Discussion: Get The Present Story

Discussions: Solution-based Short-term Pastoral Counseling Phases are this course's unique final project. This discussion forum covers Phase One: Get the Present Story. Be fully engaged in Phase One! After reviewing the readings and other course content, artificially move your predetermined care-seeker (i.e., Crossroads’ Care-seekers: Bruce, Joshua, Brody, Justin, or Melissa) through Phase One.

NOTE: These forums require that you draw upon ALL required course resources to substantively develop each phase in our Solution-based, Short-term, Pastoral Counseling process. Make every effort to be attentive to our Solution-Based Short-term Pastoral Counseling (SbStPC) Handout. The distinctive phase features are delineated in the SbStPC handout. Be noticeably attentive to the distinctive phase features and required course resources in this forum. Use the following headings to organize your post.

· Ministry or Agency-based Context. Introduce classmates to your actual or anticipated role in a ministry or agency-based context and your predetermined care-seeker.

· Guiding Purpose Statement. Concisely point out how a Guiding Purpose Statement will help you be and become more like Christ in every relational context, especially this pastoral counseling scenario. Remember to use the required format (“Seeking to be a ______ of Christ, I am committed to becoming a _____ _____.”) and use one-word descriptors in your GPS.

· Rapport and Relational Alignment. Briefly discuss how to build rapport and shift your relational style to best align with the care-seeker’s style (i.e., use DISC language) and current behavioral position (i.e., attending, blaming, or willing). Include a discussion on DISC-specific relational alignment and your care-seeker’s current behavioral position.

· Phase One Distinctive Features. Narrate movement of care-seeker through Phase One’s distinctive features (i.e., purpose, goal, chief aim, role/responsibility, use of guiding assumptions) and apply pertinent insights and techniques from the required course resources.

· Phase One Marker. Describe a marker that indicates you have been invited into the care-seeker’s story.

· Food for Thought: After reviewing the readings and Handout’s “The Art of Triage and Referral” websites, point out the essential elements in pastoral care triage and referral?