Understanding the different roles of pastor and counselor …

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One of the reasons why Scott Free Clinic has been unusually effective in helping people change their lives is the ability to blend the spiritual and the psychological. Put another way, I’ve been both an ordained minister for more than 30 years, as well as a Christian clinical therapist for nearly as long.

That’s an unusual pairing of skills.

But with the experience that comes with that combination, it’s brought a few insights that both pastors and counselors should consider.

First, most pastors I know tell me they don’t enjoy counseling. They understand they haven’t been trained to be a counselor and know they don’t have the necessary clinical skills for intensive counseling. And, to be honest, most just do not enjoy it! They’re willing to counsel people about their spiritual lives or possibly their marriages, although you might be surprised at just how many pastors try to avoid even that kind of counseling.

That’s a problem.

While pastors SHOULD refer people to trained Christian clinical counselors when there is a need for counseling, they should FIRST make sure they have done their job of addressing the spiritual issues — especially sin — in the lives of those they refer. What many pastors don’t consider is that MANY Christian counselors don’t enjoy addressing significant sin and spiritual issues in the lives of clients. They understand they are not pastors, they’re not theologians, and their biblical training may be limited. As a Christian counselor, they likely do have some biblical and theological training (although for many it is minimal), but many have no more training in scripture than the average Christian who has experienced some level of discipleship.

Pastors need to be aware that it’s not the primary job of a clinical therapist to address issues of sin and the need of confession, repentance, restoration, and reconciliation of a spiritual nature with people. That IS the job of a pastor, it comes with shepherding the people of your congregation.

At the same time, it’s not the job of a pastor to provide skilled care for someone’s mental health needs, or clinical level support needed to help someone change their lives. And it is vital that Christian therapists have enough biblical and theological training that they can skillfully address their clients as SPIRITUAL beings.

I’m reminded of all this because lately I’ve had to address many issues in the lives of people where the primary problem was sin, but pastors were trying to direct people to me without having first addressed the sin in the lives of those they were wanting to refer. Likewise, I’ve talked with pastors who have tried and failed at playing therapist, and with people who were frustrated with their church leaders for not being able to help them with issues that were primarily mental health issues rather than spiritual issues at their core.

I was comfortable dealing with all these situations because I wear two hats, that of pastor and counselor. But in most situations, that is not the case when pastors want to refer someone to a counselor. So it’s important to remember that pastor and counselor have separate primary skills, giftedness, and responsibility in the lives of those they minister to.

Both pastor and counselor know all too well that people are very capable of getting their lives all “knotted up.” Let this report by Lambeth Hochwald be an encouraging reminder of how God has an answer for that!

    There’s a solution for every problem. Take this one, for example: If you’ve ever knitted (or if you have a cat and are crafty), you’ve likely seen your yarn become extremely tangled.

    It’s a frustrating moment best solved by taking the time (often a long time) to work out the kinks. Or maybe you’ve just tackled the job with scissors.

    Then again, there might be another solution: A group of people who work under the name Knot a Problem. This team of knot specialists promises to detangle your hopelessly snarled mess for just the cost of shipping.

    “I’d dig them out of the trash and say, ‘What are you doing?'” said Stephanie Rothschild of Rancho Santa Margarita, California, who started the group in 2008 after she discovered her love of detangling while working at a yarn store.

Hochwald concluded the report with this:

    Sometimes things get so tangled up in our relationships that we need help. Knot a problem! God has raised up people who love to untangle things — people like pastors and teachers, counselors and supportive friends. This team of knot specialists promises to detangle your hopelessly snarled mess for “just the cost of shipping.”

    “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good,” 1 Corinthians 12:4-7.

Pastors, don’t rely on counselors to carry out your responsibility of watching over the souls of your congregants; and counselors, don’t hesitate to partner with pastors when you need them to to take the lead on sin issues in the lives of your clients.

Scotty