Pastoral counseling is a unique form of psychotherapy that uses spiritual resources as well as psychological understanding for healing and growth.
Whether you are in crisis, facing an on-going problem, or looking for personal growth, pastoral counseling may provide the guidance, skills, and knowledge necessary to promote wholeness and offer the support necessary for changes that may bring you a more abundant life.
Pastoral counselors not only have the knowledge and skills necessary for psychotherapy, but also in-depth theological training. Thus, the staff of the Pastoral Care and Training Center is equipped to help you:
- Grow in your relationships
- Learn ways of living more fully despite depression, anxiety, and anger
- Develop strategies for coping with loss and change
- Develop a more satisfying spiritual life
- Prepare for and enrich your marriage
- Find more satisfaction in couple, family, and work relationships
- Make important decisions
- Understand events in your life from a religious/spiritual perspective
Depression, difficult relationships, and family conflict are the most common reasons people seek care at the Center.
If you choose to seek help at the Center, you will not be alone. More and more people are seeking spiritually informed counseling because of the important link between spiritual faith, religious values, and mental health.
More than 80 percent of Americans feel that their spiritual faith and religious beliefs are closely tied to their mental and emotional health. In fact, research indicates that most Americans prefer help from a mental health practitioner who recognizes and can integrate spiritual values into psychotherapy. (See the report by Greenberg Quinlan Research Inc.)
While pastoral counseling may be beneficial for many people, it is not the best form of care for everyone. The Center is not equipped to provide services to:
- people struggling with substance abuse
- people seeking to change violent behavior
- people actively contemplating suicide
- children under 13 years of age (except in the context of family therapy)
- people with an impairment that does not allow them to benefit from psychotherapy.
If you are uncertain about whether you could benefit from the Center’s services, you are encouraged to make an appointment for assessment. Your assessment counselor can help you discern the most appropriate source of care for your situation.
