Why Pastors Make Great Counselors
Robert J. Morgan
April 1, 1997
I love it, and I hate it. It's exhilarating, and it's exhausting.
Pastoral counseling—it's part of who I am and what I do, yet it often feels
as if it's an invasion into my life.
No one does pastoral counseling better than a pastor. Not a psychiatrist,
a psychologist, or a psychotherapist.
Professional counselors, the good and the biblical ones, have an important
role to fill. I don't understand much about schizophrenia, repressed memories,
cyclothymic disorder, or the treatment of ADHD,
OCD, or PTSD. Mental illnesses are complex,
and I'm not equipped even to recognize some of them. My parishioners and
I have benefited from good counselors, and I consider them my allies.
But they are not my replacements. I'm not prepared to yield to a society
enamored with Sigmund Freud, B..F. Skinner, Carl Rogers, or Albert Ellis.
Pastors can still do things that professional therapists can't.
After all, the prefix psych means "soul," and pastors are tenders
of the soul. That's our job.
Pastoral counseling, as I'm using the term, is helping people resolve their
problems, facilitating positive changes in their lives, and helping them
grow toward greater wholeness. No one does that better than pastors.
Here's why.
Pastors care as friends
When people come to me with problems, they come to someone who loves them.
I'm not just a professional; I'm an extension of the love of Christ, a channel
of his grace. Professional counselors exhibit genuine concern, even love,
for their clients-but not as only a pastor can.
When I began pastoring twenty years ago, I studied shepherding in
the Bible. The Hebrew word is closely aligned to the Jewish word for
friend. That's what people need. In its essence, Christianity is nothing
more ...
Please complete one of the following:
If you're a Leadership journal subscriber...
...but have not yet registered for online access to CTLibrary.com, you can receive a full-year's access for just $29.95!
Register Here | | If you're NOT a Leadership journal print subscriber...
You're entitled to a special, introductory offer for new subscribers only! Subscribe now and receive a one-year Leadership journal print subscription and one-year access to all Leadership archives for just $39.95!
Subscribe now!
When you log in as a Leadership Journal subscriber, you'll see additional articles noted as premium content only available to CTLibrary.com members. To access the entire CTLibrary requires a CTLibrary subscription. If you would prefer this option, select the offer below that best fits your needs.
|
Like the preview? To read this complete article
and 20,647 more in the archive—JOIN NOW!
Easily find high-quality, well-researched materials that provide a Christian perspective on topics ranging from headlines to history.
Start using this invaluable tool TODAY for preparing your Bible studies, presentations, class lectures, sermons, meetings, and more.
|
It's easy and quick to join:
Brought to You by Christianity Today Int'l |  |
|
| 
Find similar articles
E-mail this page
