The field of pastoral counseling is relatively new. It began in the 1960’s as a form of psychotherapy that integrates theology and the behavioral sciences. Because of the integration of the spiritual and emotional aspect of your life, you may have a more fulfilling therapeutic experience with a pastoral counselor than you would find with a secular counselor, social worker, or psychologist.
Pastoral counselors are trained in both psychology and theology and thus can provide psychological as well as spiritual guidance to patients and families. In addition to pastoral counseling for individuals or families, they may perform a variety of tasks including religious ceremonies, rites, and ordinances.
Pastoral counselors differ from other mental health professionals in distinct ways:
- They are trained in two disciplines, psychology and theology,
- Their educational requirements are different, requiring both a Master of Divinity and additional academic work in the behavioral sciences;
- At the Fellow level of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, they have had extensive supervision of their clinical work:
- They are not doctors, and therefore cannot prescribe medicine. They do, however, work closely with other medical professionals as part of a team to insure that all of the physical and emotional needs of the patient are being met.
Pastoral counselors are informed by many theological positions and will work within the spiritual framework of the client, never seeking to force his or her personal beliefs upon a client. The pastoral counselor will respect and honor the belief system of the client.
The American Association of Pastoral Counselors is a professional membership organization established to bring standards, order and communication to the profession of Pastoral Counseling. Current members represent a broad spectrum of theological and spiritual traditions and work among a wide variety of health care providers. The organization's mission statement and core values can be viewed at its web site. National polls have consistently found that the vast majority of Americans want their faith and values integrated into the therapeutic process.
The foundation of pastoral counseling goes back to the 1930s, when minister Norman Vincent Peale and psychiatrist Smiley Blanton, MD, integrated religion and psychotherapy for psychotherapeutic purposes. Other influential social scientists, such as Carl Jung, Abraham Maslow, William James, and Karl Menninger, also shared this awareness of spirituality and psychotherapy. Over the years, pastoral counseling evolved from religious or spiritual counseling to pastoral psychotherapy, a practice that integrates theology and the behavioral sciences. The AAPC was founded in 1963. An AAPC certified pastoral counselor typically has:
- A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university,
- A three-year professional degree from a seminary,
- A specialized masters or doctoral degree in the mental health field, and
- Pastoral counselors also have a significant amount of clinical training. This includes at least 1,375 hours of supervised clinical experience (in individual, group, marital, and family therapy) and 250 hours of direct approved supervision in crisis and long-term situations.
A certified pastoral counselor will typically have an M. A. or Ph.D. in one of the counseling fields, as well as thorough training in a particular religious tradition. Many pastoral counselors are also ordained clergy -— ministers, priests and, increasingly, rabbis. Practitioners in the United States are subject to the standards of the American Association of Pastoral Counseling and many hold additional licensures. While many pastoral counselors are licensed by the state, most states do not require it due to their clergy exemption clause. However, laws vary significantly from state to state in this matter. Some of the issues pastoral counselors address include (but are not limited to):
- Managing stress, anxiety, and depression.
- Preparing for a life-time together through premarital counseling
- Marriage counseling,
- Divorce counseling,
- Building stronger relationships,
- Grief and general other matters of coping with the loss of a relationship,
- Growing through life transitions.
Pastoral Counselors are dedicated to the healing of the mind, spirit and human relationships through the integration of spiritual values and behavioral sciences. The work of the pastoral counselor is best imaged in the integrated wholeness of body, mind, and spirit. There is a spiritual dimension to everyone’s life, regardless of the particular orientation that one’s belief system may have, and that dimension is intrinsically associated with one’s mental, emotional, and relational health. A pastoral counselor will have respect for where you are on your spiritual journey and will explore with you the wholeness of your healing.
Pastoral Counseling is caring for the soul through spiritual healing. It allows one to explore life’s concerns through the lens of one’s own belief system and relationship to the Divine. It is a holistic approach to coping with everyday life stresses and trauma.
Some people turn to psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers for help in coping with these crises and transitions. Others look for support and the opportunity to discuss these issues within a spiritual context. But can one find spiritual help and psychotherapy at the same time? Most religious leaders have little time or training to provide in-depth and extensive therapy. And most psychotherapists have little training or desire to discuss in-depth spiritual matters during sessions with patients. The answer may be pastoral counseling. The central theme in pastoral counseling is an awareness of the spiritual dimension in human wholeness. Crises and transitions are addressed in terms such as faith, meaning, purpose, and direction, as well as in psychotherapeutic terms.