How is “pastoral counseling” different from “Christian counseling?
” A: Pastoral counseling incorporates religious values, prayer and reading from the scripture together with secular counseling teaching, science and techniques. We believe that by utilizing people’s minds and souls we are better able to serve the “whole person.” “Christian counseling” generally does not incorporate the scientific or secular teachings and relies more on a strictly Christ-centered approach to healing. Individuals generally feel more comfortable with one approach more than the other. Q: What is the history of pastoral counseling nationally? A: Pastoral counseling came into being when pastors decided to incorporate psychology and psychologists wanted to incorporate religion into counseling sessions. There are hundreds of pastoral counseling agencies throughout the United States and other countries. Q: What is the history of pastoral counseling locally? A: We were created in 1960 by a group of local pastors and community leaders. We currently have 10 counselors who operate
