Am J Psychiatry 1986; 143:323-328
Copyright © 1986 by American Psychiatric Association
A community study of formal pastoral counseling activities of the clergy
RF Mollica, FJ Streets, J Boscarino and FC Redlich
Although the clergy have been identified as a major community mental health
resource, few epidemiologic studies of clergy practices have been
conducted. The authors report a comprehensive survey of the counseling
activities of clergy groups serving south-central Connecticut. They found
that the clergy were a heterogeneous counseling group and that the
counseling activities of many were extremely limited, although all were
experienced with "troubled individuals". In recent years pastoral
counselors have separated from their parishes and emerged as a
psychotherapy profession. In contrast, certain parish- based clergy,
especially the black clergy, have functioned as a major mental health
resource to communities with limited access to professional mental health
care.
