equip the church to comfort and motivate hurting women, and for this I give God great thanks! - Carol Stratten, Christian Book Previews.com

I highly recommend this book especially for those involved with women's ministry. It is very practical and easy to read. The authors explain that the root of many problems is unforgiveness and the book includes an excellent forgiveness exercise. It then has chapters for many of the issues that women face. I especially appreciated suggestions for balancing ministry and family. This book is a great resource!