As a pastor it is important that I maintain a high level of confidentiality so that congregants feel comfortable to come to me when they are needing a listening ear, need to ask questions, or coming seeking advice. Your pastor should be someone you can open up to and be completely honest with, someone you can truly be the real you around even if you cannot anywhere else. This means there needs to be a level of trust and an expectation of confidentiality. Even among the staff and between the pastors this trust with congregants should not be broken. I also remind myself that these confessions are not truly meant for me but are shared as God’s representative. No comes to confess to me and seek my forgiveness (unless they have wronged me), they
When choosing a religious service I was very limited on my choices so I was intrigued to go back to my roots and try the Catholic denomination. This denomination is the one that is most prevalent in my community and also in my social circle as well. Since I have actually been to a Catholic church as a child I thought I knew what to expect but I was shocked at how naive I was to the subject. My preconceived ideas and thoughts were that there would be a lot of getting down on your knees then back up again then saying your Hail Mary’s with not much depth to a service. Also growing up with a social group that was full of Catholics you would always hear of confession so that was something I was particularly dreading for the fact that I did not
I have a “no secrets” policy. Since you are here for couple’s counseling I feel you need to be open and honest with each other. If one of you shares a “secret” with me individually that I might feel necessary to share, I will decide if it needs to be shared with your spouse.
In the relationship between counsellor and client the need for confidentiality is vital as it is not only the bases that the relationship is built on and it is a legal obligation.
The tactical component of the religious affairs specialist in the American army is essential, but it is not the single most important thing that many people consider to be necessary for the military to succeed in its mandate. Furthermore, some individuals have never set foot in a tactical environment. However, the tactical component of the religious affairs specialist allows soldiers who are deployed in the battlefield to have adequate resources needed to fight, and also in times of adversity when they face mental challenges or spiritual upsets. This paper highlights the challenges found within this component and the pros and cons associated with it. Moreover, the writer’s perspective on the name change from Chaplain Assistant to Religious Affairs
The code of ethics for both the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) create a framework by which Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) and Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT), respectively, determine their ethical boundaries in which to practice in the field of counseling. Though it is clear the code of ethics within this profession are not definitive nor concrete instructions to handle all ethical concerns and scenarios, they do serve a major purpose in helping professionals navigate ethical concerns that may arise (Corey, 2015). In addition to the professional ethics, “Christian mental health professionals are called to a higher ethic (Sanders, 2013, p. 27).” This goes without saying for the one whose life has been radically transformed because of what Christ accomplished on the Cross. However, in the context of a profession that restricts one’s personal values there remains a consistent thoughtfulness of the impact it has on one’s faith.
In 1998, more than 13 million children (19 percent of all children) under age eighteen lived in families with incomes below the official poverty threshold. Although children age eighteen and under represent 26 percent of the United States population, they comprise nearly 40 percent of the poverty population. Despite a steady decrease from 1993 (23%) to 1999 (17%) in the rate of children in poverty, the United States still ranks highest in childhood poverty among all industrialized nations.
During the early year of Lutheran faith, the Protestants first believed that everyone can get into heaven in having faith and not having more “Good works” than sins through penance. Martin Luther, the first Lutheran, found “Salvation comes through faith, not good work-not through prayer, fastings… we can't ever be good enough, through our actions to merit salvation. We can only have faith”. In adapting to the times of the community, St Pauls have introduced a way for those seeking guidance to contact Father John. The need for people to have access to a priest has become such a large part in society. Many like to think they can keep problems within, but for one to admit to another that they have sinned helps release that weight. By contacting Father John and hearing advice; for the many that cannot withhold these secrets find it vital. Many people do utilize either churches for their service, in particular their confessional and guidance service. For those of Our Lady of Grace, who are Christian in need of a wise counselling visit or visitors of St Pauls that are generally in the community doing it tough and are seeking
This is one story I've never told before. Not to anyone. . .To go into it, I've always thought, would only cause embarrassment for all of us, a sudden need to be elsewhere, which is the natural response to a confession. Even now I'll admit, the story makes me squirm. (O’Brien)
First I will say I am glad you brought this case study. What are primary responsibilities of the region? Did the region conduct an investigation? What made you most uncomfortable about the leadership, the board and individuals holding critical positions being appointed by the pastor? Why do you believe the ex-husband was comfortable enough with you to tell you he witnessed the pastor's infidelity with his ex-wife? Other than the pastor's new wife's ex-husband, did anyone else observe the
Both the ACA (2005) and AACC (2004) code of ethics require the counselor to maintain client confidentiality to the fullest extent. Working in the counseling field, trust is a rock in the foundational of a helping relationship and confidentially plays a large role in the client counselor relationship. Both codes share similarities regarding their stance on confidentiality. When counseling others, a counselor is to inform their clients about their commitment to confidentiality as well as their limits before
In the grief support group I co-lead with a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and supervised by a Master of Social Work I learned how to facilitate a meeting. The LPCC taught me the person-centered approach and the social worker taught me to monitor client’s progression of goals. She allowed me to take lead, to link members together by similarities they share, and to give members homework. The LPCC believed in self-disclosure, she demonstrated this for me in a fantastic manner the social worker I was with did as well. Teaching me that it is great to self-disclose when appropriate and when it will benefit the progression of the group or for them to feel comfortable trusting the leader. In my group sessions I did not deem self-disclosure appropriate to use. How I will translate this is to be aware of my clients, to ask them what goals they hope to achieve, and for them to keep journals of progress. I will create a safe atmosphere for clients to speak, provide affirmation, and help clients set and maintain goals.
I have recently read Mark Cress’ C-Change: How To Transform Any Business Through The 7 Simple Principles of Corporate Chaplaincy (Wake Forest, NC: Lamphier, 2005). This review will discuss and evaluate the seven principles – Christ, Call, Confidentiality, Compassion, Control, Consistency, and Conversion - and briefly discuss their relevance and importance and the way the author has presented and discussed each principle. In addition I will critique two things I disagree with, and in conclusion I will give a final assessment of the book including more personal opinion. Clear introduction that outlines your intentions
In Chapter 10 of Rudolph K. Sanders’ book, Christian Counseling Ethics: A Handbook for Psychologists, Therapists and Pastors, Mark Yarhouse, Jill Kays and Stanton Jones discuss the “sexual minority” as it pertains to the field of professional counseling. This group is defined as “individuals with same sex attractions or behavior, regardless of self-identification” (Sanders, et. al., 2013, p. 252). By looking at counseling the homosexual community through its etiology, standards by which a counselor should proceed with treatment, and the options a client has on deciding treatment options, we can be better prepared as Christian counselors to be better prepared in serving the needs of others.
The Protestant Reformation indicated that a human can “connect to God and can do so without the aid of a priest.” The ecclesiology behind this is basically what aids me in my ministry. Peterson, in his book Essential Church, explains “the primary affirmation is not that each person is his or her own priest but that each Christian can be a priest, advocate, intercessor, and evangelist to others.” William Willimon, Pastor: the Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry, highlights a variety of ways in which a pastor functions. In this paper, I am going to explain the ways in which my current ministry setting connects with the concept of priest as pastor in relation to worship and the connect and context of pastoral care while teaching others that they are able to accomplish the same task.
Confidentiality is someone who is trusted with private or secrecy matter; confidential whisper or issue. (Credo Reference, 2001). Certain situations where the confidentiality between client and therapist, may need to be breached to ensure the safety of the client him/herself, the community or ourselves. Two important circumstances would be a client/child under 16 who has been abused or a client needs hospitalisation because they have been considering taking their own life or other concerning issues (Corey, 2009).