by David G., Benner
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Product Description
Therapeutic counseling in a Christian context can be highly effective when it maintains narrowly focused goals in a time-limited setting. The details of this proven model of pastoral counseling are described in this practical guide. This second edition of Strategic Pastoral Counseling has been thoroughly revised and includes two new chapters. Benner includes helpful case studies, a new appendix on contemporary ethical issues, and updated chapter bibliographies. His study will continue to serve clergy and students well as a valued practical handbook on pastoral care and counseling.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Dry but helpful..., 2008-03-07
This book was assigned reading for a seminary class called "Introduction to Pastoral Care." I'm not sure that I would have finished the book if it hadn't been assigned to me, as it was very dry and tough to plow through to the end. However, it offered a very helpful model for pastoral counseling that offers some hope to pastors who are overwhelmed by the reality or the prospective of indefinite counseling with congregants.
The basic premise of Benner's book is that pastoral counseling, if done strategically and intentionally, can and should be accomplished in five sessions or fewer. And he provides a very specific framework to get it done, which seems feasible. He concludes the book with two case studies, one a five-session counseling relationship with a woman who had an abortion and the other a one-session arrangement with a man suffering from some career frustrations.
A few critiques relate to Benner's sources. He constantly refers to his own books, something that I find to be rather annoying and self-promoting. Also, he seemed to refer to more sources from the 1960's than the 1990's, indicating a failure to stay current with research in his field.
Overall, this book was not particularly engaging, but it was still helpful. Benner managed to use language that makes sense to pastors, rather than getting lost in "psychobabble." And the model that he proposes is very appealing with its finite nature and manageable goals. I suspect that many pastors would be well-served to read this relatively short but useful model for how pastors can appropriately manage counseling requests while still helping people in significant ways. I'm sure that I will apply some things that I learned from this book in the future.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 A Helpful Introduction to Benner's Short-Term Model, 2006-11-11
Dr. David Benner presents the case for his short-term, five-session model for pastoral counseling with succinctness, clarity, fairness, and sound argumentation. In addition, he goes to great lengths to explain how such a model could work effectively within a church setting. The last three chapters are especially practical in their step-by-step presentations of the strategic pastoral counseling model and two well-presented case studies. His discussion of the inherently spiritual nature of many life issues (pp.62-67) is a very helpful and profound elucidation of the pastoral counselor's role. I highly recommend this volume to all pastors of local churches and all practicing or aspiring Christian counselors.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 Surprisingly informative, 2005-12-17
After reading quite a lot of material on pastoral care, I picked up this book. The content focuses mainly on how to do short-term pastoral care/counseling in a way that respects the time of the pastor, and in a way that encourages the client to either grow on their own, or realize that their needs require a professionally trained therapist.
The book deals with a "standard" model of one-on-one care that occurs in 5 meetings between the pastor and client. Additionally, it deals with pastoral counseling that occurs in only one session. The book provides case studies for each model, to help the reader understand how to do what the book describes. All in all, this short book is surprisingly informative about HOW to do short term counseling and establish the proper boundaries between pastor and parishioner.
My only complaint about the book is that the case studies tend to be trite. For instance, one case study has to do with a woman who had an abortion and now can't have children, and is traumatized by this turn of events. To me, this case is the stereotypical case Christian pastors think they might be dealing with. Instead, I would have rather seen case studies dealing with harder and more nebulous topics, like what to do about wayward children, issues of identity such as homosexuality, or issues of death and dying such as whether or not to remove the feeding tube from a parent in a vegetative state.
All in all, however, I found this book quite helpful, and a quick and easy read.
4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
 They made me read it..., 2005-01-31
Dr. Benner notes that 87% of surveyed pastors wished they had more pastoral counseling training, and that they thereby regard themselves as unprepared for counseling circumstances they encounter, despite seminary training and a large number of books published on the subject. This sense of pastoral inadequacy has spurred Benner to write Strategic Pastoral Counseling, which hopes to address the lack of practical pastoral counseling guides by providing busy pastors with a framework or methodology for effective counseling.
While most books can take on an overly theoretical tone, Benner has intended that his book, while theoretically sound, should act as a very practical sourcebook for pastors, providing them with a schema or algorithm for managing their counseling challenges. Benner briefly surveys the history of pastoral counseling, ***although limiting himself to the last century of thought***. This done, he reviews the range of counseling forms offered within the church, from formal discussions with the pastor to simple forms of friendship among church members. He also notes the unique nature of pastoral counseling and the unique but perhaps insufficient qualifications that pastors possess by virtue of their specialized education. Lastly, before detailing his pastoral schema, he reflects on the goal of effective pastoral counseling, spiritual growth in a Christian context.
Benner's methodology, what he describes as "strategic pastoral counseling", is "brief and time-limited, holistic, structured, involves assigned work between sessions, and is church-based, spiritually focused and explicitly Christian." Benner works out each of these characteristics in some detail, and then turns to a practical discussion of how these various qualities can be achieved with a particular conversational methodology, involving "encounter, engagement, and disengagement". Benner helpfully suggests a maximum of 5 visits with counselees to bound the scope of counseling discussions and safeguard the busy pastor's schedule.
Benner concludes his presentation with two representative case studies which illustrate his recommended strategy in practice. These case studies survey the range of pastoral counseling commitments: one a five-week engagement with a very difficult counseling situation, and another single-visit circumstance. In both case studies, he provides representative dialog along with a running commentary on how his strategy is worked out in practice.
Strategic Pastoral Counseling contains a few regrettable references to women pastors, and has few roots in Scriptural observations, but nonetheless provides some useful considerations for pastors or prospective pastors who are wondering how to effectively counsel the members of their spiritual community amidst a busy schedule.
Overall, points subtracted for failing to spring from a historically informed view of the Church and her activities, especially a familiarity with the old post-Reformation pastors of the soul. For example, why is no one asking why pervasive professional "counseling" only appeared relatively recently among us? Are we the best and brightest generation? Were the old guys just dolts? What were they doing with those under their care? Worth some thought, but few are inquiring...
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
A helpful book providing a realistic model, 2002-02-06
Benner begins this book by discussing the context in which Pastoral Counseling is to take place. He maintains that the challenge for pastors has "been to find a model of counseling that is both distinctively pastoral and psychologically responsible" (p. 13). This is so because Pastoral Counseling (counseling which is genuinely pastoral) must be subsumed under the general rubric of the Pastoral Ministry. In other words, the pastor is not a clinical psychologist and he should not counsel like one. He is a pastor and he must counsel those in his congregation with the selfless, caring nurture which is to characterize those who are responsible to look after the spiritual well-being of Christ's flock.
In the chapter entitled The Uniqueness of Pastoral Counseling, Benner provides what I believe to be the most useful information in the entire book. Here, in addition to defining what he means by Pastoral Counseling, he explores the training, the role, the context, the goals, and the resources of Pastoral Counseling. As I will only be able to touch on one of these elements, let it be known that Benner remarks that "pastoral counseling is unique in its use of religious resources. Prayer, Scripture, the sacraments, anointing with oil or laying on of hands, and devotional or religious literature are all...available as potential resources for the counseling process. The failure ever to employ any of them suggests an erosion of the distinctively pastoral aspects of one's counseling" (p. 29). Lest there is any question of Benner's commitment to Christianity, see his comments under the heading, Explicitly Christian Counseling, on pages 57-61.
It is obvious that Benner wants to be able to provide real-life pastors with a Pastoral Counseling model that will work in real-life situations. In fact, this seems to be the main thrust behind the whole idea of a strategic short-term model. He realizes that most pastors are either too busy, or not properly equipped to undertake a massive, long-term counseling approach. Besides, he explains that a counseling session need not be excessively long in order to be effective. A key to undertaking the short-term approach is for the pastor to be up front with the parishioner about the nature of the counseling model. Benner suggests that an individual be seen over the course of five sessions..."The limit of five sessions should be communicated no later than the first session and preferably in the prior conversation when the time is set for the first session" (p. 45). This is absolutely crucial to the short-term model.
The body of the short-term model is composed of three stages, each with their respective tasks (see Table 4, p. 64). In the encounter stage (1 session), the boundaries of the sessions are set, the central concern and any relevant history is explored, a pastoral diagnosis is conducted, and both the Pastoral counselor and the parishioner agree upon a focus for the counseling. In the engagement stage (3 sessions), the feelings, thoughts, and behavior of the parishioner are examined. As well, resources for coping and/or change are sought after and explored. In the disengagement stage (1 session), the progress of the meetings is evaluated and any remaining concerns are assessed. At this time, a referral is given (if one is needed), and the counseling session is terminated. It must be kept in mind, as Benner points out, that "the person seeking help may be back again at some point in the future for further help. There is no assumption that Strategic Pastoral Counseling fixes people up for life" (p. 45).
Towards the end of the book (chapter 5), Benner provides a case study where we are given opportunity to see this short-term model in action. This is valuable in that it provides opportunity to see this model fleshed-out. The Appendix includes the results from a survey of Pastoral Counseling practices giving opportunity to see the pulse of those involved in counseling.
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