Pastoral counseling is a branch of counseling in which ordained ministers, rabbis, priests and others provide therapy services.

Only 6 states license the title "Pastoral Counselor": Arkansas, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Tennessee. In many other states Pastoral Counselors may qualify for licensure as Marriage and Family Therapists or as Professional Counselors.

Pastoral counseling is essentially a non-licensure track in the US. Insurance companies often will not pay for pastoral counseling of counselors without state licensing.

It is often synonymous with pastoral care.

Pastoral Counselors typically have one or more of the following degrees or credentials: D.Min, Th.D., D.Th., D.D., D.Div, P.Th.D., S.T.D.

See also

• List of counseling topics
• Christian Counselors
• Clinical pastoral education
• Pastresses
• Pastoral male

External links

• The American Association of Pastoral Counselors
• Pastoral Counseling Resources A resource listing for Pastoral Counseling web sites from Johnson Bible College.
• US Navy Department of the Chaplain
• Mind and Soul Exploring Christianity and Mental Health - online resource in the UK