Summer 2009/Pasadena
Five-week Intensive: July 7-August 28
CN542
Hammer
CN542: PASTORAL COUNSELING OF COUPLES. Ronald Hammer.
DESCRIPTION: Pastoral counseling of couples as a specialized ministry within
the field of pastoral care will be explored didactically and practically in the
preparation of persons who plan to do pastoral counseling and pastoral
psychology. A survey of couples counseling theory from an integrative
perspective, with attention to particular ministry issues will be incorporated
into a practical format in a community setting.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will have demonstrated (1)
a better understanding of pastoral counseling and an ability to interpret
couple's experience, family relationship patterns, culture, and congregational
life through this discipline; (2) skills in counseling couples, pre and post
marriage; (3) the ability to more deeply empathize with couples to whom they
minister; (4) more motivation to engage in ministries of giving care,
prevention education, and the healing of persons; and (5) more commitment
to self-development and self-care.
RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: To pastor effectively is to be available to people in
crisis, in growth passages, and in change throughout the life cycle. Couples
make up a large demographic of the ministry community. The pastoral counselor
is capable of offering both effectual therapeutic intervention and support as
well as facilitating the pastoral care of the people of God surrounding the
counselee.
COURSE FORMAT: Lecture, discussion, audio-visuals, case studies, experiential
exercises, triads utilizing counseling skill training processes, and practice
in simulated counseling circumstances will integrate theory, theology, and
practice. The course will meet twice weekly for five weeks, in four-hour
sessions, including the required small group sessions.
REQUIRED READING: 1200 pp. minimum, including weekly assignments from required
& recommended texts:
- Rassieur, Charles. I Have a Plan: A Pastor's Guide to Counseling
Troubled Marriages. WJK, 2005.
- Meier, Scott T., and Susan R. Davis. The Elements of Counseling.
6th ed. Brooks Cole, 2007.
- Course Reader with expanded syllabus and readings.
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Augsburger, David. Sustaining Love: Healing and Growth in the
Passages of Marriage. Regal, 1989.
- Busby, D. M., and V. L. Loyer-Carlson. Pathways to Marriage. Allyn
& Bacon, 2003.
- Cooper-White, P. Shared Wisdom: Use of the Self in Pastoral Care and
Counseling. Augsburg, 2003.
- DeMaria, R., and M. T. Hannah, eds. Building Intimate
Relationships. Brunner-Routledge, 2003.
- Gottman, John. The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. Crown
Publishers, 1999.
- Graham, Larry Kent. Care of Persons, Care of Worlds. Abingdon,
1992.
- Gurman, Alan S. The Clinical Handbook of Couple Therapy. 4th ed.
Guilford, 2008.
- Hendrix, H. Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples.
20th anniv. ed. Holt Paperbacks, 2007.
- Hunsinger, Deborah van Duesen. Theology and Pastoral Counseling.
Eerdmans, 1995.
- Hunt, R. A., L. Hof, and R. DeMaria. Marriage Enrichment.
Brunner/Mazel, 1998.
- Johnson, Susan. The Practice of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy.
2nd ed. Routledge, 2004.
- Kipnis, L. Against Love: A Polemic. Pantheon, 2003.
- Patton, John. Pastoral Counseling in Context. Westminster/John Knox,
1993.
- Ramsay, Nancy. Pastoral Care and Counseling: Redefining the
Paradigms. Abingdon, 2005.
- Schnarch, David. Passionate Marriage. W.W. Norton,
1997.
ASSIGNMENTS: (1) Attend lectures and small group sessions. Write a per
session journal reflecting on the group sessions (20%). (2) Present a brief
(10-12 pp.) paper on a specific area of couples counseling such as divorce,
alcoholism, family systems issues, etc. (50%). (4) Do a case study (5-7 pp.) on
the five role play counseling sessions done during the quarter (30%).
PREREQUISITES: Permission of Advisor.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in Pastoral Counseling
(MIN 5).
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.
This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (4/09)