Pastoral counseling combines spirituality and psychology to address psychological needs from a faith-based perspective. Pastoral counselors may be certified therapists and offer services to people of all faiths. They may charge for their services or volunteer in at-risk communities. Clients do not need to belong to a particular church or faith to seek pastoral counseling.
Pastoral counseling is a form of psychological counseling that incorporates spirituality into therapeutic treatment. The goal of this type of psychotherapy is to address a variety of underlying psychological needs from a faith-based perspective. The United States has a very large and active pastoral counseling movement, and similar services are offered in many other regions of the world, usually in the context of Christian ministries, although pastoral counselors may be Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu, or associated with a any number of other faiths.
In regions where pastoral counselors are certified by professional or government organizations, they are usually fully ordained religious officiants who have also studied psychotherapy. This may require a number of years of education, with at least three years in a seminary and four to eight years of becoming professionally certified as a therapist. In other areas, the pastoral counselor may not have specific certification and accreditation, in which case their eligibility to practice as counselors can vary considerably, making it a good idea to look for individuals licensed as counselors when looking for pastoral counsellors.
The concept of pastoral counseling is a natural outgrowth of the idea that religious officiants should tend their flocks, providing support, counsel and advice to people from all walks of life. It incorporates both deeply held religious beliefs and the latest advances in psychology so that individuals seeking access to counseling have the benefit of spirituality and psychotherapy in their treatment. Pastoral counselors can provide assistance to people struggling with a variety of psychological issues, including depression, stress or a crisis of faith, and they can also offer services to couples and families.
Typically, people have to pay for pastoral counseling services, although a degressive rate can be used to ensure that counseling is accessible to all. Pastoral counselors may also choose to volunteer in places such as schools and at-risk communities to provide needed counseling services. In areas where pastoral counselors are also certified therapists, insurance companies may agree to pay for counseling, assuming mental health services are included in a health insurance plan.
Individuals do not necessarily have to belong to the church with which a pastoral counselor is affiliated. Some people may choose to explore pastoral counseling because they are struggling with spiritual issues that they feel cannot be addressed by a regular counselor, whether or not they belong to a particular church or faith. Others may prefer to seek out a counselor who shares their religious faith. Pastoral counselors generally do not turn clients away on the basis of faith or church attendance.
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