This book contains twenty-one chapters, each written by separate authors. Its purpose, as stated in the preface, is “to explain in layman’s language some of the shared wisdom of the specialists regarding a number of life’s most serious and vexing problems” (x). The various authors “have attempted to show lay counselors a number of gospel-oriented solutions to human problems” (xi). These are ambitious goals!
The first defines the role of the lay counselor. It indicates the necessity for preparation of the counselor and makes a clear statement as to when appropriate professional referrals are necessary. This is essential for those who take on the role of counselor, as they share the burden of helping and nurturing those who have problems.
