People in Crisis - Pastoral Care & Counselling

This advanced third-year course is designed to provide the professional Christian counsellor with a bio-psycho-social-spiritual understanding of people in crisis. The emotional, psychological, and spiritual turmoil of people in crisis is explored from an integrated theology and psychology perspective.

Attention is given to the psychological theory and theology of crisis and trauma counselling and the varied causes of crisis are explored: critical incidents caused by natural disasters (hurricanes, tsunamis, pandemics, etc); organizational disasters caused by people (terrorism, wars, economic collapse, endemic organized crime, etc.); societal interpersonal crises (domestic violence and abuse, poverty & homelessness, relationship conflict etc.); personal traumatic crises (physical & mental health, addictions, assault & rape, etc); and existential spiritual crises.

Special attention will be given to:  self-harm and suicide interventions and counselling; DVA counselling; conflict resolution and forgiveness; and resilience. This course will equip the professional Christian counsellors to come alongside people in crisis with a Christ centred, biblically based, Spirit led, and psychologically sound best counselling practice. By the end of this course you should be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the theoretical approaches to crisis, trauma, an abuse intervention from a pastoral care and counselling perspective
• Identify crisis & trauma and domestic violence situations and formulate applicable treatment plans for coming alongside and providing pastoral or professional Christian counselling, using best practices
• Demonstrate an understanding of violence and abuse within relationships and families and provide counselling to both victims and perpetrators of family abuse
• Assist individuals and families to practice forgiveness and explore the possibility of reconciliation
• Make a suicide risk assessment, and provide applicable immediate intervention and support, and counselling
• Collaborate appropriately with other mental health service providers, and make appropriate referrals and practice self-care

You will be required to purchase the following textbooks in order to complete all counselling courses:

• Collins, G. 2007. Christian Counseling - a Comprehensive Guide (Third Edition). Thomas Nelson.
• Meier, Minirth, Wichern & Ratcliff. 1999. Introduction to Psychology and Counseling: Christian Perspectives and Applications. 2nd Baker Books.
• Tan, S. & Scalise, E.T. 2016. Lay Counseling: Equipping Christians for a Helping Ministry (Revised and Updated).
• Tan, Siang-Yang, 2011. Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Christian Perspective. Baker Publishing