Giving Counsel: A Minister's Guidebook

For most ministers, pastoral counseling is a part of daily ministry, whether it is in an office counseling session or in a chance meeting with a parishioner outside the church. Whatever the setting, ministers are often called on to provide counsel and, by virtue of their calling and training, are expected to do so. This "how-to" guide for seminary students and ministers explores the role of the minister as counselor and provides a method for giving counsel. Renowned pastoral care expert Donald Capps equips readers with basic knowledge and skills and helps them to create a framework to ensure that all conversations where counsel is given will be valuable and not harmful to the person involved. Using a "problem-resolving" approach, Capps leads readers through: -- How to Create a Listening Environment -- How to Construct a Conversation -- How to Think Systemically -- How to Interpret Stories -- How to Manage Boundaries Giving Counsel is the perfect resource for seminary students and ministers of all faiths, whether you are beginning your study or looking for a single resource to serve your ministry.

Donald Capps is Princeton Theological Seminary's William Harte Felmeth Professor of Pastoral Theology and an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He is the author of numerous books, including Jesus: A Psychological Biography, Fragile Connections, and Giving Counsel from Chalice Press.