What is “Pastoral Counseling” (a.k.a. “Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy”)
Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy (formerly known as Pastoral Counseling) allows the therapist and client to invite the client’s spirituality, beliefs, religious practices, experiences, and values to the table during their mental health treatment. This provides a more holistic approach to your counseling.
VIPCare proudly works with people from all faith backgrounds (as well as those without any) and does not discriminate on the basis of religious affiliation, race, age, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
While each of our counselors have received additional training in order to facilitate an interfaith spiritually-integrative approach, the client always has control over how much of their faith beliefs they want to incorporate, if any at all.
Pastoral Counseling Services
Our counseling process begins with several sessions devoted to understanding your problem and its role in your life. In this process, you and your counselor determine what you would like to achieve and what approach to take to fulfill those goals.
the purpose of pastoral counseling is to help with issues such as:
improving communication between you and others
rebuilding life after a significant loss
recovering from a divorce
parenting more effectively
enriching a marriage
healing from trauma
assessing areas of work and growth with a future partner
treating substance-abuse issues
healing from effects from abusive relationships
resolving the causes of depression, anxiety, anger, confusion, or insecurity
develop a more enriching and holistic faith
and more…
Types of Counseling Services Available
Individual Counseling provides the opportunity for an individual to work with a counselor to resolve issues of vital concern to that individual. This can be done on a short-term or long-term basis.
Couple Counseling provides the opportunity for a couple to work with a counselor on relational issues and dynamics, as well as disruptive communication patterns in an effort to improve the quality of the relationship.
Family Counseling provides the opportunity for an entire family to work with a counselor on the family's stress points and disruptive behaviors and communication patterns in an effort to help family members find news ways to help one another.
Group Counseling provides the opportunity for an individual to work with other individuals and a counselor on relational concerns and personal dynamics.
Substance Abuse Counseling and Assessment provides consultation to clients, family or anyone concerned about themselves or a loved-one.
Vocational Counseling provides the opportunity for an individual to work with a counselor during a time of vocational transition. A variety of assessments instruments are available to aid in that process.
Executive & Life Counseling is for persons who are in demanding and complex occupations can be helped to have regularly scheduled meetings with an objective coach, who can help them assess work strategies and realize their leadership potential.
Spiritual Direction is for persons wanting to explore and grow in their faith and who are not in crisis, may chose to contract with one of our staff for spiritual direction. This is an opportunity to reflect on one’s life and activities intentionally through the eyes and resources of one’s faith perspective and to be guided in that process by a spiritual director.