REP 210 PASTORAL

COUNSELLING I
What is Pastoral Counselling?
By Simbarashe Musvosvi
This presentation will try to accomplish the
following objectives:
1. Define what counselling is
2. Differentiate pastoral counselling from secular
counselling
3. Highlight the opportunities and limitations of
pastors as counsellors.
• As a pastor you do not have the choice: To counsel or
not to counsel. Your choice will be to be an effective
counsellor or to be an ineffective one. To be
somewhat prepared or not to be prepared at all.
• It is generally acknowledged that Christians in crisis
consult their pastor. Some might not be members of
your church or denomination. Some might not even
be Christian at all but they believe that you could
possibly help.
• People will come to you when they have problems. People
will come for counselling regarding:
 Family issues
Parenting
Interpersonal matters (conflicts or other difficulties)
Intrapersonal issues
Financial issues
ETC.
• Some will bring problems you have not had prior training
or experience in dealing with.
 What is counselling?
• One dictionary says, “Counseling is advising.”
• Giving advice may be a part of counselling but it
is not the full story.
 Some Definitions
• Samuel T Gladding: “Counselling can be defined as a
relatively short-term, interpersonal, theory based
process of helping persons who are fundamentally
psychologically healthy resolve developmental and
situational issues.”
(Gladding, S. T. (1996).Counseling: A Comprehensive Profession, Third Edition
cited on http://www.definethis.org/word/Counseling.html)
 Some Key Elements in this Definition
• Counselling is short-term, implying the growth and
empowerment of the counselee to become indepentant of
the counsellor.
• There must be personal interaction (and possibilities of a
relationship). An environment must be created for such an
interaction (and relationship).
• It is theory based. This means that the counsellor is guided
by some knowledge (or theory). Counselling is not a
haphazard event.
• Counselling is for people who are fundamentally healthy
psychologically. As pastors, we are not equipped to deal with
psychological problems. Psychological problems should be
referred to psychologists or psychiatrists. We can only play a
supportive role or give “first aid” while processing a referral.
Pastoral counselling is meant for situational or
developmental challenges, not for deep rooted
psychological issues, including mental health issues,
addictions, obsessions, etc.
Pastoral Counselling as defined byHoward Clinebell:
“Pastoral care and counseling involves the utilisation
by persons in ministry of one-to-one or small group
relationship to enable healing empowerment and
growth to take place within individuals and their
relationships.”
Howard J. Clinebell, Basic Types of Pastoral Counseling: New Resources for Ministering to the
Troubled (Nashville: Abingdon, 1984), 26, 27.
 Some Key Elements in this Definition
• Empowerment and Growth –
Counselling has not taken place if the person seeking
help needs lifelong support. There should be growth.
• “One to one or small group”
This suggests that effective counselling does not take
place in a large group. This is because of the need for
personal involvement and possible relationship
building with the person who has the problem.
“Relationship is the essence of counseling being
done by the clergy. To be sure, such counseling may
incorporate a wide variety of methods and
techniques, but the essential component that
brings about the resolution of difficulties is the
therapeutic relationship between the minister and
the counselee.”1
• 1Richard Dayringer, The Heart of Pastoral Counseling: Healing Through Relationships, (np,
np, nd), 5
“[When we avoid a relationship with the client we may],
in fact drain our helping potential of its most significant
component: the powerful fact, that caring about people in
trouble - even liking them - is vital to helping them deal
more effectively with themselves and with life.”1
• 1Eugene Kennedy and Sara C Charles, On Becoming a Counselor, (New
York: Crossroad, 1997), 24.
 Counselling as Talk-therapy
• Talking is therapeutic when one is distressed.
• God induced people in distress to talk about it
Genesis 3: “Adam, where are you?” “Who told you that
you were naked?” “Have you eaten the fruit?” What is this
that you have done?”
Genesis 4: “Why are you angry?” “Where is your
brother?”
Genesis 16: “Hagar, where are you coming from and
where are you going?”
Genesis 21: “What is bothering you, Hagar?”
Matthew 16: “Who do men say I am?” “ Who do you say I
am?”
Matthew 20: What do you want me to do for you?
John 5: “Do you want to get healed?”
John 18: “Who are you looking for?”
• When we talk to people about our challenges we often gain a
clearer understanding of the situation. As we seek the words
to explain what is happening we also structure the situation
more clearly.
• In the olden days society had social structures that allowed for
people to talk. Many of those structures have been destroyed
by industrialisation and urbanisation. Nowadays “being
proper” often means keep out of other people’s business. High
crime and other dangers teach us to keep other people at
arm’s length.
• Professional counselling has now arisen to provide that which
took place in the family and the “village.”
 Why Pastoral Counselling ?
• One definition says: “Pastoral counseling is a branch
of counseling in which ministers, rabbis, priests
provide therapy services.”
What if the clergy person does not uphold moral
standard. Is the counselling still pastoral?
NO!
• “Regardless of a counselor’s professional
identification, social role and body of data in which
he has expertise, that person’s counseling
becomes pastoral when the counselee or the
counselor focuses the relationship upon the
relation of God to the process of their lives. As
Daniel Day Williams puts it, God becomes the third
person in the relationship. Instead of being simply
a dialogue, a trialogue comes into being.”1
• 1Wayne E. Oates, Pastoral Counseling, (Philadelphia: The Westminster
Press, nd), 11.
• “The pastoral counselor is . . . distinctive in that the illusion of
ethical neutrality enjoyed by the purely private counselor is a
luxury he cannot afford. The very nature of ordination as a
minister rules out the luxury of a purely private ministry that
ignores society as a whole.”2
2
Wayne E. Oates, Pastoral Counseling, (Philadelphia: The
Westminster Press, nd), 21.
 Some Distinctives of Pastoral Counselling
1. Takes into account the reality of God’s presence in the
relationship.
2. Considers biblical principles
3. Recognition of the counselee’s power of choice is based on
the image of God
4. The recognition of the power of the Holy Spirit
5. Acknowledgement of the forgiveness of sin through the
blood of Jesus.
6. The ultimate goal of pastoral counselling is building the
client’s relationship with Jesus. While doing good to
humanity empowering them to live a good life here on
earth is valid and should be done as “disinterested
benevolence” pastoral counselling does not overlook or
ignore opportunities to do thr “ultimate good.”
 The Pastor’s Opportunities in Counselling
What makes pastors effective counsellors?
• Because of the authority that they carry as the clergy.
Surveys have shown that the clergy is the preferred
counsellor among people needing professional help for
personal and relationship problems (including those who do
not have denominational affiliation).
• Because ministers are a lingering home visiting profession -
most other helping professions no longer come to the house.
• Many of the problems presented for counselling have a
moral dimension.
• The Elijah message is characterised by restoration of
family relationships.
Mal 4:5-6 "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the
prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day
of the LORD. 6 "And he will restore the hearts of the
fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to
their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse."
• Despite not being professional counsellors good pastoral
counsellors often have an edge over clinical therapists
because pastors are not only professionals, they are an
extension of the love and grace of Christ. Thus, pastors
are able to more fully exhibit genuine love for people.
They are a means through which Christ touches people
with His grace. These are more important to the
counselling process than techniques.
• Trust: People still trust the minister (in spite of betrayals by
some clergy people).
• Established relationships: The pastor has an on-going
relationship with counselee. The relationship usually has
other dimensions other than counselling.
• Minister often has access to the family (which can become
an added resource the pastor can tap into).
• Presence at relevant times: The pastor is present in some
crises times, such as, marriage, birth of children, illness,
bereavement, etc.
• Availability: Pastors are usually accessible to members in
crisis with no appointment or at very short notice.
• Acquaintance with other disciplines other than
counselling (e.g. theology, ethics, culture) is an
advantage.
• The perceived role as a custodian and standard bearer of
moral values. Therefore, people come to the pastor
when they have a moral dilemma.
 The Limitations of a Pastor as a Counsellor

• Time: the pastor has other roles besides counselling, hence

counselling time is not unlimited. There will be times the
pastor just does not have time to do counselling.
• Training: The pastor’s training is often across multi-
disciplinary (Theology, preaching, counselling, evangelism,
youth work, leadership, etc.) hence the pastor is often a
“jack-of-all-trades-and-a-master-of-none.”
• The pastor’s perceived halo: Some guilt burdened people
avoid the pastor for fear of condemnation by the pastor the
standard bearer of ethics.
• Non-payment by clients: This may lead some clients not to
value the time with the pastor and not to follow through
with obligations that emerge from the counselling process.