[Q&A] What are the guiding principles for Christian counseling?
Henry DeMoor on Tue, 07/20/2010 - 3:36pm
The CRC Church Order mandates ministers and elders to "exercise pastoral care" (Art. 12, 25, 65). The term "pastoral care" is meant to be much broader than counseling per se and it should not be read to indicate certain types or modalities of professional counseling such as nouthetic or integrationist or any other such method. The broader assemblies of the CRC have never expressed themselves on this matter either. Typically, seminarians are taught the principles of good pastoral care and, within that, pastoral counseling (which is to be distinguished from professional or psychological counseling though that may be done to some extent before the boundaries of professional competency are hit, at which point referral is in order). We trust that ministers help the elders to their part and that both ministers and elders participate in continuing education or professional enrichment seminars to increase their skills in pastoral care. Bottom line: seminarians see the alternatives, choose their method of ministering, and do so, hopefully, in responsible fashion when they enter into the ministry of the Word. But there is no "mandate" from either Church Order or synod and no official position of the CRC.
In some readings and conversations I've come across concerning modalities in counseling in Christian circles, I've noted at least two positions; the integrationists and the non integrationists with a few variations along a continuum. Is there an official position or guiding principle on the issue in the denomination?
Ex: Is the council within reason to mandate particular non churched based (integrationist) counseling to its member which does conflict with her convictions (nouthetic ??) on the counseling continuum?