Skip to main content

what's is Pastoral Psychotherapy?


Pamela Cooper-White writes in her book, Many Voices, "pastoral psychotherapy is not a synonym for pastoral counseling, it is a particular and distinct healing intervention in its own right.  That is grounded in both psychoanalytic theory and method, that  are held in a constructive, creation affirming theology."White goes on to say that the special charge of pastoral psychotherapy is to accompany and support individuals, couples and families in recognizing and healing, especially painful psychic wounds and/or long-standing patterns of self-defeating relationships to self and others" (Cooper-White, Pamela   Many Voices  Fortress press, Minneapolishttp://www.amazon.com. Pastoral psychotherapy is not a quick Band-Aid type approach to helping people with their problems.  It is a deep-reaching method of therapy that seeks to get to the core of a person's emotional pain by making what is unconscious in the person conscious.  It is through reviving and working through painful experiences and emotions that healing takes place.  Pastoral psychotherapy may last for a few months or take several years, depending on what the patient wants to work through.  In my work as a pastoral psychotherapist, I have spent many hours with patients listening as they talk through shameful and/ or painful events.  As a pastoral psychotherapist, I respect my patients, religious, beliefs and help them to explore those beliefs to discover what they mean to the patient in the context of their emotional and psychic pains.
Dr. Susan Bowen DMin.
Mind & Spirit Counseling

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A Wrinkle in My Time Living with Hemianopsia

    March of 2009 my world was rocked.   I experienced a cryptogenic stroke which is a stroke caused by a blood clot from an unknown cause.  The clot was located in the right frontal occipital lobe of my brain. As a result, I suffer from Hemianopsia. What this means is that a portion of my visual field is missing in both my eyes.  Hemianopsia is classified by the part of your visual field that’s missing. These are the parts of my visual fields that are no longer there.   left homonymous: left half  superior: upper half  inferior: or lower half  In other words, I can only see in the right side visual field.  Another way to illustrate this is to ask you to imagine a dinner plate divided evenly in four quarters.  I can only see portions of the right side quarters of the plate. If we run into each other either at the church or on the street please know, it is very hard for me to recognize anyone.  I only...

Hounds, Birds and Squirrels, The battle rages on Day two

Round two of the grey squirrel battle begins.  It is the early morning. I spot a squirrel slowly coming out of the oak tree, and   I watch from my window as this ring leader hits the ground. He heads straight for the deck.  His tail is twitching erratically. I am convinced that the ring leader, the one who I named Boris, is sending out an all-clear signal to the infantry.  Suddenly I see them. The brave first squirrel, who was running point position, is followed by two others. I watch from my window as the tree rats survey the situation. Satisfied that the dogs are sleeping unaware of the pending assault, the tree rats begin their ascent to the feeder. Watching from the window now with a cup of coffee firmly in my hand, I call for the reinforcements.   " Come quickly, "I yell to my husband. My hero appears at my side with our son's 35-year-old Red Rider BB rifle in hand.  Pump, pump my husband loads, opens the door aims, and fires. Uninjured but s...

Teach your children Well

"Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children."    I think about many dear children  I think about my children, your children.   I  often hear stories about how people unintentionally adversely affect them by the things they say and do.  In my travels, I've learned a very Important psychodynamic counseling principle, " children learn what is modeled to" them." In other words, how we behave is how they will behave.      As a pastoral counselor, what  I read in this verse is that God is teaching us the same Principle." imitate God" !  as our loving parent, God wants to teach us Everything he knows.  Everything we need to know about life.       The reading goes on to speak about living a life of love .  Because of love, Jesus submits to his father's bidding. Jesus allowed himself to be sacrificed for us! Is that as imitators of God what we are...