| CODE | MRT5845 | ||||||
| TITLE | Counselling in a Pastoral Setting | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Moral Theology | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Within the context of pastoral care, pastoral counseling refers to those occasions when individuals seem to need and even request the time and attention of a counselor in a structured relationship that may occur within the context of a specific time commitment in a designated place. Suspending moral judgment, here the focus is on the individual and his/ her problems. In many such instances, the problem entails some conflict in the person's capacity to act freely. As a result, the pastoral counselor - that is, counseling that takes place in a religious and/or spiritual pastoral setting -, concentrates on psychological blocks and developmental impediments which seem to be stifling personal growth. At other times, the problem could deal not so much with the inability to act freely but, rather, with value confusion and/or questions of religious commitments. In this light, this study-unit will draw, on the one hand, on the deep roots in the tradition of the Church, and on the other hand, on the streams of new knowledge from the human sciences and psychotherapeutic descriptions. The study-unit will cover areas related to the nature of Pastoral Counseling; on becoming a Pastoral Counselor; and on doing Pastoral Counseling. Study-Unit Aims: - To define “pastoral counseling” in its identity as psychological help within a religious/ pastoral framework; - To establish the nature and benefit of pastoral counseling in one-to-one spiritual accompaniment; - To recognise how the practice of pastoral counseling differs from other forms of ministry involving one-to-one mentorship. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Locate pastoral counseling within the practice of accompaniment for people in distress; - Recognise when pastoral counseling is needed in the scenario of spiritual accompaniment; - Review introspective insights from the Christian religious tradition in light of the import of knowledge from the human sciences. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Implement the theoretical framework of pastoral counseling into practical scenarios; - Differentiate between a pastoral counselor’s role and a spiritual companion’s role; - Explore different modes of doing pastoral counseling. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Robert J. Wicks et alii (eds.), Clinical Handbook of Pastoral Counseling: Expanded Edition, 2 volumes (New York: Paulist Press, 1993). Supplementary Readings: - Elizabeth Maynard and Jill Snodgrass (eds.), Understanding Pastoral Counseling (New York: Springer, 2015). - Everett L. Warthington et alii (eds.), Evidence-Based Practices for Christian Counseling and Psychotherapy (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2013). - Richard W. Roukema, Counseling for the Soul in Distress: What Every Religious Counselor Should Know about Emotional and Mental Illness, 2nd ed. (New York: Routledge, 2003). |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | ||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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