Clergy and Counselors—Collaborating Toward New Perspectives

✍ Scribed by HILDY G. GETZ; GINGER KIRK; LISA G. DRISCOLL

• Publisher: American Counseling Association
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 784 KB
• Volume: 44
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0160-7960
• DOI: 10.1002/j.2161-007x.1999.tb00151.x

✦ Synopsis

This article describes a workshop and exploratory study done by counselors for a clergy group that requested assistance in working with families. The counselors focused on 4 family dynamic concepts: communication, distance, hierarchy, and adaptability to change. Data were collected from the same pre-and postworkshop questionnaire that included a Semantic Diflerentiar Scale, Likert questions, and an open-ended response technique. Changes occurred in distance and adaptability to change concept perceptions among clergy as a result ofthe workshop. Nearly v2 of the respondents reported feeling more confident regarding family counseling on each of the concepts after the workshop.

Recently, there has been an increased awareness and respect for the role of religion and spirituality in the lives of clients and therefore in the role of counselors as they assist clientele with Me problems. Weaver, Koenig, and Larson (1997) called for clinical collaboration, training, and research between clergy and marriage and family therapists. Although professional psychology has taken an increased interest in multidisciphary collaboration, there seems to be a deficit in working with the clergy. T h s article describes one such training and collaboration effort and the degree of attitude change experienced by its participants.

THE ROLE OF SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION IN THE TRAINING OF MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND IN THE LIVES OF THEIR CLIENTS

Very few mental health speciahsts receive training in assessing, diagnosing. or understandmgreligous dynamics or pathology. Lukoff, Lu, and Turner (1992) claimed that in theory, research, and practice, mental health professionals have tended to ignore or pathologize the religous and spiritual dunensions of Me. They called for new bgnostic sensitivity and encouraged training to address the religious and spiritual dimensions of human existence.