Counseling Families Across the Stages of Life: A Handbook for Pastors and Other Helping Professionals

A HANDBOOK FOR CLERGY COUNSELING FAMILIESCounseling Families Across the Lifespan: A Handbook for Pastors and Other Religious Professionals is designed to be a text for those in training for pastoral ministry, as well as a practical resource for women and men engaged in ministry with families. The volume addresses family transition issues (e.g., becoming a parent, divorce, sudden job loss, chronic illness, retirement, untimely death) and related mental health problems that may be experienced over the lifespan. In this time of widespread concern about the demise of the family,it is especially important that pastors and others in ministry understand how to help guide persons through life passages. Part 1 offers information about the important role that clergy and the faith community serve in the mental health care of families. This section spells out the need for special expertise by pastors and other religious professionals about how to recognize and address important transitional lifespan issues and related family problems. The scientific evidence that non-punitive, nurturing religious beliefs and practices serve both preventive and healing functions is summarized. Finally, there is a review of the factors that cultivate strong and resilient families in spite of adversity. The heart of the book is found in Part 2, which is presented in a format that uses real life situations while highlighting practical implications for pastoral care. They reflect recent research on relevant issues and recognize that the demands on a family change over time in the lifecycle. The case studies are multidisciplinary in approach, integrating clinical knowledge in pastoral care, psychology, family medicine, psychiatry, nursing, gerontology, sociology, social work, and marriage and family therapy, along with current scientific findings on the role of religion in mental health care. The volume recognizes that the difficulties that families face do not stand in isolation from one another but are interrelated. For example, the chapters involving chronic illness also address caregiver stress and depression. The book is designed so that a reader can easily locate information on specific issues and related mental health problems for which families seek pastoral counsel. It is a practical, easy-to-use guide on how to assess problems and how to respond to them. The table of contents provides the subject of 20 situations that illustrate common issues experienced by families. Each case provides an example of a family member with a specific problem who is in need of help. Included in each chapter is information about how a pastor or colleague in ministry would assess the problem, what aspects of the case are most important, how to identify the major issues, specific directions about what the pastor and congregation can do, when to refer for professional assistance, and information about resources that can provide help. National organizations (often with toll-free numbers and inter