DESCRIPTION:

The individual-in-family-within-community is the focus of study in the pastoral care and counseling of families within the family of God. Family theory, theology, and therapeutic interaction will be integrated as the student explores his/her own multigenerational family system and applies learnings to participation in family of origin and in intentional family ministry.

Pastoral counseling ministry is first a ministry to the key relational units of a community, church, or extended family and second to the person within these human contexts. The effective minister is connected to family of origin with clear self boundaries and capable of entering and leaving other families with clear personal differentiation.

The course focuses on assisting participants in understanding, differentiating, deepening relationships in their family of origin in personal development as a basis for work in family intervention. Lectures, experiential process, sociodrama, case studies, audiovisuals will be utilized to assist the pastoral counselor in growth toward effective preventative and creative change in family systems. Class will meet twice weekly for two-hour sessions.

Friedman, Edwin. Generation to Generation. New York: Guilford, 1985.

Napier, A. and Carl Whitaker. The Family Crucible. New York: Bantam, 1978.

Hall, Margaret. The Bowen Family Theory. New York: Plenum, 1977.

Bowen, Murray. Family Therapy in Clinical Practice. New York: Aaronson, 1978.

Satir, Virginia. People Making. Palo Alto: Science and Behavior, 1972.

McGoldrick, M. Ethnicity and Family Therapy. New York: Guilford Press, 1982.

McGoldrick, M. Genograms. New York: Norton, 1985.

(1) Wide reading of 1200 pages in theory and cases. (2) Attendance of all sessions and participation in experiential processes. (3) A multi-generational family study of a non-seminary related family. (4) A four generation (minimum) analysis of your family of origin and a commitment to pursuit of a family pilgrimage for the following two years.

This is a central pastoral counseling course open to all students. Spouses are encouraged to participate whenever possible.

Meets M.Div. core requirement in Pastoral Counseling (MIN 5). Also meets concentration requirements in Family Pastoral Care and Counseling and in Marriage and Family Ministries.

No written exam, the major paper on your family voyage in revisioning your family of origin functions as the final evaluation.