Courses

This course is designed to investigate personality theories, personal stress, and coping behaviors from selected perspectives of psychology, culture, and biblical/theological foundations. Students will be requested to look at their own beliefs and thoughts in these areas in order to consider appropriate applications for pastoral care, pastoral counseling, and spiritual guidance. Lectures, video, role play, and case studies will provide students with the fundamentals of care and counseling with troubled persons who may display abnormal behavior or disturbing personality issues. In addition to formal pastoral counseling and informal caring conversations attention will be given to social media communications.

Specializations: Church and Culture, Counselling and Spiritual Care, Pastoral Studies

Knowing…

• To increase awareness of psychological and theological understandings of personality and abnormal behavior.
• To acquaint students with current research on personality and abnormal behavior as a focus for pastoral care, pastoral counseling, and spiritual guidance.

Being…

• To develop a personal understanding of assumptions about and expressions of  personality and abnormal behavior.
• To encourage opportunities for students to explore their own personality and behavior from a faith perspective.

Doing…

• To develop the basic skills of pastoral care, pastoral counselling, and spiritual guidance with troubled persons