Theology: Practical Theology: Pastoral Counseling

em>Basic Types of Pastoral Care and Counseling remains the standard in pastoral and counseling. This third edition is enlarged and revised with updated resources, methods, exercises, and illustrations from actual counseling sessions. This book will help readers be sensitive to cultural diversity, ethical issues, and power dynamics as they practice holistic, growth-oriented pastoral care and counseling in the parish.

The Bloomsbury Guide to Pastoral Care provides a framework for reflection on pastoral care practice and identifies frontier learning from the new and challenging practical contexts which are important in pastoral care research today. In this collection of essays from leading practitioner-scholars, Bernadette Flanagan and Sharon Thornton set out core principles underpinning professional identity and the practice of pastoral care in rapidly changing social settings. Such pastoral challenges as, developing compassionate and effective companioning to those who have suffered trauma, torture, catastrophic events, social disintegration, the moral wounds of war and cultural dislocation are treated with insight and deep care. The new frontiers of pastoral care in more familiar circumstances such as family, health settings where patients facing life-challenging medical events and multi-cultural communities are also explored. With contributions from Kevin Egan, Michael O'Sullivan SJ, Rita Nakashima Brock and Julia Prinz VDMF, The Bloomsbury Guide to Pastoral Care is an essential reference for the theory and practice of pastoral care.

Pastoral care and its theology get a gentle boost from some of the best in the business of caring for the soul. When a person hurts, they often look to God. Several pathfinders give new light from their specialties, each one speaking powerfully, uniquely, and artfully from decades of experience. Dr. Amos Yong's article on disability forwards the amazingly helpful term, "temporarily able-bodied." Greek Orthodox Dr. Vasileios Thermos and Roman Catholic Dr. Robert Fastiggi enlighten next to the powerful testaments of Professor Godfrey Harold on South Africa and Dr. Samuel Yonas Deressa on Ethiopia. Each weathered author contributes universal insights into the grace of our great God and challenges pastors throughout the Christian world to kindly consider the heart of the afflicted. These finely hewn stones can be used by anyone in the ministry to sharpen their serve. Mattis and Maness offer this third collection from Testamentum Imperium with a prayer that these will open new avenues of sensitivity to the hearts and souls of those in travail and aid those who are called by God to serve those in pain.

Building on the groundbreaking original work with the same title, these articles focus on current issues, such as certain life stages, special populations, the devalued and abused, the addicted and special issues of the 1990's.

The coming of Colonization and Christianity to Africa and other indigenous cross-cultural contexts was a "mixed bag" of pros and cons. The impact of the advent of the two has had a lasting effect being felt even today. It created issues of bi-culturalism and bi-religiousness in personal and religious identities that counselors and the church need to address when working with people from these contexts. There is the existence of deep cultural trauma (including psychological and spiritual scars) needing healing for those living in most of these post-colonial contexts. The Western counseling approaches and Christian rituals need contextualization. A counselor or pastoral caregiver with an integrative consciousness is required to address the psychological and religious identity conflicts existing in African and other indigenous cross-cultural contexts.

Are Christian treatments as effective as secular treatments? What is the evidence to support its success?Christians engaged in the fields of psychology, psychotherapy and counseling are living in a unique moment. Over the last couple decades, these fields have grown more and more open to religious belief and religion-accommodative therapies. At the same time, Christian counselors and psychotherapists encounter pressure (for example, from insurance companies) to demonstrate that their accommodative therapies are as beneficial as secular therapies. This raises the need for evidence to support Christian practices and treatments.The essays gathered in this volume explore evidence-based Christian treatments, practices, factors and principles. The authors mine the relevant research and literature to update practicing psychotherapists, clinical researchers, students, teachers and educated laypersons about the efficacy of certain Christian-accommodative therapies. Topics covered in the book include: devotional meditation cognitive-behavior therapy psychodynamic and process-experiential therapies couples, marriage and family therapy group intervention The book concludes with a review of the evidence for the various treatments discussed in the chapters, a guide for conducting clinical trials that is essential reading for current or aspiring researchers, and reflections by the editors about the future of evidence-based Christian practices. As the editors say, "more research is necessary." To that end, this volume is a major contribution to a field of inquiry that, while still in its infancy, promises to have enormous implications for future work in Christian counseling and psychotherapy. Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS) Books explore how Christianity relates to mental health and behavioral sciences including psychology, counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy in order to equip Christian clinicians to support the well-being of their clients.

Foundations of Pastoral Counselling offers a completely new approach to its subject, through an integration of philosophical ideas, theological thought, and psychotherapeutic psychology. Using the work of philosophers including Martin Buber, Simone Weil and Søren Kierkegaard to begin the conversation in each chapter the author then draws on relevant theologians and psychotherapeutic thinkers to enrich the dialogue. The result is a rich, multi-faceted, and often surprising round-table discussion about the fundamental issues in pastoral counselling.

Gestalt in Pastoral Care and Counseling is the only book to provide you with an integrated model of pastoral care and counseling from the perspective of Gestalt theory. Covering all aspects of ministry, including visitation, counseling, worship, and administration, it is a valuable text for advanced undergraduate or graduate classes and small group or individual study for seminaries, church ministries, pastoral counseling training programs, and lay pastoral ministry programs. This book will increase your confidence in your work, help you understand blockages as well as avenues of change, and lead you to a more creative, yet consistent, stance in your ministry. Gestalt in Pastoral Care and Counseling makes clear that all of ministry is, in fact, pastoral in nature. It demonstrates the principles of Gestalt in pastoral ministry in a gradual manner, true to both Gestalt principles and your needs. Some of the topics you learn about include: key elements of Gestalt theory, from the early developers through more recent practices the cycle of experience--a model that provides an understanding of the various steps involved in change on all levels Gestalt applications in pastoral counseling, worship, and administration a theology of pastoral caring--a model for pastoral ministry based on the relational aspects of the Biblical narrative and its application in ministry ideas for continued growth based on daily life experience With well-developed presentations of Gestalt principles and pastoral ministry, Gestalt in Pastoral Care and Counseling provides you with a new perspective on the meaning of pastoral ministry. Not only will you learn new skills, you will also develop a new appreciation for what can occur within pastoral relationships. The theoretical basis of Gestalt embraces the whole of life experience as part of the process of change and growth and holds sacred the relationship that exists between persons. As your understanding and use of these principles increases, the quality of care and counseling you provide in your ministry will continue to improve.

Revised and updated to reflect the most recent developments in the field, the second edition of the Handbook of Motivational Counseling presents comprehensive coverage of the development and identification of motivational problems and the most effective treatment techniques.  Equips clinicians with specific instructions for enhancing clients' motivation for change by targeting their maladaptive motivational patterns Provides step-by-step instructions in the administration, scoring, and interpretation of the motivational assessments, along with details of how to implement the counseling procedures Updated to reflect the most current research and effective treatment techniques, along with all-new chapters on motive-based approaches, motivational counseling with the dually diagnosed, cognitive and motivational retraining, meaning-centered counseling, and motivation in sport Showcases various basic motivational techniques and their adaptations, such as bibliotherapy, individual therapy, and group counseling, while demonstrating specialized uses of the techniques, such as in work settings and rehabilitation medicine 

Now in Paperback! Many Voicesis a must-read textbook for pastoral psychotherapists and pastoral counselors in clinical training as well as a guide for those in professional practice. In it Cooper-Whiteharvests the great potential of postmodern sensibilities to help, accompany, and support individuals, couples, and families in recognizing and healing especially painful psychic wounds or longstanding patterns of self-defeating relationships to self and others. In Part 1 she shows how multiplicity and relationality provide a dynamic way of viewing human potential and pain. In Part 2 she unfolds the practical applications of this paradigm for a strongly empathic therapeutic relationship and process.

Christian pastoral care is a narrative, ecclesial, theological practice (NET). As a narrative practice, pastoral care attends to the inseparable interconnection between our own lifestories, others'' stories, the larger cultural stories, and God''s story. As a ministry of the church, pastoral care is an ecclesial practice that derives its motivation, purpose, and identity from the larger mission of the church to bear witness to and embody God''s mission of love that extends beyond the church for the transformation of the world. As a theological practice, pastoral care is grounded in God''s love story. God''s profound love for humankind heals our brokenness when human love fails and invites us into an ongoing process of growth in love of God, self, and neighbor.Intended for those who provide care with and on behalf of religious communities, author Karen Scheib focuses on listening and "restorying" practices occurring in the context and setting of congregations. By coauthoring narratives that promote healing and growth in love, pastoral caregivers become cocreators and companions who help others revise and construct life-stories reshaped by the grace of God.What Karen Scheib has done in this book is to reposition pastoral care as a theological activity performed in the context of the church. She draws deeply upon her Wesleyan theological heritage, upon an understanding of life in its fullness as growth in love and grace, and upon a "communion ecclesiology" undergirded by a communal understanding of the Trinitarian life of God. Thus grounded, she envisions pastoral care first as a rhythm of the life of the whole church and secondarily as a work of trained pastors.In her vision, pastoral care is rescued from a narrow understanding of it as exceptional acts of intervention performed only in moments of dire crisis. Instead, it becomes a "daily practice of pastoral care," an attending, in love, to the stories of others and a "listening for ways God is already present in a life story." Solidly theological, grounded in the life of the church, and eminently teachable - Karen Scheib has given us a great gift in this book." from the Foreword -Thomas G. Long, Bandy Professor of Preaching, Emeritus, Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA. "In a wonderfully engaging, reflective, and useful way, Karen Scheib captures something absolutely essential to pastoral care and yet often overlooked--the utter centrality of storytelling/listening, the power of stories to heal, and their vital connection to bigger stories told within religious communities. This book is a real milestone, reclaiming the importance of "narrative knowing" and grounding care not only in community but also within a comprehensive theological framework." --Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Religion, Psychology, and Culture, The Divinity School and Graduate Department of Religion, Vanderbilt University Divinity School, Nashville, TN"Implementing narrative personality and therapy theories and anchored in ecclesiology and Wesleyan theology (NET), Karen Scheib''s book advances a long awaited and holistic approach to pastoral care. Her NET approach presents the embodiment of pastoral care by emphasizing both narrative and paradigmatic knowing, proposes the subjectivity of our stories in pastoral care by pointing out the interchangeability between us and our stories as subject and object, and underscores the dynamic process of pastoral care through the interconnection of the storyteller, listener, and context. Scheib''s image of story companion contributes to the field as a new paradigm of pastoral care and promises to be a significant resource in generating hope and growth in love for both pastoral caregiver and receiver." --Angella Son, Associate Professor, Drew University, Madison, NJ"Pastoral theologian Scheib describes a narrative, ecclesial, and theological approach for listening to people''s life stories in such a way as to engender spiritual formation and growth in love. Scheib clarifies the connections between caring conversations and Christian theology. Clear and accessible prose as well as helpful exercises and discussion starters make this a fine teaching text." -The Christian Century, Sept. 29, 2016.

Is African Pastoral Psychology a myth or a reality? While Western clients often trend towards dreams of African spirituality and healing African theologians on the other hand make their own use of Western categories of health and mental illness respectively traditional beliefs about how to solve social and emotional problems. Now, after so many attempts have been made by African specialists in Pastoral Theology and Counselling to contextualize their pastoral ministry and to meet the needs of the Christian Churches in the various African cultures this is no longer a question. The task is facilitated by the positive relations established between culture, psychotherapy, sociology, psychiatry, religion, western theology and the emerging African theology including Black Theology in South Africa. With "Pastoral Care and Counselling in Africa Today" the AAPSC (African Association for Pastoral Studies and Counselling) is presenting the first volume of its special series, which is expected to give enriching experiences and important theoretical framework as well to the scientific community all over the world.

Is African Pastoral Psychology a myth or a reality? While Western clients often trend towards dreams of African spirituality and healing African theologians on the other hand make their own use of Western categories of health and mental illness respectively traditional beliefs about how to solve social and emotional problems. Now, after so many attempts have been made by African specialists in Pastoral Theology and Counselling to contextualize their pastoral ministry and to meet the needs of the Christian Churches in the various African cultures this is no longer a question. The task is facilitated by the positive relations established between culture, psychotherapy, sociology, psychiatry, religion, western theology and the emerging African theology including Black Theology in South Africa. With "Pastoral Care and Counselling in Africa Today" the AAPSC (African Association for Pastoral Studies and Counselling) is presenting the first volume of its special series, which is expected to give enriching experiences and important theoretical framework as well to the scientific community all over the world.

This is the first time an author has listened to pastors in Africa and compared her findings with pastoral counseling from a Western perspective. Pastoral Counseling in Africa and the West presents a practical record of pastoral counseling in Africa. It accounts for the wide difference between pastoral counseling in Africa and the West considering that pastoral counselors in Africa received Western theological training. It presents a theological perspective of the pastoral counseling ministry in Africa and the West. It also presents both perspectives as professional partners in conversation with each other. "Thank God for providing trained experts like Dr. Daramola to enlighten His people. I have every confidence this publication is only the first installment. More GRACE to her elbows!" Emmanuel Oladipo Former International Secretary Scripture Union

This very practical book offers no-nonsense instructions for pastors,chaplains, and ministers whose real specialty is the practice ofrelational wisdom. Patton provides a helpful, step-by-step template forpastoral counseling sessions and clear guidelines for understanding whento defer and how to refer--all while remaining faithful to the basicpastoral calling to connect persons seeking help with the relationshipsand resources they need to deal with their lives. "In a societyof specialists, John Patton's Pastor as Counselor is a bold reminder ofthe healing potential of 'care-full' attending to lost and separatedpersons through the unique relational wisdom of the generalist pastor.This is vintage Patton, written with gentle wisdom and generous counselsummarizing decades of practicing and teaching pastoralcounseling."--Herbert Anderson, Emeritus Professor of Pastoral Theology,Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, IL, and Faculty in PracticalTheology, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA "John Pattonwrote this 'how-to' book for ministers without specialized training inmental health issues. Ministers are good at developing and deepeninghuman relationships, and that is exactly what they need in order tobecome skilled short-term pastoral counselors. Concrete, down-to-earth,and quintessentially practical, this is a book that should be on thesyllabus of every seminary's introduction to pastoral care andcounseling. It is the fruit of a lifetime of reflection and embodiedrelational wisdom at its best." --Deborah van Deusen Hunsinger, CharlotteW. Newcombe Professor of Pastoral Theology, Princeton TheologicalSeminary, Princeton, NJ "When it comes to counseling, our firstport of call is often the mental health professions. In this book JohnPatton carefully draws out what is special about pastoral counseling.With theological depth and wise practical utility, he offers a clearguide for pastoral counselors as to what it is that gives them theiridentity and what that looks like in practice. This is a wise and deeplypractical book that will inevitably be transformative." --John Swinton,Chair in Divinity and Religious Studies; School of Divinity, History andPhilosophy; University of Aberdeen; Aberdeen, UK "John Pattonhas acquired unparalleled wisdom over decades of providing, supervising,teaching, and writing about pastoral care. This most gifted and deeplyreflective thinker has crafted a primer that will become a classic,spelling out what's central for those new to the vocation, reminding themore seasoned of what really matters."--Chris R. Schlauch, AssociateProfessor of Pastoral Psychology and Psychology of Religion, BostonUniversity School of Theology, Boston, MA "Patton's book nicely parallels what he asks pastors to do in counseling others.  Through a well-developed structure, he offers wise presence, spiritual conversation, and relational wisdom.  His book would be a valuable resource in an advanced pastoral care course in a theological school.  Similarly, a peer group of pastors would benefit from collective engagement with insights it provides as they assess their pastoral counseling relationships."  Kenneth J. McFayden, Union Presbyterian Seminary, Richmond, Va. (Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology 71(4)

"I have read Professor Capp's Reframingwith great interest. Since my colleagues and I have long thought of our concepts and practices as broad and general--as potentially applicable beyond our clinical sphere of psychotherapy--it is very satisfying to see this solid and skillful extension of our work into the very wide and important field of pastoral care." -- John H. Weakland, Brief Therapy CenterMental Research Institute, Palo Alto, California

In Soft Shepherd or Almighty Pastor? contributors seek to go beyond the taboo on "power" within pastoral contexts. They not only discuss fundamental theological and philosophical questions about power but also develop ways to prevent power abuse in pastoral context. Power is considered as omnipresent and is analyzed in its positive and negative aspects. Not only the classical associations of "power over" or "domination" are discussed in relation to ecclesial and pastoral situations, but also forms of power linked to "service" and "care." A sacrificial spirituality might also be dangerous.Soft Shepherd or Almighty Pastor? gathers ten contributions, all of which reflect on the complexity of power issues, also in relation to sexual abuse. The authors argue that dealing adequately with power requires renewed forms of theological thinking, especially about ministry.

All cultures use story as a way to make sense of life. Yet for many, only a single story line is seen as the "real truth." Using narrative therapy as a caregiving approach can help individuals uncover multilayered narratives that are far more complex and liberating. Drawing on theological approaches and real life experiences, Coyle creates a contextual pastoral theology that helps caregivers find the power of God in people's stories.