Are pastoral care and pastoral counselling the same thing? And which, if any, should pastors be involved in? This video explores these questions. You can find more resources at www.stephenjbed....
Pastoral Counseling is like going to a mechanic, while Pastoral Care is more like getting roadside assistance - it might lead to a mechanic, but most of the time it provides just enough support to get moving again.
Agreed! Compare Pastoral Care vs Pastoral Counseling to the medical system. Pastoral Care is the General Primary Care Physician, while Pastoral Counseling is a specialist. Most often, primary physicians will "refer" you to a specialist who practices in an area that the PCP doesn't.
I'm currently getting my MA in Pastoral Counseling and doing my supervised counseling at a Christian rehab center. I remember a conversation with a professor who laid out the difference in this for me. It must be understood that there is a difference between the two. A minister providing pastoral care probably won't understand the various styles of effective counseling or the impact that they may negatively have on how they address the issue at hand. Great video!
It's my understanding that originally only ordained clergy persons ( spiritual leaders, pastors, pastor-emeritus, and ordained non-pastors, e.g. associate elders, etc ) can pursue pastoral counseling. However, the internet lists a number of places where anyone ( anyone with a passion for psychology & theology ) can pursue pastoral counselors. It all depends on the particular training track an individual chooses to take.
Speaking as a Pastoral Counselor myself, I believe that unlike state-licensed "professional" counseling, where it's mostly by choice, pastoral counseling is a divine calling from the Lord. You're required to document your client's progress; create care plans; create confidentiality & informed consent forms; establish a therapeutic-relationship with the client before any service is provided;obtain counselor's liability insurance; train in various modalities; identify, understand and use various types of prayers & Scripture; mandate reporting and understand the duty to warn; know why, when and how to refer a client to services that you two mutually agree upn that will best suit their needs; rely totally of the Holy Spirit!
