From Stage to Seminary: How Being an Actor Made Me a Better Counselor

When I told people I was transitioning from pursuing a degree in musical theatre to studying to be a counselor in seminary, I commonly received an intrigued response: “Wow, that sure is a switch!” While this may be an accurate observation on the surface, I have found immense joy in discovering the surprising similarities between these two disciplines. In fact, God has used studying acting to teach me multiple lessons I can now apply to my counseling studies at Southeastern. I am excited to share a few of those lessons with you in this article.

1. Details Matter

As I prepared to portray different characters on stage, one of my regular practices as an actor was to create details on my character that might not be included in the script, including their interests, family life, past hardships, and more. This practice allowed me to have a deeper understanding of the characters and why they behaved the way they did in the context of the story.

As a counseling student, I am learning how to do the same in a counseling session — to discover and gather details in order to have a deeper understanding of a counselee. I am learning to connect these details in a counselee’s life and better provide insight and reflection on their presenting situation, just like I did for my characters on stage.

Psalm 139:13-14a reminds me of this concept, as David writes: “For it was you who created my inward parts, you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.” God has written details of our lives for his glory to showcase his care and creativity in creating each one of us. As counselors, we are bringing glory to God when we seek out these details and use them to help His children.

2. Everyone Has a Desire that Motivates Them

When discovering character details, I ask myself, “What does my character want?” This question is important because our desires drive us. If an actor can figure out what their character wants in a scene, song, or monologue, they can act more intensly and honestly.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” As a counseling student, I am learning to guide people to find their ultimate joy and satisfaction in Jesus Christ and align their goals and wishes with his will. An effective counselor can figure out what a counselee desires and, if needed, reframe that desire to one that glorifies God. To do this, they must learn to delight in the Lord. On stage, I have played many characters whose delight was not in the Lord; their heart’s deepest desires were recognition, relationships, success, and many more. Studying these characters as an actor has grown a deeper desire in me to point my future counselees to the only One who can satisfy their deepest longings.

3. Jesus Gives Compassion to the Lost Sheep

One of my personal favorite descriptions of Jesus’s character is found in Matthew 9:36, which says, “When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.”The stories I have told on stage are full of these wandering sheep. The Lord has used studying the details of their lives and their deepest desires to cultivate in me more Christ-like compassion. Through telling these stories, I’ve come to understand more deeply that each and every one of us is a sheep in need of the Good Shepherd, with various self-reliant, self-fulfilling tendencies that pull us away from a relationship with Jesus Christ, who loves us.

Now, as a counseling student, I am continuing to learn how to have compassion for the wandering sheep I will one day sit across from. Acting on stage has given me a unique opportunity to practice this compassion in a personal way, as when I played a character, I was the one who stepped into these struggles and experienced their repercussions. It is a humbling reminder that each and every one of us needs grace.

In conclusion, I am grateful to God for the gift of theatre and how it taught me to further glorify him through my counseling studies. It is a beautiful thing to see God’s same fingerprints across every unique aspect of your life. Being an actor has taught me to appreciate the details in every life, to discover every person’s deepest desires, and to have compassion for the wandering sheep. Praise the Lord for how the Gospel is revealed to us in beautiful and unique ways as we live for his glory!