Within various faith traditions, a pastoral counselor provides spiritual and mental health guidance. A pastoral counselor can apply clinical therapies within the context of religious tenets thanks to his or her training in psychology and theology. A pastoral counselor is a mental health professional who is also a Jewish rabbi, a Catholic priest, or a Protestant minister by faith and theological or seminary training. Counseling can be used in public or private institutions and can range from marriage preparation to grief management to substance abuse recovery. A pastoral counselor can offer comfort and expertise to people who are dealing with issues where faith and life events collide.
It is widely accepted that clergy can best serve their flocks by understanding and applying religious texts as truth and guidance for those seeking assistance. To those who believe in its power and in a higher power, prayer is also a form of treatment. A trained pastoral counselor, on the other hand, acts in a professional capacity when a problem or situation arises that is beyond the scope of a church or temple leader’s training. Pastoral counsel may be given by a leader or missionary with little or no theological training but with the knowledge of indigenous beliefs and regional superstitions required to apply specific counsel and healing rituals on a global scale.
Individuals interested in a career in pastoral counseling can get licensed and certified through the American Association of Pastoral Counselors in the United States. A university bachelor’s degree, a seminary degree, and a doctorate or concentrated master’s degree in psychology or a related discipline are typically required. The American Association of Pastoral Counselors conducts testing and personal evaluations to complete the certification process.
Hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, military bases, workplaces, and specific counseling practices are all possible places for a pastoral counselor to work. When a patient is on the verge of dying, a counselor is frequently called in to provide spiritual comfort and to help family members cope with their emotional distress. In the midst of a spiritual crisis, those who suffer the consequences of acting contrary to their religious beliefs may seek counseling.
A pastoral counselor can help both the person who commits the act (such as domestic violence or infidelity) and the person who suffers as a result of the actions. A pastoral counselor’s typical professional challenges include assisting people in understanding why they are depressed or capable of going against their religious beliefs, as well as providing insight into why a believer is suffering.