Don't Be a Lone Ranger

I was thinking today about how alone Pastors often are in their work. Particularly in the aspect of their Pastoral Counseling work. They know that what is shared with them in confidence is a sacred trust and must not be divulged to other parishioners. But then they get stuck in their sessions with a counselee.Perhaps they realize that the sessions are not making progress, or that they feel increasingly uncomfortable, or maybe even increasingly too comfortable with the parishioner coming for counseling. What can they do?

Mental health professionals of every discipline are taught in graduate school to seek supervision when they get stuck with a counseling client. In graduate school or early in their carears there is always a designated clinical supervisor to which they are assigned. A regular series of supervision appointments review all their couseling sessions. The supervisor is there to verify that they have a treatment plan and goals established for their clients. The supervisor helps them to clarify issues if they become fuzzy in the thinking of the beginning counselor. The supervisor can ask what about the client they find irritating or hard to deal with. The experience of the supervisor can help the new counselor to understand that this particularly client reminds them of unfinished issues in the counselor's own relationship with their parent. Maybe the supervisor helps the counselor know when they can't be helpful to a client because of transference issues and how to gracefully initiate a referral to another mental health professional. Even after the licensed professional no longer is required by law to have supervision, they know that it is wise to seek collegial supervision or consultation with other professionals when they get stuck with a counselee.

I think it would be just as valuable for pastors who are doing counseling to seek supervision when they get stuck with a counselee. The ministerial training system does not usually provide such regular clinical supervision for clergy-in-training. So the "stuck" pastor is not used to seeking consultation. But the need still exists never-the-less. Where can the "stuck" pastor go? Well, they can go to another experienced clergy person in the area. Just remember that you must protect the confidentiality of your counselee (which even includes their identity). Just present the case facts without identification, the nature of how you feel stuck and get their feedback. If this doesn't seem feesable, you might approach an established Christian mental health professional in your area. I know a psychologist in our town who regularly offers the pastors in the community free telephone consultations regarding their pastoral counseling cases. There may be an experienced hospital chaplain in your area who could provide this kind of consultation. Also, since this is the Ministry Care Line Blog, I should mention that this is certainly an appropriate use of a call to Ministry Care Line if you are part of a subscribing organization. All the staff are capable of helping a stuck counseling pastor think through what is going on in their counseling situation. And of course the call is confidential and can be anonymous if the pastor wants.

So, don't be a Lone Ranger Counseling Pastor. Getting supervision might save you from harming a parishioner or getting into a painful or embarassing situation in your ministry.

Blessings!

--Bob Peach, Ministry Care Line Director