Pastoral Care & Counselling

‘I would recommend this text as a basic reading resource for those with an interest in the field as well as those who practice pastoral care and counselling’ — Youth & Policy. ‘This is a useful book that discusses the differences and similarities if pastoral care and counselling’ — Quaker Retreat Group Newsletter. ‘I think Gordon Lynch has produced an admirable introduction to this subject. I believe it should become a ‘must’ for those undertaking theological training and would also highly commend it to those engaged in the supervisory process’ — Gary Haire, Accord. Pastoral Care & Counselling provides an accessible framework for understanding the role of the pastoral care worker and the ethical dimensions of practice. Central to the book is the argument that all pastoral practice is inevitably shaped by the pastoral worker's own vision of what it means to live a good life. A thoughtful approach to pastoral work therefore requires pastoral carers to reflect critically about the values that shape their practice and about how the good life can be encouraged or hindered by different aspects of their pastoral encounters. The book tackles practical concerns such as: boundary issues and the place of friendship in caring relationships; the social and institutional factors which form the context of pastoral care; and what it means to act in an ethical and competent manner. Accessibly written and illustrated with case examples, Pastoral Care & Counselling will be of interest to those already working in pastoral care and those training in theology and pastoral work.