LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
History of Pastoral Counseling
A Paper Submitted to
the Faculty of the School of Divinity
in Candidacy for the Degree of
Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (Ed. D) Department of Christian Leadership and
Church Ministries
By
Mary Gracias
Lynchburg, Virginia
10/2022
History of Pastoral Counseling
People have long turned to religious leaders for support, guidance, and solutions related to
mental health issues, and ministers of all denominations traditionally provide counseling to
members of their religious communities. Pastoral counseling was born from the idea that,
although this kind of support is valuable, some issues may require a more professional level of
help.
In the early 1900s, Reverend Anton Boisen, one of the founders of the Pastoral Education
Movement, pioneered a unique enrichment program in which he connected theology students
with hospital patients who were also experiencing concerns of a psychiatric nature. In the early
1930s, minister Norman Vincent Peale and psychiatrist Smiley Blanton formed the American
Foundation of Religion and Psychiatry, known today as the Blanton-Peale Institute. Clinical
pastoral education programs like these laid the foundation for the development of the pastoral
counseling field, which evolved over the next several decades as more and more members of
the clergy sought formal training in psychology.
In 1963, the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) was formed to provide
certification, accreditation, and training in the field of pastoral counseling. According to the
AAPC website, “pastoral counseling evolved from religious counseling to pastoral
psychotherapy, which integrates theology and other faith traditions with knowledge,
spirituality, the resources of faith communities, the behavioral sciences, and in recent years,
systemic theory.”
In 2019, the AAPC united with the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) and
the two entities now operate as one under the ACPE name.
Who Might Choose Pastoral Counseling?
According to a 1992 Gallup poll, 66% of survey participants reported a preference for a
mental health professional who held spiritual beliefs and values, while 81% of people seeking
mental health treatment stated a preference for a counselor with values similar to their own.
This data may explain why some people seek help from religious leaders or counselors who
share their faith. Pastoral counseling may offer benefit to people of all backgrounds, but it may
be best suited to those seeking mental health support or guidance grounded in a theological or
spiritual perspective.
People might choose pastoral counseling when they:
Want to approach mental health issues from a faith-based perspective
Are not comfortable in a formal counseling setting
Are facing end-of-life issues
Have concerns that secular counselors will not validate their religious beliefs
Have had negative experiences with secular mental health professionals
Benefits of Pastoral Counseling
As pastoral counseling can provide specialized treatment to those seeking such but also
meet more general counseling needs, it can be considered a versatile mode of therapy. Pastoral
counselors are uniquely positioned to offer a professional level of mental health treatment,
thanks to graduate training and education, while also providing spiritual guidance from a faith-
based perspective.
Pastoral counseling can offer support to those seeking family, relationship, premarital, or
individual counseling. More specifically, it may be helpful to individuals working through or
challenged by any of the following situations:
Pastoral counselors are uniquely positioned to offer a professional level of mental health
treatment, thanks to graduate training and education, while also providing spiritual guidance
from a faith-based perspective.
Spiritual assessment
Grief and loss
Issues related to chronic or terminal illness
Conflicts around spiritual beliefs
Mental health issues directly linked to religious beliefs or doctrine
Crises of faith
Reintegration into community life after institutionalization or incarceration
Adjusting to mental health support when wary of the system
Who Provides Pastoral Counseling?
Pastoral counselors can range from ordained religious figures like priests, chaplains, and
rabbis to practicing psychotherapists who provide what some call pastoral psychotherapy. They
might come from any religious background and can be found in multiple settings—
congregations, counseling centers, inpatient programs, and private practice, among others.
Training and education is available for those who wish to practice pastoral counseling in
various formats. There are pastoral counselors who are not credentialed that actively provide
support to people in need. There are also pastoral counselors who are more affiliated with the
religious aspect of their role and have less training in mental health treatment. But a vast
majority of pastoral counselors seek certification.
To become certified, prospective counselors must meet the requirements of their religious
group, usually ordination, and receive graduate-level training in both theology and psychology,
as defined by the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC).
Requirements set forth by the American Association of Pastoral Counselors stipulate
candidates must earn one of the following graduate degrees:
Masters in Divinity
Graduate or Doctoral degree in Biblical Studies, Theological studies, or Spiritual Studies
Graduate or Doctoral Degree in Pastoral Counseling
Candidates must also complete 375 hours of supervised counseling experience and a self-
reflective clinical pastoral education (CPE) experience. The supervised CPE experience is
coupled with classroom instruction and discussion to ensure candidates fully integrate their
learning in theology and behavioral science. Once the training requirements and practical
experience are completed and approved, candidates take part in a 90-minute interview
conducted by a certification committee to finalize the process.
Currently, only a handful of states in the USA have license options for people in this field,
including Tennessee (Clinical Pastoral Therapists) and North Carolina (Pastoral Counselors). In
most states without this type of license, pastoral counselors must obtain and maintain one of
the other types of licenses that permit the practice of psychotherapy: LCSW, MFT, LPC, LMHC,
or similar. The majority of insurance companies do not reimburse pastoral counselors for
services rendered, yet another reason is common practice for certified pastoral counselors to
also pursue licensure in fields such as professional counseling, social work, or marriage and
family therapy.
Can Pastoral Counselors Provide Diagnosis?
While some pastoral counselors have not had extensive training in the diagnosis of mental
health concerns, many pastoral counselors are licensed mental health practitioners who are
able to diagnose and treat any number of issues. Additionally, certified pastoral counselors are
trained in mental health assessment and suicide/homicide assessment, and they are typically
able to diagnose the warning signs and symptoms of other serious psychiatric concerns.
References:
1. American Association of Pastoral Counselors. (2020, July 23). Retrieved April 19, 2021,
from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Association_of_Pastoral_Counselors
2. Ashton, A. (2015, October 2). Can pastor counselors be prosecuted for malpractice? The
Christian Post. Retrieved from http://www.christianpost.com/news/can-pastor-
counselors-be-prosecuted-for-malpractice-146559
3. Brief history on pastoral counseling. (n.d.). American Association of Pastoral Counselors.
Retrieved from http://www.aapc.org/Default.aspx?ssid=74&NavPTypeId=1158
4. Atkinson, D. R. & Miller, H. M. L. (1986). Pastoral counseling and confidentiality.
Counseling and Values. 31(1), 89-96. doi:10.1002/j.2161-007X.1986.tb00478.x .
5. Becoming a pastoral counselor. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.pastoralcounseling.org/how-to-become
6. Buckholtz, A. (2005, December 6). Help from above. The Washington Post. Retrieved
from
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/02/AR20051202022
87.html
7. Griffith, E. E. & Young, J. L. (1987). Pastoral counseling and the concept of malpractice.
Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. 15(3), 257-265.
8. Jordan, M. R. (1997) What is pastoral counseling? Retrieved from http://www.pastoral-
counseling.org/asp/page.asp?ID=1003.
9. Sigmund, J. A. (2002). Pastoral counseling: What is it and when can it help? Current
Psychiatry, 1(11), 49-57. Retrieved from
http://www.mdedge.com/currentpsychiatry/article/66147/pastoral-counseling-what-it-
and-when-can-it-help
10. Types of mental health professionals. (n.d). Retrieved from
https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Treatment/Types-of-Mental-Health-Professionals
11. Walker, K. R., Scheidegger, T. H., End, L., & Amundsen, M. (2012). The misunderstood
pastoral counselor: knowledge and religiosity as factors affecting a client's
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