Pastoral Care and Counselling (DP3006L)

Content

This unit provides a review of basic counselling methodology and issues. The unit also addresses the nature of counselling within a pastoral care and parish context, considering ethical concerns and responding to the question of theodicy. It introduces students to specialised contexts of care and counselling: crisis, sickness, death, grief and mental illness.

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

A level 3 unit in undergraduate theology and ministry courses

Prerequisites: At least 36 points in the discipline of Pastoral Theology and Ministry Studies (DP)

Pedagogy

This unit is underpinned by teaching practices and strategies (e.g. lectures, tutorials, case studies, team workshopping and team pastoral reflection) which encourage student engagement and participation in a variety of learning tasks and opportunities which foster deep learning.

Indicative Bibliography

• Becker, Arthur H. The compassionate visitor: resources for ministering to people who are ill. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 1985.
• Eyer, Richard C. Pastoral care under the cross: God in the midst of suffering. Rev. ed. St Louis, MO: CPH, 2014.
• Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth. On death and dying. London, UK: Tavistock, 1969.
• Lutheran Church of Australia. Commission on Worship. Rites and resources for pastoral care. Edited by David A. Schubert. Adelaide, SA: Openbook Publishers, 2008.
• McBride, J. LeBron. Spiritual crisis: surviving trauma to the soul. New York, NY: Haworth Pastoral Press, 1998.
• Stone, Howard W. Strategies for brief pastoral counseling. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2001.
• ———. Crisis counselling. 3rd ed. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 2009.
• Swinton, John. Spirituality and mental health care: rediscovering a 'forgotten' dimension. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2001.
• ———. Raging with compassion: pastoral responses to the problem of evil. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2007.
• Swinton, John, and Richard Payne. Living well and dying faithfully: Christian practices for end-of-life care. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2009.
• Wright, N.T. Evil and the justice of God. London: SPCK, 2006.

Assessment