Pastoral Counseling
Pastoral Counseling for Couples & Individuals in Marietta GA
Pastoral Counseling Services
in Marietta GA
At the Marriage Point we offer pastoral counseling as an important element of the services we provide to support the marital relationship. We believe in whole-person healing and know that religion plays a vital role in the lives of millions of people around the world and that spirituality is an intricate part of our make up. Exploring your own spirituality and understanding how it intersects with your life goals, longings and philosophy can be incredibly grounding.
Understanding how your spirituality interweaves with your spouse’s spirituality can enrich and deepen your relationship.
Pastoral counseling incorporates spirituality, theology and faith into counseling. Pastoral counselors believe that this provides couples and individuals with a whole-person approach which encourages healing and growth.
Pastoral Counselors have completed a graduate level degree program incorporating both theology and psychology from an accredited institution resulting in a Master of Divinity or Master in Theology degree. They are ordained by a local faith community and recognized as church leaders, which entails a set process with requirements for experience and testing. In addition to this, pastoral counselors are required to complete a Clinical Pastoral Education program where they spend time serving as a chaplain while engaging in self reflection and personal growth as they become aware of how their own faith and spirituality is impacted by the reality of life, death, pain, illness and suffering. Finally pastoral counselors are also certified by a State body which establishes standards of care for their profession.
Pastoral Counseling approaches relational and individual concerns from a spiritual perspective and provides a safe place to process pain, loss, and meaning.
What is the Difference between Pastoral Counseling and Clinical Counseling?
According to the American Psychological Association, clinical counseling or therapy is a treatment for psychological problems and is aimed at alleviating emotional distress. Therapists apply research-based techniques to help people develop more effective coping habits and approaches to personal and relational concerns. Patients are helped to effectively regulate their emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Therapy usually involves understanding the historical root of current psychological and relational concerns and providing appropriate interventions to move patients toward healing. Pastoral counseling, on the other hand, approaches treatment from a spiritual perspective. The aim of our Pastoral Counseling in Marietta GA is to help individuals and couples makes sense of their concerns in the context of their faith or spirituality.
When is Pastoral Counseling the Right Choice for You?
While Pastoral Counselors are able to address a variety of concerns from a theological perspective, issues addressed most commonly by a pastoral counselor include: grief, loss, chronic illness, suffering, vocation, calling, purpose, existential issues, spiritual growth, spiritual guidance, pre-marital counseling, church relationships, and clergy care. If you would like to process your concerns within the context of your faith, your spirituality, or your relationship with God, while becoming more aware of your own responses, pastoral counseling may be a good fit for you.