This introductory level course will provide students with an overview of the theories, models, and approaches to pastoral care and counseling. It is designed to aid students in their development as pastoral care professionals and teach the core skills for empathic and compassionate caregiving. In this course we will engage a variety of concerns that are a part of the human condition and faced by individuals, families, and communities in the ministry context, e.g., interpersonal violence, substance abuse, mental health conditions, grief, and loss, etc. Students will have an opportunity to examine how their social location, religious experience and embedded theologies influence how they provide pastoral care. This course will provide an opportunity for weekly peer group meetings during which students will practice core listening and caring skills.
- Teacher: Rochelle Johnson