Clinical vs. Pastoral Counseling

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker - Washington State Department of Health

Licensed Minister - International Church of the Foursquare Gospel

Holding both a clinical social work license and a pastoral license, clients often seek services that are focused in either direction.

 

The practice of clinical social work is when the client is engaging in a therapeutic process that involves treatment of psychopathology, diagnosing mental disorders and/or using specific therapeutic techniques to address mental health and familial concerns that arise from a biospsychosocial assessment. Typical treatment modalities include attachment and psychodynamic theory. 

 

Pastoral counseling is when a client is looking to address issues that are connected to their spiritual life including: relational hurts, grief/loss, major life changes, faith integration, conflict resolution, processing traumatic life events and familial challenges, identity work. Using a narrative approach and a scriptural basis, pastoral counseling focuses on the understanding  of God, ourselves and the world around us.

 

Those who are receiving services that are classified as pastoral counseling understand that should more in-depth services be required, a referral will be made to a local psychotherapist and/or medical provider.