Gaining Momentum
Demand for spiritually based counseling is on the rise. Indeed, interest in spirituality is on the rise. A recent report, Religion and the Public Interest, incorporating the research findings of groups including the Gallup Organization and Lilly Endowment, Inc., reported that 96% of the population – 242 million Americans – say they believe in God. A 1996 USA Today survey found that 79% of Americans acknowledge that faith can help recovery from illness. According to another survey, 77% of patients feel their physician should consider their spiritual needs. In a 1994 Newsweek poll, 58% of respondents said they feel the need to experience spiritual growth.
Despite increased interest in psychotherapy and increasing numbers of therapists, the advent of managed mental health care has brought a reduction to many people of counseling services available to them. As a result, many people still turn to clergy for help with personal, marital and family issues as well as faith issues. Additionally, many working poor have no insurance benefits at all and need to seek free or low-cost counseling from their pastors.
Because of the missional nature of pastoral counseling, most counselors make every effort to ensure services are available to those who seek them. While most centers and counselors charge a standard fee for counseling services, adjustments can often be made according to financial need. Others provide a sliding scale.
Pastoral counselors and counseling centers often work in partnership with congregations and community centers. Educational programs are often offered as part of a congregation’s adult education or a hospital’s community education programs. Some programs are free, while others involve multi-session courses on marriage preparation, divorce adjustment or coping with grief. In developing new services, pastoral counselors are sensitive to national and local issues. Nationwide, pastoral counselors are breaking ground in individual counseling for victims of sexual abuse.
Through partnerships with clergy, pastoral counselors are a significant resource in pastoral care, connecting pastors with appropriate consultation and referrals. Additionally, AAPC offers a special membership designation of “Pastoral Care Specialist” to parish clergy who participate in an approved training program to enhance their pastoral care skills.
AAPC also includes in its membership mental health practitioners interested in exploring the creative interaction between spirituality and the behavioral sciences.
Persons interested in joining the Association should contact AAPC headquarters:
American Association of Pastoral Counselors
9504A Lee Highway
Fairfax, Virginia 22031-2303
(703) 385-6967
Fax: (703) 352-7725
info [at] aapc [dot] org
Whether an individual is in crisis, or looking for personal growth, a pastoral counselor can provide the guidance, skill, longer-term relationship and information needed to promote wholeness, with the context and support a person needs to make changes to live life more fully.