The text provides a foundational overview of the roles and functions of the modern pastoral counselor. It discusses spiritual perspectives on the issues that bring individuals to seek counseling and integrates them with the perspectives of allied mental health professions. The tools and methods pastoral counselors can employ for spiritual assessment are presented, and the book describes common spiritual and theological themes—both implicit and explicit—that arise in pastoral counseling. Included are chapters examining Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Native American, and Buddhist approaches to counseling as well as counseling individuals with diverse sexual identities. The book reflects the increasing need for pastoral counselors to serve effectively in a multicultural society, including service to individuals who are not affiliated with a specific religious denomination. The book also considers the emerging realities of distance counseling and integrated health care systems as current issues in the field.
KEY FEATURES:
Elizabeth A. Maynard, PhD, is associate professor and chair of Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas.
Jill L. Snodgrass, PhD, is assistant professor of pastoral counseling at Loyola University Maryland. She is a certified pastoral counselor, with Fellow standing in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, and an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ.