This profound writing presents counseling as a path, even perhaps as a spiritual path, rather than a job or even a profession. Randolph Severson understands the gift and the attendant responsibility of holding, with care, the soul and spirit life of someone suffering. And how that same suffering person holds the inner power to find 'true north' again, when, finally heard. The miracle of counseling as consoling lies not in 'knowing about' the person, but 'knowing-with.' This kind of knowing requires the counselor to have found the boundary between 'being' and 'doing', a deep kind of self-presence, a dedication of one's very being for the restoration of the the life of another. This writing is a needed inspiration for those who begin training to become a counselor and struggle to hold the idealism of the healing power of presence in the face of 'theories' of counseling that easily obscure the utter preciousness, the unrepeatable moment, the completely unique particularity of the person seeking help. This is the path of counseling, and it is brilliantly brought to life in this writing.