Pastoral Counseling: An Introduction To Pastoral Care

Being born again gives all people a distinct advantage in life...forgiveness of sins, empowerment by the Spirit, a family of God for support, but Christians can also have problems. We find much of mental illness, or the inability to cope in a healthy way with stress, is rooted in family dynamics. Children learn by watching their parents; they watch their reactions when stressed. For example, one client frequently watched her mom and dad drink heavily and then sink into depression leading to violence every two weeks or so, right after dad came home with an insignificant paycheck. Along with learned behavior from long term exposure to traumatic incidents, others become trapped in a mindset which they have learned. Counseling can show them alternatives. It can often be a long and arduous process. Knowing how to help in an effective manner is a skill that can be taught... and that is the purpose of this book.