Pastor as Counselor (eBook)

This very practical book offers no-nonsense instructions for pastors,chaplains, and ministers whose real specialty is the practice ofrelational wisdom. Patton provides a helpful, step-by-step template forpastoral counseling sessions and clear guidelines for understanding whento defer and how to referall while remaining faithful to the basicpastoral calling to connect persons seeking help with the relationshipsand resources they need to deal with their lives. "e;In a societyof specialists, John Patton's Pastor as Counselor is a bold reminder ofthe healing potential of 'care-full' attending to lost and separatedpersons through the unique relational wisdom of the generalist pastor.This is vintage Patton, written with gentle wisdom and generous counselsummarizing decades of practicing and teaching pastoralcounseling."e;Herbert Anderson, Emeritus Professor of Pastoral Theology,Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, IL, and Faculty in PracticalTheology, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA "e;John Pattonwrote this 'how-to' book for ministers without specialized training inmental health issues. Ministers are good at developing and deepeninghuman relationships, and that is exactly what they need in order tobecome skilled short-term pastoral counselors. Concrete, down-to-earth,and quintessentially practical, this is a book that should be on thesyllabus of every seminary's introduction to pastoral care andcounseling. It is the fruit of a lifetime of reflection and embodiedrelational wisdom at its best."e; Deborah van Deusen Hunsinger, CharlotteW. Newcombe Professor of Pastoral Theology, Princeton TheologicalSeminary, Princeton, NJ "e;When it comes to counseling, our firstport of call is often the mental health professions. In this book JohnPatton carefully draws out what is special about pastoral counseling.With theological depth and wise practical utility, he offers a clearguide for pastoral counselors as to what it is that gives them theiridentity and what that looks like in practice. This is a wise and deeplypractical book that will inevitably be transformative."e; John Swinton,Chair in Divinity and Religious Studies; School of Divinity, History andPhilosophy; University of Aberdeen; Aberdeen, UK "e;John Pattonhas acquired unparalleled wisdom over decades of providing, supervising,teaching, and writing about pastoral care. This most gifted and deeplyreflective thinker has crafted a primer that will become a classic,spelling out what's central for those new to the vocation, reminding themore seasoned of what really matters."e;Chris R. Schlauch, AssociateProfessor of Pastoral Psychology and Psychology of Religion, BostonUniversity School of Theology, Boston, MA"e;Patton's book nicely parallels what he asks pastors to do in counseling others. Through a well-developed structure, he offers wise presence, spiritual conversation, and relational wisdom. His book would be a valuable resource in an advanced pastoral care course in a theological school. Similarly, a peer group of pastors would benefit from collective engagement with insights it provides as they assess their pastoral counseling relationships."e; Kenneth J. McFayden, Union Presbyterian Seminary, Richmond, Va. (Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology 71(4)