The parish clergy as a mental health resource
- 1 October 1978
- journal article
- Published by Springer Nature in Journal of Religion and Health
- Vol. 17 (4) , 227-232
- https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01532857
Abstract
This paper presents observations on the assets and liabilities of the parish clergy as a mental health resource within the community. These observations are drawn from a ten-year program of continuing education for cleargy in mental health, which focuses on daily pastoral experience. The parish setting is similar in many respects to the service area of a community mental health center. The clergy's assets often include availability, experience, tradition, and the special significance of the religious leader. Inadequate training in mental health skills and the complex demands of parish life are among the problems confronting the clergy in this area. On the whole, the pastoral role offers a unique and highly useful opportunity for positive psychological intervention.Keywords
This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit:
- An intensive course for clergy on death, dying, and lossJournal of Religion and Health, 1976
- Unique contributions of churches and clergy to community mental healthCommunity Mental Health Journal, 1976
- Some contributions of religion to mental and physical healthJournal of Religion and Health, 1974
- The parish minister as counselor: A dilemma and challengePastoral Psychology, 1969