Pastoral counselling: an American perspective

While pastoral counselling is a function of pastoral ministry in religious communities, it is also a specialised ministry requiring professional training that extends well beyond a pastoral/ theological education for ministry, as well as beyond the confines of religious communities. This article is an American perspective on Certified Pastoral Counsellors as mental health care providers for individuals, couples, and families, generally on a fee-for-service basis, with many qualifying for reimbursement by private and federal third party payers. It demonstrates that pastoral counselling as practised in the USA is spiritually integrated counselling and psychotherapy, requiring graduate academic and clinical work in these disciplines as well as graduate education in religious studies. It offers an American perspective on this specialised ministry of mental and relational health and discusses its identity and function, methodology, supervision requirements, and the clinical use of religious resources, including a case illustration.     

A Cross-Cultural Case for Convergence in Pastoral Thinking and Training

This article argues for convergence of pastoral training models as a consequence of the pluralistic nature of contemporary life. It proposes a more active partnership between pastoral disciplines in an attempt to bring wholeness to pastoral service and to pastoral education in a multicultural context. Pastoral counseling, pastoral care and pastoral ministry are presented as mutually complementary and as under girded by the same pastoral theological principle of genuine encounter. Since pastoral theology is informed by personal experience, the author illustrates his points by reference to personal cross-cultural experience. This article is an adaptation of a paper delivered at a multicultural conference in Seoul, Korea in November 2008.     

Ethical reflection and pastoral care,part I

Many authors are calling pastoral counseling to give greater attention to issues of morality and ethics in the healing ministries. This article summarizes the main positions in theological ethics and argues that the ethic of character is the most appropriate form for the practice of pastoral counseling.Professor Poling is Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling, Bethany Theological Seminary, Oak Brook, IL 60521. Part II of his article will appear in the Spring, 1984 issue.     

Models of Psychotherapy: Implications for Pastoral Care Practice

Pastoral care givers are called to provide care and counseling to parishioners that are suffering in many ways. A core question is what does a pastor rely on to provide this care? Pastors usually call on models of psychotherapy to inform their care giving. A framework of theological anthropology, cosmology, soteriology and harmatiology is developed for analyzing the worldviews inherent in models of psychotherapy. The specific models of Adler’s Individual Psychology, Narrative therapy, Horney’s personality theory, and Intersubjective theory are used to demonstrate the application of this framework. Several pastoral care implications are developed following the application of the framework.     

Making a religious diagnosis: The use of religious assessment in pastoral care and counseling

This essay discusses the importance of assessing the religious condition of persons in pastoral care and counseling. Undertaking such assessments via the use of explicit theological terms assures a unique role for pastoral counselors in the helping process and provides a model that avoids overdependence on psychology or psychiatry. Utilizing a method proposed by Paul Pruyser, the development of a psychometrically sound interview and inventory is described. These measures, based on eight dimensions of the Christian tradition, have been found to relate positively to mental health and personality strength. The importance of using such assessments of functional theology in helping persons grow in spiritual living and effective functioning is described.Paper delivered at the 4th International Congress on Pastoral Care and Counseling, Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands, August 3–10, 1991.     

Clinical pastoral education as professional training: some entrance, curriculum and assessment implications

Clinical Pastoral Education is professional training for pastoral care. This paper compares CPE against the professional training model. While limiting the discussion to Christian pastoral care, the professional education model suggests a clarification of the trainee's theological and other entry requirements for a basic unit, a more thoughtful provision of information during CPE training, a careful attention to group membership and an appropriate integration with the theological curriculum. It also suggests more specific competency standards and more reliable, valid and objective assessment methods.     

Theology and pastoral counseling: A client's viewpoint

Although in recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in the correlation of theology and pastoral care and counseling, most writings have only given the pastor's perspective. Presented here is a theological poem written some two years after depression began to plague Rachel Hansen. She describes not only her view of the pastor and the counseling process, but also the impact of the counseling on her theology and faith.Dr. Stone is Professor of Pastoral Care and Pastoral Psychology at Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas 76129.     

Connection to Early Church Theologians: Canadian Ethnographic Study on the Similarities and Differences between Prayer and Theological Reflection in Pastoral Care and Counseling

What are the similarities and differences between prayer and theological reflection in the praxis of pastoral care and counseling? This qualitative study is ethnographic in design. A review of the literature is summarized. Researchers interviewed 75 participants in four cultures: (1) chaplains and (2) pastoral counselors in the Canadian Association of Pastoral Practice and Education (CAPPE), (3) community clergy and persons in lay ministry, and (4) students after internship in a theological reflection course. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and then coded for themes. Findings include seeing more similarities than differences between prayer and theological reflection. One of the differences is that prayer is more affective and theological reflection is more cognitive. There are also some areas of ambiguity. Discussion includes what ought to be normative or the orthopraxis for prayer and theological reflection in pastoral care and counseling. Limitations and areas for future research are outlined.     

Shared Wisdom: Use of the Self in Pastoral Care and Counseling (Person, Culture, and Religion Group, American Academy of Religion, November 18, 2005)

This article summarizes the method of pastoral assessment and theological reflection detailed in Shared Wisdom, with particular attention to pastoral counselors’ countertransference or intersubjective “use of the self” as a tool for empathic understanding of clients. A model of multiplicity of mind, subjectivity, and God is advanced in contrast to more traditional views. The article concludes with an appeal for messiness, complexity, and kenosis in both psychology and theology.Pamela Cooper-White is Professor of Pastoral Theology at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, and recipient of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors’ 2005 National “Distinguished Achievement in Research and Writing” Award. She is the author of four books: Many Voices: Pastoral Psychotherapy and Theology in Relational Perspective (forthcoming, Fortress, 2006), Shared Wisdom: Use of the Self in Pastoral Care and Counseling (Fortress, 2004), The Cry of Tamar: Violence Against Women and the Church's Response (Fortress, 1995) which won the 1995 Top Ten Books award from the Academy of Parish Clergy, and Schoenberg and the God Idea (UMI Research Press, 1985). An Episcopal priest and pastoral psychotherapist, Cooper-White is certified as a clinical Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, and serves as Co-Chair of the Person, Culture, and Religion Group of the American Academy of Religion.     

Incarnation and pastoral care

This essay is an examination of the usefulness of incarnation as a theological metaphor for pastoral care and counseling. Understanding the incarnation as both an event and as a paradigm of God's relationship to the world provides a theological perspective for examining four interrelated questions about identity and the helping relationship frequently asked by the pastoral care-giver. The incarnation metaphor finally frees us to care in the confidence that in God the Incarnating One, all things, including our care for the sick, are held together.Dr. Anderson is Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Counseling at Wartburg Theological Seminary, 333 Wartburg Place, Dubuque, Iowa 52001.     

The Sayings of Jesus in Family Guy: A Pastoral Reading of “I Dream of Jesus”

This essay offers a pastoral reading of an episode of the cartoon Family Guy. The episode is titled ??I Dream of Jesus.?? In doing so, I explore six sayings of Jesus in this episode, and I identify nine theological themes that are raised by these sayings. On the basis of this pastoral reading of ??I Dream of Jesus,?? I argue that Family Guy can be used as a source for theological reflection, and I suggest, in closing, that the show might be a practical way for combating biblical and theological illiteracy among youth and young adults. This article also contains a table that can be useful for creating Sunday School or youth group lessons based on this episode. It is worth pointing out that this essay was written for the ??Group for New Directions in Pastoral Theology.?? The ??group?? was formed to celebrate the career of Donald Capps on the occasion of his retirement from Princeton Theological Seminary. The theme for the conference this year was the sayings of Jesus. While the choice of focusing on a contemporary cartoon for such an occasion may seem odd or quirky, the author does so to demonstrate the unique freedom that pastoral theologians enjoy with regard to what Robert Dykstra calls ??the acceptable latitude of inquiry?? in pastoral theology. Another way of putting this is to say that both the Apostle Peter and the animated Peter can serve as resources for theological reflection.     

Pastoral counseling training: training goals in a changing environment

Pastoral counseling training is redefining itself in a changing environment. Theological education and ordination and church relatedness once was the crucible that shaped pastoral counselors. Today that formation process is being redefined as an increasing number of non-theologically trained students who are not seeking ordination come to increasingly fewer pastoral counseling training programs for formation in integrating spirituality and psychotherapy. This article outlines a statement of who an ideal intern would be in one pastoral counseling training program, lists fourteen goals of the training program along with the method of achievement, and who in the training program is responsible to see that the goals are accomplished.     

Voices outside the camp: Some significant nonpastoral books in 1979–80

A review article of recent books in disciplines related to pastoral care which may increase the effectiveness of the pastor's care and counseling ministries. Books selected challenge prevailing assumptions, offer new ways to perceive the pastoral task, and provide new and significant information. Books are reviewed from personality and psychotherapy, family history, theory and therapy, studies of violence and victimization, psychology and theology, and general ministry theory.Dr. Hunter is Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Book Review Editor ofPastoral Psychology. His address is: Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322.     

The Theological Contributions of Bishop K. H. Ting to Christian/Pastoral Counseling

As China enters an era of urbanization and change, mental health issues are increasingly becoming a concern of the Christian church. Pastoral counseling is taking new shape as people of faith respond to those in their midst in need of care. Bishop K. H. Ting, a long-time leader of the Chinese church, has stressed the importance of an indigenous Chinese Christianity. This article is based on an examination of Bishop Ting’s theological writing with the aim of eliciting themes that might be foundational in the construction of inherently Chinese models of pastoral counseling. Based on a survey of his work, six themes emerge with particular importance for pastoral counseling: the Three-Self church, God is Love, the Cosmic Christ, ethical responsibility, theological reconstruction, and religion in society. These themes are explored within their uniquely Chinese context and suggestions for application to the practice of pastoral counseling are discussed. Original publication: Wang, P. (Ed.) (2006). Seeking Truth in Love. Nanjing, China: Nanjing Seminary Press. This essay was originally published in a collection of essays honoring Bishop K. H. Ting on his 90th birthday. Bishop Ting has been the head of the Chinese Protestant church for over five decades and his leadership has profoundly shaped Chinese theology and church life. The purpose of this essay is to explore how his collected theological writings might inform a uniquely Chinese approach to pastoral counseling. This article is published with the permission of the original publisher.     

Aesthetic Truth and Pastoral Theology: A Proposal for a New Method of Reflection and Practice

Pastoral theology needs to clarify its identity as an autonomous theological discipline by developing its own knowledge base, body of research, and practice methods. It needs to broaden its scope to include not only a concern for personal issues, but also larger sociocultural and anthropological ones as well. Additionally, there is a pressing need for moving beyond the confines of traditional methods of correlation. This essay offers a new method for pastoral theological reflection and practice that is grounded in Hans-Georg Gadamer's understanding of aesthetic truth and hermeneutics. It offers a new way of conceptualizing the relationship of pastoral theology to such conversation partners as the Bible and theological tradition, the social sciences, and practical wisdom, demonstrating how these can contribute to the pastoral theological task.     

Listening to People with Dementia: A Pastoral Care Perspective

SUMMARY

Pastoral and Spiritual Care approaches to the reduction of depression in residential aged care facilities are considered. They are examined through specific one-to-one pastoral care, through a pastoral care person in the team approach to care and through a one-to-many relationship for group spiritual and religious activities. The suggestions in this article are offered as extensions to a manual, Challenge Depression, on managing depression in residential aged care as a way of including pastoral and spiritual care as part of an integrated approach and as part of a stand alone approach of pastoral care.     

The book of Job as a resource for counseling

The book of Job is commonly considered an exemplary study in the dynamics of suffering and the problem of theodicy. This article considers the book of Job for its insights into the challenge of providing pastoral care to persons in spiritual pain. The dialog between Job and his friends illustrates how spiritual distress challenges the theological assumptions of both sufferer and caregiver. In an effort to maintain one's own spiritual equilibrium, and no doubt out of good faith efforts to comfort the afflicted, the pastoral caregiver may be tempted to cling to theological formulas and religious perspectives which disallow the sufferer's experience of anger and despair. The story of Job affirms the value of authenticity over piety, speaks of the transformative power of suffering, and provides the counselor/pastoral caregiver insights into the pitfalls and promise of caring for persons in spiritual pain.     

Discrete varieties of care in the clinical pastoral tradition: continuing the dialogue

In the current cultural context, clinically trained ministers, lay and ordained, offer themselves to troubled souls through at least three distinct varieties of assistance: pastoral care, pastoral counseling, and pastoral psychotherapy. This essay delineates three accepted disciplines, emphasizing the importance of ascertaining, and perhaps re-evaluating, the particular needs and desires of persons who are in physical, mental, or spiritual distress. "Pastoral care," "pastoral counseling," and "pastoral psychotherapy" each play an important role in fulfilling the traditional mandate for "the cure of souls."     

Present status and future prospects in pastoral theology

The article cites three factors which help to understand where the field of Pastoral Theology currently finds itself. It describes five trends which include possibilities and pitfalls for the field: evangelicalism and pietism, expansion of the guilds, a broader definition of pastoral care, the moral dimensions of pastoral care, and family relations emphasis. The article concludes with suggestions for realization of the possibilities and avoidance of the pitfalls.