Improving performance: what pastoral counselors can do?

Pastoral counselor performance is considered to impact on client wellbeing. The performance of pastoral counselors refers to their performance in doing counseling. This article explores the performance of pastoral counselors and strategies to improve it. The author examines the concepts and factors that contribute to the performance of counselors. Previous research on performance is reviewed. Based on this review, the author elaborates on some strategies that can help pastoral counselors improve their performance in carrying out pastoral counseling.

All This Is from God: Augsburger, Lederach, Barth, and Coutts on Forgiveness

What is forgiveness and why should we forgive? What does it accomplish? Why does it falter? Are there wrong ways or wrong times to forgive? How can we forgive our brothers and sisters from the heart, as Jesus instructed (Matt. 18:35)? Can there be forgiveness without repentance or reconciliation? In this article, I consider several psychological, sociopolitical, and Barthian theological insights for the practice of forgiveness at the interpersonal and communal levels. Focusing on the work of pastoral counselor David W. Augsburger, international peacebuilder John Paul Lederach, and theologian Jon Coutts, I compare how each thinker envisions the grounds of, goals of, and threats to forgiveness, as well as where each locates the power to forgive. I then reflect on how these authors may elucidate the relationship of forgiveness with repentance and reconciliation.

Clients' Perceptions of How Reorientation Therapy and Self-Help Can Promote Changes in Sexual Orientation

Presented is a summary of 882 homosexual people's responses to 5 open-ended questions about sexual reorientation therapy. Of the 882 participants, 726 reported that they had received reorientation therapy from a professional therapist or a pastoral counselor. As a group, 779 (89.7%) of the participants viewed themselves as “more homosexual than heterosexual,” “almost exclusively homosexual,” or “exclusively homosexual” in their orientation before receiving reorientation therapy or making self-help efforts to change. The majority reported they believed sexual reorientation therapy and various forms of self-help were helpful to them, psychologically, spiritually, and sexually.