PACO 617 Theories and Techniques in Pastoral Counseling

This course introduces students to selected theories of counseling and psychotherapy. It involves an intensive pastoral counseling experience designed to enhance self-awareness, promote personality exploration, and provide case discussion and analysis. Fundamentals of the therapeutic relationship and essential skills are examined.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

This course addresses the need for students to have curricular experiences and demonstrate their knowledge in the common core area of “helping relationships.” The ability to integrate and apply an understanding of the theories and techniques to one’s personal and professional life is critical in pastoral counselor development.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, you will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Group Activities Assignments (3)

Students will complete three group activity assignments: Wednesday Group Activity Assignment (submitted by Wednesday night), Thursday Group Activity Assignment (submitted by Thursday night), and Friday Group Activity Assignment (submitted the following Wednesday).  Each of these three group activity assignments consist of a: Client Rating Form, Observer Form, and Counselor Self-Evaluation Form. These forms will be also be used during the practice afternoon sessions as a guide for the Pseudo-Counseling sessions.

NOTE: Assignment partially meets Learning Outcomes A-F.

Movie Review Assignment

To continue the knowledge and experience gained from the intensive week, the student will complete a movie review by watching a movie of their choosing that has a strong pastoral counseling theme. (The instructions can be found in “Module 3: Post-Intensive Work”.) The student is required to be attentive to how the ideas presented in this movie might be used in pastoral counseling. Student will write a 3-4-page paper (not counting title and reference pages). Paper is to be written using current Turabian style or current APA form.  

 NOTE: Assignment partially meets course learning outcomes A, B, D.

Practical Book Review Assignment

To continue the knowledge and experience gained from the intensive week, the student will review a book of the student’s own choosing in the area of pastoral counseling. The instructions for completing this assignment can be found in “Module 3: Post-Intensive Work”. Student will write a 4 – 5-page paper (not counting title and reference pages). Paper is to be written using current Turabian style or current APA form.

NOTE: Assignment partially meets course learning outcomes A, B, D.

Quizzes (8)

These quizzes are open-book/open-notes, covering the 15 chapters of Thomas, J. C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expedition: Equipping the Christian counselor for the journey. There will be 1 quiz covering 1–2 chapters for each module of the course.

1. Each quiz covers several chapters each. You will take some of the quizzes BEFORE the intensive, and some of the quizzes AFTER the intensive.

(Relates to learning outcomes A, B, C, D).

Pre-Intensive Informed Consent Assignment

Students will complete this assignment as a Pseudo-Client. In order to engage in the intensive week activities and assignments, it is required that you read, agree, and sign the Intensive informed consent. By doing so, you are agreeing to participate in disclosing limited personal information for the practice of development skills and techniques related to counseling.

Intensive Informed Consent

Student’s will be required to submit this graded consent during the intensive week with other students. This consent describes the parameters of the intensive group activities that require disclosing limited personal information for the practice of development skills and techniques related to counseling.