Shared Wisdom: Use of the Self in Pastoral Care and Counseling

by Pamela Cooper-White

Book Overview

Understanding one's personal issues and emotional reactions one's "countertransference" has long been recognized as a core competency in ministry. Now new understandings of intersubjectivity, mutual influence, shared wisdom (both conscious and unconscious), and multicultural dynamics in the caring relationship are bringing promising new possibilities and challenges to pastoral practice. Employing these insights, in this groundbreaking book Pamela...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0800634543
• ISBN13: 9780800634544
• Release Date: November 2003
• Publisher: Fortress Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Being Wise in our Time

Pamela Cooper-White's "Shared Wisdom" is worth reading by everyone who engages in all of the helping professions. Considering the process of communication from both the sender and the receiver, the author weaves a convincing paradigm of the intersubjective and relational nature of theraputic communication. For all those interested in the assessing the effectiveneess of pastoal or clinical conseling this study provides the reader with a concetual road map which guides the reader into a depth of self understanding. Here I found that the "wounded healer" model, often time consider as the core focus of pastoral care and coundeling, is profoundly challenged by Cooper-Whites senstivity to the necessithy of self awareness in "contertransference." This work is a must read for those who are wlling to undertake the challenge of bocomming the "healed wounder healer."

Highly Recommended

This work appears to be the most cutting-edge, sophisticated text available on the integration of self-development, counseling technique, and Christian theological reflection. The theoretical and philosophical base is highly relational and contextual, as evidenced by consistent attention to matters of intersubjectivity, multiculturalism, and ethics. The author uses the psychodynamic rubric of transference and countertransference to unearth the hidden power of counselor-client interaction - a power that has the potential for great healing or destruction. The overall theme and thesis of the book is this: In the counseling context, therapists and ministers have the high calling to use their `selves' in ways that are responsible, reflective, respectful and real. This necessitates a commitment to personal and spiritual growth through self-awareness and clinical consultation.The first two chapters provide a detailed history of countertransference in the psychodynamic and pastoral care fields. These chapters illustrate the general attitudinal shift from fearful shunning to responsive acceptance of countertransference in helping relationships. Chapter three continues to lay theoretical groundwork through a concise examination of relational, postmodern philosophy and it's implications for human communication and theological reflection. Chapters four through six delve into the complexity of "understanding one's personal issues and emotional reactions" in helping relationships. Extremely helpful and well-written case studies are used to illustrate and apply the concepts to highly believable real-life situations. The consistent theme throughout these chapters is that the counselor's emotional responses can function as either healing or harmful therapeutic junctures. The final chapter integrates the concepts into a theological framework that is compelling and relevant.The intended audience includes persons in the fields of pastoral care and ministry, social work, counseling psychology or therapy. Overall, this book is highly recommended as an essential resource for therapist self-development.