The Art of Jewish Pastoral Counseling

The Art of Jewish Pastoral Counseling provides a clear, practical guide to working with congregants in a range of settings and illustrates the skills and core principles needed for effective pastoral counseling. The material is drawn from Jewish life and rabbinic pastoral counseling, but the fundamental principles in these pages apply to all faith traditions and to a wide variety of counselling relationships. Drawing on relational psychodynamic ideas but writing in a very accessible style, Friedman and Yehuda cover when, how and why counseling may be sought, how to set up sessions, conduct the work in those sessions and deal with difficult situations, maintain confidentiality, conduct groupwork and approach traumatic and emotive subjects. They guide the reader through the foundational principles and topics of pastoral counseling and illustrate the journey with accessible and lively vignettes. By using real life examples accompanied by guided questions, the authors help readers to learn practical techniques as well as gain greater self-awareness of their own strengths and vulnerabilities. With a host of examples from pastoral and clinical experience, this book will be invaluable to anyone offering counselling to both the Jewish community and those of other faiths. The Art of Jewish Pastoral Counseling will appeal to psychoanalysts, particularly those working with Jewish clients, counselors, psychotherapists, psychoanalysts and rabbis offering pastoral counseling, as well as clergy of other faiths such as ministers, priests, imams and lay chaplains.

Michelle Friedman, MD, is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst long involved in bridging religious life and mental health issues. In 1998 Friedman began the pastoral counseling program at YCT Rabbinical School. She is now director of that program and associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, NYC. Rachel Yehuda, Ph.D., is a psychologist and neuroscientist who has over the last 25 years conducted research on post-traumatic stress disorder and resilience. Dr. Yehuda has lectured in the Pastoral Counseling program at YCT, where she also served on the Board of Directors. She is currently Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine. She is also the Director of Mental Health at the James J. Peters Bronx Veterans Affairs Hospital.

Preface Chapter One: Turning to Clergy for Help Chapter Two: Pastoral Counseling and Mental Health Treatment: a Comparison Chapter Three: Pastoral Presence and Personal Life Chapter Four: Setting Up the Pastoral Interview Chapter Five: Understanding What You Hear Chapter Six: Preparing for the Unexpected Chapter Seven: Establishing and Maintaining Confidentiality Chapter Eight: Working in Groups Chapter Nine: Integrating Components to Approach Complex Situations Epilogue: Going Forward