November 18, 2011
Andrew Martin: A counselor not afraid to smile or laugh
By PAUL R. LEINGANG (Message editor)
Andrew Martin is the newest staff member at Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Evansville, starting his first job as a family services counselor Oct. 17. He’s not unknown among the staff, though, since he served an internship from January to June of 2011, while completing his masters in social work degree at the University of Southern Indiana.
“I kind of play off my youth,” he acknowledged. “I try to keep a child-like attitude — that is, I’m not afraid to smile or laugh or do something goofy in the office to kind of break up the work day.”
His work, of course, is serious.
“I do individual counseling, marital counseling and also family counseling, based on the needs of whoever we are serving,” Martin said.
His time is divvied up among several responsibilities: he is a school counselor (and also available for student’s families) at St. Wendel in St. Wendel, St. Matthew in Mount Vernon and St. Joseph in Vanderburgh County.
He also spends some mornings at St. Joseph School in Princeton, and sees clients from the community in the evenings.
Martin knows his way around the diocese. He was baptized at Holy Spirit Church and made his First Communion at St. Benedict, both in Evansville. He was confirmed at St. John the Baptist Church in Newburgh. He and Jessica Scheu were married at Corpus Christ Church, on Evansville’s west side — and that’s where the young couple built their home — and where they await their first-born child in the spring of 2012.
Why did he become a counselor? “I feel like I have always had this calling for counseling and therapy. On my educational path, that was always my end goal, what I wanted to do,” he said.
Over the years, teachers and advisors told him the way to become a counselor was to get his MSW. So he did. He graduated from USI as “outstanding graduate student for social work in 2011. That award is given to just one individual student, selected by the faculty.
Why work for Catholic Charities? “I like the idea of being able to incorporate spirituality and religion in counseling people and being able to help them at that time,” Martin said.
People seeking counseling come from many faith traditions, or none at all. They are asked on a questionnaire if religion may be included in the counseling session.
“I like it [when it is included],” Martin said. “There is more wisdom from above that can be gleaned than I could ever come up with.”
What does he enjoy the most? “The challenge each individual brings. From every new person I meet, I feel like I learn something from them.”
What reaction does he expect from an article in the Message? “I would really like people to understand that there are a lot of great things that go on at Catholic Charities.”
Providing counseling and outreach to people in need, he hopes, will let people know that there’s more to being Catholic than going to Mass once a week. “Being Catholic is more of a life style.”
Martin is just beginning his career, doing “what I feel like I am being called to do.
Martin is available Tuesday evenings in Evansville and Thursday evenings in Princeton. To make an appointment with him, contact the Catholic Charities office in Evansville, 812-425-5456 or Chris Matthews, secretary, at St. Joseph Church in Princeton, 812-385-2617.