Anton T. Boisen, who started the clinical pastoral movement, believed that carefully reviewing cases of actual patients is the only effective way to train chaplains. But what distinguishes clinical chaplaincy in the tradition of Boisen from the work of other religious or spiritual practitioners who might lay claim to the title "chaplain"? Responding to a second volume of cases published by George Fitchett and Steve Nolan, the distinguished CPE supervisor Raymond J. Lawrence provides alternative approaches to each case, ones that penetrate more deeply into the heart and soul of the patient, offering a more compassionate and meaningful sort of chaplaincy.Like its predecessor volume, Nine Clinical Cases: The Soul of Pastoral Care & Counseling, this book is intended for those who want to move from a service delivery and "prayer warrior" form of chaplaincy to one that is more psychodynamically based. It is also intended for those who train chaplains and aspire to doing so better.

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The book highlights the cultural, spiritual and professional aspects of counselling in pastoral settings.

Learn how religion can help in treating those suffering from bipolar disorder The Treatment of Bipolar Disorder in Pastoral Counseling introduces a new treatment model based on Quaker ideas and practices that can be used in conjunction with medical and psychological practice for treating manic-depressive illness. This unique book examines the interplay between religion and psychoanalysis, using the latest research on the importance of silence, prayer, and meditation in psychotherapy, the role of community in healing, and the problem of God and suffering. The book includes clinical examples from the author’s counseling practice, case studies of bipolar clients, and an extensive bibliography of materials on this crippling disorder that affects more than two million American adults. With its multidisciplinary approach, pastoral counseling may be the most effective psychotherapy for use with medical and pharmacological treatments. Pastoral counselors can gain valuable insights from psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, learning, and family systems theories for a more complete understanding of their clients. The Treatment of Bipolar Disorder in Pastoral Counseling examines current understandings of the disorder, including the effects, advantages, and disadvantages of medications, genetic factors, and the search for a mood gene, and looks at current treatment approaches, including object relations, psychoeducational, and narrative psychology. The Treatment of Bipolar Disorder in Pastoral Counseling examines: the writings of Quaker reformers, their methods of treatment, and the philosophies behind them key theological ideas of Quakerism that are helpful to pastoral counselors the ethical implications of pastoral counseling self-emptying as a way toward health the client’s right to privacy and individuality the nature of suffering the public perception of mental illness theological reflections of mental illness and much more The Treatment of Bipolar Disorder in Pastoral Counseling also includes case studies of bipolar clients and an extensive bibliography of books, journal articles, and Internet resources. This unique book is an invaluable resource for pastoral counselors and psychotherapists in private practice, as well as chaplains and parish pastors.

An in-depth look at who pastoral caregivers are, what they do, and how and why they do it

For the first time ever, three pioneers in the field of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) present an edited volume that outlines how the core ACT processes can be applied to religious and spiritual care approaches. If you are a clergy leader or pastoral counselor, people struggling with difficult situations or life traumas frequently turn to you for guidance. And while you’re passionate about helping, you may be unprepared for counseling people with certain mental health challenges. On the other hand, if you are a psychotherapist, you may need guidance in supporting your client’s religious belief system in therapy. In either case, this book presents a powerful road map to help you provide the best care. In this book, you’ll find a complete overview of ACT, as well as strategies for integrating ACT and issues related to spirituality. You’ll also learn how the core processes of ACT—such as commitment to change and values-based living—can be seamlessly tied into spiritual and religious counseling, no matter your faith or therapeutic background. By teaching you how to fuse conceptual psychological and spiritual principles, this book will provide you with the tools needed to enhance your counseling skill set.

The Art of Jewish Pastoral Counseling provides a clear, practical guide to working with congregants in a range of settings and illustrates the skills and core principles needed for effective pastoral counseling. The material is drawn from Jewish life and rabbinic pastoral counseling, but the fundamental principles in these pages apply to all faith traditions and to a wide variety of counselling relationships. Drawing on relational psychodynamic ideas but writing in a very accessible style, Friedman and Yehuda cover when, how and why counseling may be sought, how to set up sessions, conduct the work in those sessions and deal with difficult situations, maintain confidentiality, conduct groupwork and approach traumatic and emotive subjects. They guide the reader through the foundational principles and topics of pastoral counseling and illustrate the journey with accessible and lively vignettes. By using real life examples accompanied by guided questions, the authors help readers to learn practical techniques as well as gain greater self-awareness of their own strengths and vulnerabilities. With a host of examples from pastoral and clinical experience, this book will be invaluable to anyone offering counselling to both the Jewish community and those of other faiths. The Art of Jewish Pastoral Counseling will appeal to psychoanalysts, particularly those working with Jewish clients, counselors, psychotherapists, psychoanalysts and rabbis offering pastoral counseling, as well as clergy of other faiths such as ministers, priests, imams and lay chaplains.