How are Faith and Spirituality used in Pastoral Counselling?
In pastoral counselling, faith and spirituality are actively and uniquely integrated into the process, going beyond what might be found in secular counselling.
Here's how faith and spirituality are typically used:
Role of Prayer
◦ Prayer is a welcomed and permitted part of counselling sessions if the client desires it. This applies to all members of the counselling team, including psychologists, relationship counsellors, and spiritual counsellors. Prayer can be modelled to clients not just for specific requests, but as a way to genuinely bring prayers and petitions to God, "laying all things at the feet of Jesus" and praying for God himself.
Use of Scripture
◦ Scripture is employed to engage with fundamental theological "paradigms", rather than unhelpfully applying "out-of-context Bible verses". The goal is to avoid being prescriptive and instead to "tap into paradigms".
◦ Key concepts explored through scripture include:
▪ Identity: Counsellors might ask clients what the scriptures reveal about who they are.
▪ Character of God: Sessions delve into understanding God's character, such as whether God is perceived as a loving Heavenly Father or someone "out to get me". The aim is to discern the client's "functional beliefs" about God (what they genuinely believe in their heart) versus their "confessional theology" (what they claim to believe), allowing for an honest exploration of feelings like anger or perceived punishment without condemnation.
▪ Worldview: Pastoral counselling examines a client's beliefs about the world, suffering, and relationships through a biblical lens, with the aim of replacing unhelpful beliefs with a biblical understanding.
▪ Redemptive Story: Clients are helped to see their suffering and difficulties as part of a "redemptive story," fostering hope because "God is good," which serves as a powerful "counter-voice" to anxiety and stress.
Spiritual Disciplines and Practice
◦ Spiritual disciplines, such as Christian meditation, are considered a "biblical idea" that can help reorient "the pathways of our brain through thought". Unlike other forms of meditation, Christian meditation focuses on "emptying to always to refill with what is good and noble and pure" through biblical truths, challenging unhelpful thought patterns, and reorienting the brain. Prolonged prayer is also viewed as a form of Christian meditation. This approach encourages introspection and a focused attention on God.
◦ The practice can be confronting, as busyness often serves as a form of self-medication, but slowing down allows past hurts or worries to be brought before God.
◦ Christian meditation can involve various forms, including reflecting on scriptures (like Romans 12 about renewing the mind or the Psalms), stretching exercises with Bible verses and Christian songs in the background, or simply prolonged prayer.
Overall, the integration of faith and spirituality in pastoral counselling is designed to provide holistic care for individuals, addressing their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and helping them to find peace, love, joy, and purpose through a deeper relationship with God.
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