Religious Counselors

Outside of any profession’s frame of reference that defines what problems it will handle and how, we usually find a group of approaches that do not completely fit the established mold.

They often can contribute creative and innovative ideas, and yet they often lead to abuses in the name of novelty and experimentation. And sometimes an older approach that fails to fit the newer frame of reference is left behind, to keep company with more radical approaches.

Just these things have happened in the practice of counseling and psychotherapy, as we will see.

Religious Counselors

The world’s first professional counselors were religious. Guidance from priests, rabbis, and pastors has a long tradition. The tradition is such an old one, in fact, that going to talk to a religious counselor has a respectability that the public has generally not yet extended to other forms of counseling.

Many people with problems, even people with a religious attitude or upbringing, tend to ignore the kind of help religious counselors may be able to give. This probably stems from the belief that social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and some other certified therapists whom we will discuss in a moment have received special training in helping people with personal, emotional problems, whereas religious advisors have not.

However, this is not universally true. Many professional religious representatives now do receive training in contemporary therapies. Increasingly, Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish educational institutions are incorporating course work and workshops in modern counseling methods into programs of study for priests, pastors, and rabbis. Individuals who have been trained in this way are easily located within a religious organization; a telephone call to the organization should give you leads to follow.

In spite of the widespread attempt many religious institutions are making to remain up to date on contemporary approaches to counseling, there is probably something also to be said for traditional guidance. All religious views seek to fulfill the needs of men and women to find meaning in everyday life and to cope effectively with life’s hardships.

Contemporary approaches to psychotherapy and counseling can offer much; their history, however, is comparatively brief, extending over just the last century. For many people—depending on their inclinations, values, and sympathies—traditional religious guidance may provide much that is as yet not to be found in the more scientific and systematic schools of contemporary therapy.

If you decide to go to a religious professional for counseling, you will probably find the process relatively informal and friendly. Also, religious professionals generally expect that their private counseling services will not be remunerated; contributions to the supporting religious organization are of course hoped for but are often not required in exchange for guidance.

In contrast to the authorized community of social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists, it can be more difficult to locate a religious professional who specializes in a particular approach to counseling.

The background in modern approaches to counseling that religious professionals tend to receive is “eclectic.” They normally receive training in a variety of approaches; their programs of study are based on the belief that flexibility in counseling is essential, that nothing works well for everyone.

This openness can be of value to many people. But, as you read, you may decide to locate a therapist who has a certain specific orientation. He or she may be a religious counselor, a psychologist, or another qualified professional.

In general, if you have a specific form of therapy in mind, you will have to ask a prospective therapist whether he or she has the training to give you the kind of help you are looking for. This is especially true of religious counselors.

Biofeedback Professionals

Biofeedback is a newcomer to the therapeutic world that has grown tremendously in popularity. Biofeedback therapy gradually enables individuals to become aware of certain physical changes in their bodies. These physical changes are detected by means of sensitive measuring instruments that give information back to clients so they can learn to control a particular physical response.

Biofeedback is used by therapists who have been specially trained in its use, as well as by some licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, physical therapists, speech pathologists, and even some dentists. Some psychiatrists now work jointly with a biofeedback therapist: the psychiatrist can prescribe medication and provide psychotherapy or analysis, while the associated biofeedback therapist can teach patients how to lessen their responses to pain and stress-related problems.

The Biofeedback Society of America is an interdisciplinary group of healthcare professionals; it is presently developing training standards and guidelines for certification of biofeedback practitioners.