Essential Skills in Pastoral Counseling and Ministry

Required Reading:

Capps, Donald, Giving Counsel: a Minister's Guidebook, St. Louis, MS: Chalice Press, 2001.

Culbertson, Philip, Counseling Men, Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1994.

Doehring, Carrie, The Practice of Pastoral Care: a Postmodern Approach, Louisville, Kentucky, Westminster John Knox Press, 2006.

Kujawa-Holbrook, Sheryl A., and Montagno, Karen B., (Ed), Injustice and the Care of Souls: Taking Oppression Seriously in Pastoral Care, Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2009.

Moessner, Jeanne Stevenson (Ed), Through the Eyes of Woman: Insights for Pastoral Care, Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1996.

Stone, Howard (Ed), Strategies for Brief Pastoral Counseling, Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2001.

Weaver, Andrew J. & Stone, Howard W. ed., Reflections on Grief and Spiritual Growth, Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2005.

Course objectives:

Participants will:

1. Develop an understanding of basic theoretical, psychological and theological perspectives of Pastoral Counseling.
2. Develop brief fundamental counseling skills for structured/unstructured pastoral conversations through experiential learning modalities.
3. Recognize the variety of exigencies encountered in the pastoral counseling setting and create an appropriate intervention for their ministry context.
4. Recognize boundaries that could impact the counseling process through self-reflective monitoring of emotional entanglement.
5. Discern ways to integrate their efforts with professional and community resources for holistic care of their client/s. 

Course Requirements

Class attendance is a must. Excused absence will be granted, but more than two absences will result in a 10% lowering of the grade. 

Participation in class requires assigned readings and preparation to lead group discussion with a 15 minute overview of assigned topic.

Two papers are required. Please see full outline for details.  All written assignments must conform to Hartford Seminary writing guidelines.

Please check: www.hartsem.edu/student/forms/researchpaperguide.pdf.

Interview with a Pastoral Care Provider and a Pastoral Care Seaker (Research procedure will be distributed in class.)

Course Outline

January 24       Introduction to Pastoral Care

January 31       Fundamentals of Counseling

February 7     The Art of Being Present

February 14    The Counseling Process

February 21    Models of Pastoral Care

February 28    Models of Pastoral Care (cont.)

March 7           Pastoral Care in Crisis

March 14         Grief and Hope

March 21         Referrals and Boundaries

March 28      Reading Week - No class

April 4             Counseling & Injustice

April 11           Counseling & Injustice

April 18           Counseling Women

April 25           Counseling Women  (cont.)

May 2            Counseling Men

May 9            Counseling Men  (cont.)

Recommended Reading:

Augsburger, David, W., Pastoral Counseling Across Cultures Louisville, Kentucky, Westminster John Knox Press, 1986.

Benner, D. G., Strategic Pastoral Counseling: A Short Term Structured Model, 2003.

Clinebell, Howard, Basic Types of Pastoral Care and Counseling, 1984.

Cooper-White, Pamela, The Cry of Tamar: Violence Against Women and the Church's Response, Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995.

Culbertson, Philip, Caring for God's People: Counseling and Christian Wholeness Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1999.

Dykstra, Robert, C.(Ed), Images of Pastoral Care: Classic Readings, St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press, 2005.

Fowler, Gene, Caring Through the Funeral: a Pastor's Guide, Danvers, MA: Chalice Press, 2004.

Gerkin, Charles, V., An Introduction to Pastoral Care Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1997.

Lartey, Emmanuel Y., In Living Color: An Intellectual Approach to Pastoral Care and Counseling, Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2003.

Leslie, Kristen, When Violence is No Stranger: Pastoral Counseling with Survivors of Acquaintance Rape, Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2003.

Miller, Kathleen A. & Jackson, William R., Practical Psychology for Pastors, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1985.

Patton, John, Pastoral Care in Context: an Introduction to Pastoral Care, Louisville, Kentucky, Westminster John Knox Press, 1993.

Pruyser, Paul, W., Personal Problems in Pastoral Perspective: The Minister as Diagnostician Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1976.

Reik, Theodor, Listening with the Third Ear: The Inner Experience of a Psychoanalyst, New York: Farrar, Straus, 1998.

Switzer, David K., Pastoral Care of Gays, Lesbians, and Their Families, Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1999.

Wimberly, Edward, P., African American Pastoral Care Revised Edition, Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2008.

Wimberly, Edward, P., African American Pastoral Care and Counseling: the Politics of Oppression and Empowerment, Cleveland, Ohio: The Pilgrim Press, 2006.

Worden, William, J., Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy: a Handbook for Mental Health Practioner 4th ed. New York, Springer Publishing, 2009.

Assignments Due:

Your Developing Theology of Pastoral Care

Role Play, Self evaluation

Pastoral Conversation with Pastoral Care Provider

Pastoral Conversation with a Care Seeker

A Final Paper/Project: Due May 9, 2013 (Suggested topics and writing instructions will be distributed at the initial class on the supplemental outline material sheet.)