Pastors can help people face reality and be responsible. We can help them to find practical solutions to their problems. We can help them by developing a learned observation and by insight that God will give us, and them to understand how they are relating to others, and how they may need to change in order to be more adult and mature.
In pastoral counseling, the pastor as counselor is concerned with spiritual problems. In other types of counseling the spiritual aspect is often totally ignored.
The pastor is also concerned with psychological problems. He is also aware that physical problems may be contributing to a spiritual or psychological problem.
Pastoral counselors can use some practical techniques to recognize psychological and spiritual problems. Isaiah 50:4: "The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that it is weary."
These words are so fitting for pastors who are counseling.
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