Rosana Silva (photo), our guest this week, is a Spiritist speaker, educator and voluntary worker based at the Irmão Sobreira Spiritist Centre in the Brazilian city of Montes Claros, in the state of Minas Gerais. She works for the local government and has degrees in Accountancy and Geography and post-graduation in Philosophy and Social Development. In this interview, she shares her experience in Spiritism and speaks about Fraternal Assistance, or counselling, in Spiritist Centres.

What is the best way of defining Fraternal Assistance practised in Spiritist Centres?

It is a type of assistance, or counselling, through individual and fraternal dialogue. We must allow the person who seeks guidance to have the opportunity to express their problems and afflictions freely and in private. The goal is to embrace that person with fraternity and solidarity, hearing him or her and providing guidance within the framework of the Gospel in the light of Spiritism.

How should we prepare people to work in that field?

The best preparation will always be to choose and train volunteers with the right profile to work in fraternal assistance. There are courses available, online and in person. We offer two types of course for Spiritist Centres that may be interested.

What is the right profile for workers in that area?

Spiritist Centres must know what the ideal profile is: people who have studied Spiritism, who are familiar with the Gospel, who have healthy moral habits, who have experience with mediumship, who are integrated into other activities inside the Spiritist Centre in question, who have a habit of studying and praying, who are emotionally mature, who have common sense, empathy and kindness and who enjoy talking to people and dealing with people.

What commitments should a Spiritist Centre make when offering this type of counselling?

The main commitment can be found in the two core goals of Spiritism: to console and to enlighten. These goals are in full harmony with the therapeutic practice of Christ, the Consoler, when he said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew, 11: 28-30)

How important is fraternal assistance for the public as well as for the Spiritist Centre?

It is a hugely important service for the public, especially as human problems multiply and so many people struggle to find somewhere where they can get proper guidance for their challenges. That’s even harder to find as a free of charge service, in an atmosphere of fraternity and solidarity. For the Spiritist Centre, it is an opportunity to put charity and love into practice, to help those in need with a friendly word and to boost the courage of the fallen and desperate. That is, after all, the role that Spiritist Centres have in society: to awaken consciences for spiritual reality.

What changes with the coronavirus pandemic?

The pandemic has forced Spiritist Centres to close their doors. But at the same time, it has opened the doors for innovation and creativity. Much of the work that was done in person is now being carried out online. It must be said that the problems faced by those who had to go into isolation because of the virus have increased and Spiritists Centres had to adapt to deal with a surge in the number of cases. Many institutions in Brazil have gradually reopened their doors, but online services have come to stay. Virtual counselling is practical, quick, convenient for those seeking help and provides Spiritist Centres with the possibility of going further and reaching people much beyond their physical boundaries.

What is the best approach to be taken by those dealing with a wide range of problems and situations in counselling sessions?

The ideal approach is the one that Jesus, our guide and model, taught us. He was the ultimate counsellor, someone who was there to hear what the souls had to say. What they need to do, in sum, is: to embrace those who come seeking guidance, to console and to enlighten them as we would like others to do to us.

What needs to be done to avoid creating a relationship of dependence between the person giving assistance and those getting assistance?

Spiritist Centres should have a rota for volunteer workers Fraternal Assistance, in the same way, they do with healing, in order to prevent them from always dealing with the same people. We must also bear in mind that Fraternal Assistance is one of several stages in the process of recovery and ideally the person seeking guidance should be encouraged to attend other activities in the Spiritist Centre, including study groups.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Spiritists who agree to work on Fraternal Assistance will inevitably find out that they are the ones who benefit the most and who get the best assistance. They will discover important emotional tools inside them that will help them in their efforts to become better people throughout their lives and their journey towards spiritual progress.