CLERGY COUNSELOR INTERVIEWS 1
Final Project: Part 2 – Clergy and Counselor Interviews
Michelle Topal
School of Education, Liberty University
CLERGY COUNSELOR INTERVIEWS 2
Final Project: Part 2 – Clergy and Counselor Interviews
C Member Interview
Clergy Member’s Name Blake Finuf
Affiliation with
Religious Institution or
Organization
Connections Director – Grace Church
Years of Service in the
Clergy Role 20 years
Describe Your
Relationship With the
Clergy Member
Family through marriage
C Member Interview Questionnaire
1. What is the greatest challenge in working with students?
Pastor Finuf states that every student has a different way of understanding and
processing all information. Some may understand both actual and spiritual concepts quickly,
while for others it takes more time. You need to be understanding and adaptable as things may
need to be explained in different ways. It is usually best to put concepts in a manner that
reflects the real world. If students can understand it on this level, there is a much better chance
of active participation. The most important thing to remember is that everyone is different and
so patience is key when working with students, youth, or with anybody really (B. Finuf,
personal communication, September 19, 2024).
2. How do you encourage students to use spirituality to help them during difficult times
in college?
Mr. Finuf stated that using spirituality during tough times in college was important
because helping them integrate spiritual beliefs and practices into their daily lives can help
them find a new perspective, along with the strength and comfort that they need. By doing to,
students can find a deeper sense of meaning and greater resilience. There are different ways
CLERGY COUNSELOR INTERVIEWS 3
that he said students can use their spirituality to during trying times that are the most useful.
Reflection and mindfulness are important as students can connect with their inner
selves and find peace among the stress. At the same time, he mentioned the strong support
system. Students can find religious communities on campus that help them feel like they have
support. Pastor Finuf also strongly encourages students to keep a journal of all the positive
points that happen in their life. This can take attention away from the negative aspects. Finally,
he said that if the situation becomes too stressful, reach out to a pastor or counselor who can
provide a fresh perspective on the issue (B. Finuf, personal communication, September 19,
2024).
3. What advice would you give a student for dealing with a difficult professor?
Pastor Finuf said that dealing with a difficult professor can be challenging but most
students have to do it at some point during college. The first thing to do is to look at the
syllabus and see exactly what the professor is expecting. From the syllabus, keep a calendar
with all the due dates so everything is done on time or even a little ahead of time. If there are
any questions or concerns, contact the professor respectfully during their office hours or send
them an email, but do not expect an immediate reply. Most importantly, stay positive. The
professor is a person too. They just may have a teaching style that is different, but ask for
clarification. If the situation does not get better, seek help from advisors or support services on
campus (B. Finuf, personal communication, September 19, 2024).
4. How do you encourage a student who is ready to give up?
If a student feels like they are ready to give, Pastor Finuf relayed that it is important to
provide encouragement. What the student really needs is emotional support, some advice, and
motivation to help them regain focus on the task at hand and to rebuild confidence. It is very
CLERGY COUNSELOR INTERVIEWS 4
important to listen to the student and understand where they are coming from. Identify why
they feel like they want to give up at this point. This can help determine what will happen
next. He said to tell the student to start setting small goals. If the student starts reaching the
small goals, this will provide the encouragement that they need. Also, suggest the students
reach out to family and friends. Everyone needs a network of support, whether they or in
college or just in life (B. Finuf, personal communication, September 19, 2024).
5. How do you see the church’s role in preparing students for college?
The church can be important starting from the beginning of their time in college. Mr.
Finuf said that the church plays an important role by providing emotional, practical, and
spiritual support. In particular, the church offers spiritual guidance that helps students develop
a strong moral and ethical foundation. This can be significant in helping them navigate the
challenging environment they may face in college. The church is also important in providing
the community and support network that can be a comfort to students and provide a sense of
community. My church community has actually held workshops on time and stress
management and financial literacy to help college freshmen. These support systems help
students make the transition to college without feeling the burden (B. Finuf, personal
communication, September 19, 2024).
CLERGY COUNSELOR INTERVIEWS 5
C Interview
Counselor’s Name Bethany Garner
Institution or Agency
Where the Counselor
Works
West Georgia Technical College
Years of Experience in
the Counseling Field One year
Describe Your
Relationship With the
Counselor
Colleague
C Interview Questionnaire
1. What is your educational and career background and how does it contribute to your
effectiveness as a counselor?
Bethany has an associate’s degree in business administrative technology. She is
currently an Admissions Counselor, but has a background in sales. Her career in sales
provided her with experience in customer service that has been significantly important in her
current role. In addition, sales also provided Bethany with knowledge in reviewing
applications in that she knows what to look for. Her experience in sales gave her skill as a
cashier in that she can take down and post payments on different sale items. Bethany
discovered that her knowledge of learning how to sell products is very similar to the recruiting
she is currently doing as an Admissions Counselor in that she is selling the school (B. Garner,
personal communication, September 17, 2024).
2. What is the greatest challenge for college students?
As an Admissions Counselor, Bethany has discovered that the greatest challenge facing
college students is finances. Even though we work at a technical college, which is considered
to be much less expensive than a university, students still have difficulty paying for their
classes. In this regard, there are many students who attend recruitment events and show an
CLERGY COUNSELOR INTERVIEWS 6
interest in the school but do not apply because they fear not being able to afford the cost. At
the same time, students do apply and start classes but do not complete their classes or program
due to fear of financial strain. Financial aid is available for students in the form of
scholarships, grants, and loans. However, a great deal of the students are too scared to try and
find help. There are financial aid counselors available, along with the admission counselors, to
guide them in the right path. Unfortunately, most of the time, they do not realize the situation
until it is too late (B. Garner, personal communication, September 17, 2024).
3. What is the greatest challenge for you as a counselor?
The greatest challenge that Bethany faces as a counselor is trying to help students focus
on a career path once they are admitted to the college. Students enter the college with one goal
in mind, but become disillusioned due to particular classes that they do not like. The students
then want to give up in that program and change their major so that they can move in a
different direction. Unfortunately, for the student, once they change their major, typically they
discover that a great deal of the classes is the exact same as the major that they switched from
because they did not like the classes. It just creates a vicious cycle (B. Garner, personal
communication, September 17, 2024).
4. How do you encourage a student who is ready to give up?
Bethany said to always keep a positive attitude (B. Garner, persona communication,
September 17, 2024). In addition, create a scenario of pros and cons of what giving up would
do. The pros always outweigh the cons. Bethany said she makes sure that students know that
she always there for them when they have a bad day. It does not have to be a bad day in
school. Anytime they need to talk about anything, she is available. In addition, if the student is
still having a hard time, Bethany will redo the situation to make it more understandable for the
CLERGY COUNSELOR INTERVIEWS 7
students. She will not let them give up. They have to know that a support system is available
for them at all times at the school. As she said, at the college staff do not know if they have a
support system at home or what they are currently having to deal with at home. Therefore, it is
important for the students to know that we are there for them (B. Garner, personal
communication, September 17, 2024).
5. How do you support students who express problems with time management?
Again, Bethany said always keep a positive attitude. She said sometimes you do have to
use constructive criticism. It is important to show them several good techniques to use for time
management, but do not hold their hand. We do need to take care of the students and make
sure that they know that support is available. However, we must not do the work for them. We
have to show them the best ways to do it on their own using the best strategies available (B.
Garner, personal communication, September 17, 2024).
CLERGY COUNSELOR INTERVIEWS 8
Wellness Strategies Plan
The college experience is different for each student. It is a new and exciting experience
for some. On the other hand, for other students, college can be traumatic as students are
separated from their parents for the first time and might have to suffer financial difficulties.
Finding support in college can be hard. However, if the students have the right mindset and
support system, they will succeed academically.
Emotional Well-Being
Students experience stress from many non-academic and academic sources during their
college experience. Each of these stressors can affect their emotional well-being. Nevertheless,
anxiety and emotional stress are associated with the university education. If the students learn
how to cope with this stress, this can have a positive outcome that will positively affect their
academic careers. If students maintain high levels of emotional well-being, this will also work to
reduce their level of stress and make the experience much more pleasant (Cohen & Legg, 2019).
There have been arguments over the standard definition of emotional well-being. A
standard definition is that emotional well-being consists of the everyday experiences and positive
and negative feelings that make a person’s life either happy or unhappy. Yet the Office of the
Surgeon General of the United States argues that emotional well-being is what is seen as
“essential to overall good health, both physically and mentally” (Cohen & Legg, 2019, p. 451). If
people have high levels of emotional well-being, they will also have high levels of productivity
both at work and school, be able to cope well with stress, and be strong members of their local
communities (Cohen & Legg, 2019)
In a survey conducted of 365 college students, 57% reported high levels of stress and
anxiety (Cohen & Legg, 2019). The academic factors affecting students were fear of professors,
CLERGY COUNSELOR INTERVIEWS 9
grade point average, and test anxiety. There were also several non-academic factors that took
their toll on students’ emotional well-being. Among the non-academic factors were finances,
personal relationships, and death of a family member. Accounting for all factors, the items
causing the greatest stress were financial debt, academic pressure, and personal relationships
(Cohen & Legg, 2019).
One way to help students deal with stress may be physical activity. Physical activity can
have a positive influence on emotional well-being. As both stress and emotional-well-being align
with the mental health model, it is important to take them under consideration. Nonetheless, low
reporting of stress and other symptoms of mental illness do not necessarily mean that someone
has high levels of emotional well-being. It is happiness and satisfaction with life that are the true
indicators of high emotional well-being. Regarding physical activity, higher stress and lower
emotional well-being often correlate with lower levels of physical activity. Thus, college
campuses may need to focus more on pathways to increase emotional well-being as mental
health and physical activity on campus are seen as valuable ways to address stress (Rosa et al.,
2023).
Another area to consider when looking at students’ emotional well-being is the Emotional
Quotient. Emotional Quotient is the ability to understand one’s own and other people’s feelings,
to inspire oneself, and effectively manage emotions. Emotional Quotient is also related to
emotional and social skills as to how to understand and relate to others and handle the demands
and responsibilities of everyday life. Intelligence and happiness are the two most well-known
gauges of the Emotional Quotient. The Emotional Quotient works with intelligence by
connecting intelligence, emotions, and feelings and is associated with emotional well-being. The
more emotions people have, the happier they will be. The Emotional Quotient has a positive
CLERGY COUNSELOR INTERVIEWS 10
impact on students’ psychological well-being. The higher the positive emotions students’ have,
the lower the negative emotions and the more satisfaction (Zahra et al., 2024).
Higher levels of students’ emotional intelligence correlate with higher grades at the end
of the term. Students that continue on this path usually have higher levels of adaptability and
stress management. A student’s emotional intelligence is one of the most important predictors of
a positive academic performance in college, coming after only intelligence and diligence.
Emotions in general have been identified as a key factor in influencing learning. Negative
emotions signify a need for more effort and attention because anxiety and confusion were shown
to lead to higher dropout rates. Students suffering from low emotional well-being need to be
intercepted and given the support necessary to put them on the right path (Nastasa et al., 2022).
Psychological Health
Student mental health certainly needs to be addressed as student health continues to
deteriorate on a yearly basis, psychologically in particular. Many students have become
depressed, had a mental breakdown, or even committed suicide. This behavior is certainly not a
guarantee that the students will be able to function well in society if and when they graduate.
According to the World Health Organization,”health is not only the absence of disease and
freedom from disease, but also a state of total physical, mental, and social well-being” (Wang &
Li, 2022, p. 2). Needless to say, social issues are continuing to impact the lives of students. Many
students are exposed to a stressful environment, such as bullying and delinquency (Maekawa et
al., 2023). This impact is having a detrimental effect on their lives as it results in a negative
impact on the students’ physical and mental development. Thus, leading to a negative correlation
in their academic performance, possibly leading to a higher dropout rate in college (Wang & Li,
2022).
CLERGY COUNSELOR INTERVIEWS 11
To help prevent students from falling behind academically, and possibly dropping out of
college, mention should be made of emotional intelligence. Like the Emotional Quotient, there is
a direct relationship between stress and anxiety and emotional intelligence. Emotional
intelligence directly explains students’ levels of mental difficulties. Emotional intelligence is also
indirectly tied to such things as coping strategies. Coping is defined as the behavioral and
cognitive ways that a person decreases, manages, or accepts the demands generated by stressful
situations (Augusto-Landa et al., 2024). It has been determined that there are two types of coping
responses determined by their focus. The first refers to the problem or situation creating the
stress where the coping response refers to the behavior aimed at modifying the stressful situation.
The second response deals with the emotions that the person feels related to the stressful
situation. In this situation, the response deals with the emotions that result from the stress. Both
these types on coping are used in most stressful circumstances (Augusto-Landa et al., 2024).
When coping, there are two strategies: approach and avoidance. With the approach
strategy, the student confronts the problem which generates the stressful situation. On the other
hand, using the avoidance strategy, a student will avoid the problem all together and pretend that
the stressor does not exist. Regardless of which response is employed, coping can also be seen as
adaptive or non-adaptive. In adaptive coping, stress is reduced and good health is promoted for
the long term. Whereas in non-adaptive coping, stress is reduced in the short term, but health is
damaged over the long term. What is interesting when emotional intelligence is brought into play
is that students with higher emotional intelligence use approach coping strategies, while those
with lower emotional intelligence use avoidance. As it also relates back to the Emotional
Quotient, the higher students are with emotional intelligence, the more successful they will be
academically with handling stress (Augusto-Landa et al., 2024).
CLERGY COUNSELOR INTERVIEWS 12
Spiritual Development
At the same time, a college student’s spiritual development is also an important
component of their academic future. Spiritual development might be one of the most important
outcomes of the college experience. The college years are a significant period where questions of
meaning, spirituality, and purpose are explored and considered. Looking at colleges in particular,
non-Catholic religious schools have the highest overall levels of spiritual development, followed
by Catholic schools, and then the secular colleges. Secular colleges can increase students’
spiritual development by providing safe spaces on campus for student groups to meet and
explore their spiritual beliefs. This allows them to interact with others who hold similar views
(Bowman & Small, 2010).
Spiritual well-being is an assertion of life in partnership with God, oneself, the
community, and the environment. Spiritual well-being is a part of mental health that greatly
contributes to a student’s good quality of life. Therefore, there is an importance of spirituality
among college students. The college years can mean times of crisis for some college students,
and times of joy for others. Turning to the spiritual side can make these times manageable for
college students. Spirituality is necessary for those students who are just starting to their values
as they first experience autonomy and make their first decisions. The connection between
spiritual and psychological well-being is quite significant among the college students (Joseph &
Samson, 2016).
As mentioned, spirituality is a means of building a partnership with the environment. In
current society, human activity is the most threatening factor on the environment. The
relationship between humans and nature has never been as precarious as it is right now. One of
the predictors of environmental behavior is spiritual health. The connection with a higher power
CLERGY COUNSELOR INTERVIEWS 13
achieved through spiritual health can lead to responsible environmental behavior. When someone
feels like their behavior is supervised by a higher power that created that world for all, they have
a better understanding of nature and its preservation. Spiritual health correlates to responsible
attitudes toward the environment and this ultimately affects behavior toward the environment
and its preservation. Therefore, it is necessary not only to focus on students’ spiritual health but
also on their ethical behavior toward the world around them (Saeed et al., 2024).
Mentoring is also associate with spiritual development. Mentoring can be used as an
inexpensive, yet effective means to build leadership skills with college students. Educators who
are spiritually oriented can provide students with leadership development opportunities that can
allow them to reflect on their values, explore their perspectives of the world, and gain a deeper
sense of self-awareness. These are all fundamental skills of a good spiritual leader. In this way,
both leadership and spirituality can be transferred to the students. Spirituality adds a sense of
purpose to their life through practices such as self-reflection and meditation. At the same time,
leadership provides students with opportunities to engage with different communities. Thus, by
combining these two skills students now have the foundation set for their interpersonal and
intrapersonal lives, which is a fundamental practice of leadership. If students have all the pieces
in place, they will succeed both academically and personally (Nolan, 2020).
Conclusion
Students need a strong psychological and spiritual foundation in order to succeed in
college. With the proper support system in place, students have the ability to achieve academic
success. The interviews conducted proved that support can be found both at the school and the
church. All students need to do is ask for help and assistance will be available. Those who feel
CLERGY COUNSELOR INTERVIEWS 14
left behind simply need to establish the support system and will be able to succeed. There is
always someone willing to assist.
Reflection
Looking at all the research for the week, different points were brought up regarding the
mental health and spiritual health of college students. The interviews also brought forth several
good points in this assignment. Ms. Garner showed quite a bit of dedication to ensuring the
success of the students at West Georgia Technical College. I found it particularly interesting how
her sales background has assisted in her career as an Admissions Counselor. All of our
backgrounds before our current experiences help us in some way. I spent my undergraduate and
a good bit of my graduate education working as an admitting clerk in varying emergency
departments. This would not seem to most to have anything to do with higher education, where I
have worked since graduation. However, it instilled in me a great sense of customer service and
knowledge of how to handle difficult patrons and deal with troublesome situations.
One point that I especially liked in the research was the focus on emotional well-being.
College students, and all of us really, are going to face difficulty if we are not in a good place
emotionally. It reminds me of the sports metaphor that you have to get your head in the game. If
a student is not fully focused on their academic career, their academic performance is going to
suffer. From students I have been exposed to, they have dealt with deaths of family members,
break-ups in relationships, financial problems, test anxiety, and simply not liking their professor.
All of these factors can have a negative effect on their performance at school. If a student does
not have someone that they can talk to, this will have a negative impact on their performance.
Spiritual development was also a very significant factor in the research for the week. If
students have a strong spiritual foundation, are emotionally well adjusted, and have a strong
CLERGY COUNSELOR INTERVIEWS 15
support system, they have all the components in place for a successful academic career. Turning
spiritually can help students if they are in a joyful situation or if they are feeling stressed. This
can help them as far as a coping strategy. Being spiritual can help students approach a stressful
situation in their life rather than avoid it. For me, religion has always been a place to turn to both
rejoice and when I needed comfort or advice.
Students can use their spirituality to reach out and help their community and the
environment as well. A student who feels strong spiritually feels connected to a higher power
and to nature and understands that the environment much be protected for future generations.
This can carry over to those around them and their personal being. If they understand that they
must protect themselves, that can power them to work harder in school and propel them to
succeed. One piece of the Bible that students can use when feeling that they need protection and
stimulation is Psalm 62:7, “My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock
where no enemy can reach me” (Holy Bible, 1996).
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