Intern Intros: Meet Heather!

Some interns come to us with little hands-on experience relating to what we do at Vision of Hope, while others have experience and are looking for more training. Some interns have had much exposure to biblical counseling and may even hold degrees or certifications in counseling, while others are new to biblical counseling and desire the training and observation opportunities we have here. Today you can hear from an intern with a background in social services who desired to learn more about how biblical truth could lead and guide her in ministry.

My name is Heather Putney. I am from Flint, Michigan. I was raised in a family of five being the eldest of two younger siblings. My hobbies include studying the Bible, taking long walks in the park, trying new foods, taking pictures, four-wheeling, hiking, tubing, dancing, going to the movies, and attending live-performances like theater and concerts.

 Just before coming to Vision of Hope, I was caring for my paternal grandmother before she passed away and I was leading a support group for domestic violence victims at my previous church. Prior to that, I was working as a Youth and Family Specialist working in the counseling department alongside of Child Protective Services.

How did you hear about the VOH internship? Why were you interested in coming to VOH to serve for a year?

I heard about Vision of Hope through the Biblical Counseling Training Conference (BCTC). In February of 2019, I attended the BCTC with the pastoral staff from my Maryland church. The internship interested me because at the time I was already looking for a women’s residential treatment center to work for in Maryland and wanted to learn how to counsel women biblically. Having been a domestic violence survivor and sought counseling myself, I wanted to come alongside of other struggling women during their counseling journey.

What are you excited to learn and grow in the rest of this internship?

During my internship, I am so happy to be learning more about biblical counseling and how to handle conflicts biblically. It has been a joy to be reading scripture daily and other rich resources to better educate myself. The staff are all so wonderful to be learning from as well.

What has been a favorite memory at VOH so far?

Vision of Hope is not an easy program. All of the residents have to work hard and persevere through their counseling sessions, homework, and daily chores. However, I would have to say that my favorite memory thus far was attending skit night my very first week here. All of the graduates came back to celebrate the new interns coming into the program. Every graduate that I had met was truly sold out for Christ. Hearing multiple graduates’ testimonies in addition to witnessing where they are at now was truly inspiring to me. 

If you were to plan a fun activity for the residents, what would you plan and why?

Honesty if I were to plan a fun trip for the residents and had the money, I would love to take them all to Disney World. Now I know this may sound silly. However, sometimes one just needs silliness after persevering and processing traumatic events because it is hard work. The residents and I often talk about going to Disney World after they graduate.

 

Jennifer Cantu
Jennifer Cantu works as a counselor and Shift Supervisor at Vision of Hope. She received her biblical counseling certification from ACBC in 2014. In addition to working at VOH, Jennifer counsels women through Faith Church’s counseling ministry. She is very thankful for ministry opportunities to help, teach and encourage women with God's Word.