[Page 2486]Pastoral counseling is both an ancient practice and a modern helping profession. Although having much in common with other helping professions such as psychology, professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, and social work, pastoral counseling maintains a distinctive professional identity. Spiritual growth, broadly conceived, is the goal of pastoral counseling. Understanding the identities of pastoral counselors, changes in the field over time, and pastoral approaches to assessing, diagnosing, and intervening with clients is important to health professionals who may collaborate with or refer to pastoral counselors.