Strategic Pastoral Counseling: A Short-Term Structured Model

by David G. Benner

Book Overview

Therapeutic counseling in a Christian context can be highly effective when it maintains narrowly focused goals in a time-limited setting. The details of this proven model of pastoral counseling are described in this practical guide. This second edition of Strategic Pastoral Counseling has been thoroughly revised and includes two new chapters. Benner includes helpful case studies, a new appendix on contemporary ethical issues, and updated chapter bibliographies...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801026318
• ISBN13: 9780801026317
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Baker Academic
• Length: 153 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A Helpful Introduction to Benner's Short-Term Model

Dr. David Benner presents the case for his short-term, five-session model for pastoral counseling with succinctness, clarity, fairness, and sound argumentation. In addition, he goes to great lengths to explain how such a model could work effectively within a church setting. The last three chapters are especially practical in their step-by-step presentations of the strategic pastoral counseling model and two well-presented case studies. His discussion of the inherently spiritual nature of many life issues (pp.62-67) is a very helpful and profound elucidation of the pastoral counselor's role. I highly recommend this volume to all pastors of local churches and all practicing or aspiring Christian counselors.

Surprisingly informative

After reading quite a lot of material on pastoral care, I picked up this book. The content focuses mainly on how to do short-term pastoral care/counseling in a way that respects the time of the pastor, and in a way that encourages the client to either grow on their own, or realize that their needs require a professionally trained therapist. The book deals with a "standard" model of one-on-one care that occurs in 5 meetings between the pastor and client. Additionally, it deals with pastoral counseling that occurs in only one session. The book provides case studies for each model, to help the reader understand how to do what the book describes. All in all, this short book is surprisingly informative about HOW to do short term counseling and establish the proper boundaries between pastor and parishioner. My only complaint about the book is that the case studies tend to be trite. For instance, one case study has to do with a woman who had an abortion and now can't have children, and is traumatized by this turn of events. To me, this case is the stereotypical case Christian pastors think they might be dealing with. Instead, I would have rather seen case studies dealing with harder and more nebulous topics, like what to do about wayward children, issues of identity such as homosexuality, or issues of death and dying such as whether or not to remove the feeding tube from a parent in a vegetative state. All in all, however, I found this book quite helpful, and a quick and easy read.

A helpful book providing a realistic model

Benner begins this book by discussing the context in which Pastoral Counseling is to take place. He maintains that the challenge for pastors has "been to find a model of counseling that is both distinctively pastoral and psychologically responsible" (p. 13). This is so because Pastoral Counseling (counseling which is genuinely pastoral) must be subsumed under the general rubric of the Pastoral Ministry. In other words, the pastor is not a clinical psychologist and he should not counsel like one. He is a pastor and he must counsel those in his congregation with the selfless, caring nurture which is to characterize those who are responsible to look after the spiritual well-being of Christ's flock. In the chapter entitled The Uniqueness of Pastoral Counseling, Benner provides what I believe to be the most useful information in the entire book. Here, in addition to defining what he means by Pastoral Counseling, he explores the training, the role, the context, the goals, and the resources of Pastoral Counseling. As I will only be able to touch on one of these elements, let it be known that Benner remarks that "pastoral counseling is unique in its use of religious resources. Prayer, Scripture, the sacraments, anointing with oil or laying on of hands, and devotional or religious literature are all...available as potential resources for the counseling process. The failure ever to employ any of them suggests an erosion of the distinctively pastoral aspects of one's counseling" (p. 29). Lest there is any question of Benner's commitment to Christianity, see his comments under the heading, Explicitly Christian Counseling, on pages 57-61. It is obvious that Benner wants to be able to provide real-life pastors with a Pastoral Counseling model that will work in real-life situations. In fact, this seems to be the main thrust behind the whole idea of a strategic short-term model. He realizes that most pastors are either too busy, or not properly equipped to undertake a massive, long-term counseling approach. Besides, he explains that a counseling session need not be excessively long in order to be effective. A key to undertaking the short-term approach is for the pastor to be up front with the parishioner about the nature of the counseling model. Benner suggests that an individual be seen over the course of five sessions..."The limit of five sessions should be communicated no later than the first session and preferably in the prior conversation when the time is set for the first session" (p. 45). This is absolutely crucial to the short-term model. The body of the short-term model is composed of three stages, each with their respective tasks (see Table 4, p. 64). In the encounter stage (1 session), the boundaries of the sessions are set, the central concern and any relevant history is explored, a pastoral diagnosis is conducted, and both the Pastoral counselor and the parishioner agree upon a focus for the counseling. In the engagement stage (3 se

A useful and practical model for pastoral counseling

Strategic Pastoral Counseling describes and examines the SPC Model of David Benner. The SPC Model is described as a brief, structured counseling approach that is explicitly Christian and that appropriates the insights of contemporary counseling theory without sacrificing the resources of pastoral ministry. It is designed to meet the needs of pastors for a counseling model. The book examines the subject of pastoral counseling and then introduces the SPC Model. Finally there is a case study that depicts how the model works. All that the pastor is able to accomplish in the five-session case study seems exaggerated but the case study is effective at portraying SPC in action. I would recommend this book to pastors looking for a realistic counseling model for church ministry or desire input for improving their current model or creating a new model. Below I have briefly outlined the SPC model. There are six characteristics of Strategic Pastoral Counseling (SPC). 1. It is brief and time-limited, working within a suggested maximum of five sessions. Both the pastor and the parishioner are forced to work continuously at maintaining focus and direction. To accomplish this objective the counselor must be active and directive. The counseling relationship must be a partnership and concentrate on one central and specific problem. Also the time limitation must be maintained. 2. The use of written materials is at the heart of SPC. The Bible as well as a variety of other devotional, inspirational, and practical books are assigned to the client. The literature should be integrated within the counseling session, not simply offered as a supplement to them. The books must be compatible with the pastor's counseling philosophy and integral to the work with the parishioner. It should serve as a support and extension of the counseling. 3. Short-term counseling should be wholistic. It must be responsive to the behavioral (action), cognitive (thought), and affective (feeling) elements of personal functioning. 4. Fourth, short-term counseling is generally more structured. Each of the sessions has a clear focus and each builds upon the previous ones in contributing to the accomplishment of the overall goals. The structure is responsive to the tasks of conducting an initial assessment, developing a general understanding of the problem and of the person's major needs, and selecting and delivering interventions and resources that will bring help. 5. SPC is spiritually focused. The Counselor listens to and enters into the experience of the parishioner as the parishioner relates his or her struggles and hear the story of the persons spiritual response to the experience. 6. SPC is Explicitly Christian. It begins with a focus on spiritual matters understood broadly, but its master goal is to facilitate the person's awareness of and response to the call of God to surrender and service. Ultimate wholeness cannot be found apart from a restored relationship

Excellent for pastors looking for a quick practical read

1. What are the strengths or weaknesses of Benner's reasons for the five sessions?Basically, Benner sets up a five session model for counseling any client that is looking for spiritual direction in their life no matter what the problem may be. These five one hour sessions include three basic stages of counseling. The three stages are the encounter stage, the engagement stage, and the disengagement stage. The encounter stage takes one session, the engagement stage takes the next three session, and the disengagement stage take up the final session. The strengths of this time-orientated method are many. First, pastor realistically cannot expend hours upon hours of their day just counseling laypeople. There are many other important duties to attend to, especially if a pastor is in a role as a solo pastor. Second, if extended amounts of time are needed then probably a professional licensed counselor may be needed. Third, the client may get to attached to the pastor becoming a "leach" of the pastor's time, energy, and resources. Fourth, God calls pastors to best utilize their time in a God honoring way. Meeting with one person, once a week, for a year is probably a poor use of that pastor time in that the client may have emotionally attached themselves to the pastor and vice-a-versa. Fifth, it helps to bring closure mentally and emotionally to both parties. This is vitally important to the health of both individuals for the long run. As far as weakness, there is really only one. This is that the counselor and the client may have not found adequate direction while seeking out the real problem at hand. But as Benner mentions in his book, the counseling process must also be directive and intentionally hardworking for all five sessions. A meandering client will not work well in this system of counseling. And, each client has his or her own preference in how they open up internal issues and work through them as well. But Benner states that all this must be mentioned from the beginning of the counseling process. Essentially the client must want to be there, and they must be eager to dig into their life and quickly arrive at some issues to begin the healing process.2. What goals does Benner have for each session, and what reasons are seen for setting up these goals as they are? The first session is primarily the encounter process. In this session the idea to begin a working alliance. Give the purpose of the meeting form the start and state how long the process will take. Also, let the client clearly state their concerns of why they came. And as well explore the content of these concerns generally. This is a time for the counselor to empathetic and active listener and a time for the client to vent their primary issues in such a way that a general format can be laid for the future four sessions. The second session is a time to explore the clients feelings. Let the client reallyexpress how they