Solution-blessed Brief Pastoral Counseling Project - Final Paper PDF

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SOLUTION-BLESSED BRIEF PASTORAL COUNSELING PROJECT

By: Stephen N. Jackson Student ID: L25555737

Presented to Dr. Baker In partial fulfillment of the requirements of Introduction to Pastoral Counseling PACO 500

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary Lynchburg, VA November 09, 2012

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ABSTRACT I am Stephen N. Jackson, as stated in the instruction; my purpose of this project is to contextualize this course into a practical, pastoral counseling model utilizing a solution-focused approach under the influence of an overarching goal (Rice 2008, 1). I am going to bring all the theories, processes and practices to bear on this Solution-Brief Pastoral Counseling, (SBBPC), project to show competency on my part in explaining and synthesizing this class into my personal ministry and life. Because I believe that the counseling process involves the care-seeker and me as the care-provider. Therefore, I have chosen two over arching goals to remind me of the purpose in the counseling journey. My over arching goal is to become an imitator of Christ allow the Spirit of the Lord God lead me (Ephesians 5:15). Be very careful, then, how you live —not as unwise but as wise. Allow Him to lead me is every counseling session; know He will lead me through this counseling session. I am reminded of Proverbs 3:5-6; I trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding. In all my ways I acknowledge Him and He directs my paths. SBBPC is pastoral counseling influenced by the Hawkins Pastoral Assessment Model and Counseling Scenario with techniques learned from Benner (2003) Strategic Pastoral Counseling and Kollar (1997) Solution-Focused Pastoral Counseling. This paper will focus on the counseling scenario with Justin, from Crossroads: A Story of Forgiveness, utilizing the SBBPC method. After reviewing the case study and ancillary websites, I am going to choose Bruce Murakami who suffered from the loss of his wife and only daughter. I will utilize SBBPC approach. SBBPC is pastoral counseling influenced by the Hawkins Pastoral Assessment Model and Counseling Scenario with techniques learned from Benner (2003) Strategic Pastoral Counseling and Kollar (1997) Solution Base-Short Term Pastoral Counseling. A Story of Forgiveness, utilizing the SBBPC method.

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Table of Contents ABSTRACT THE PASTORAL COUNSELING SCENARIO PART 1: THE COUNSELING SETTING PART 2: THE COUNSELOR’S STYLE

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PART 3: THE COUNSELING STRUCTURE/STRATEGY Phase 1 Phase 2

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Phase 3

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Phase 4

PART 4: THE COUNSELING SUMMATION

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REFERENCES APPENDIX A APPENDIX B

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APPENDIX C

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APPENDIX D

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APPENDIX E

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APPENDIX F

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GRADING RUBRIC

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Part I: The Counseling Setting A Rationale for SBBPC as Christians we know that when we seek to be in right relationship with God. All solutions are found in Christ as He makes provisions for our needs (Matthew 6:33). Then Bible says whatever we bind on earth will be bound in Heaven and whatever is loosed on earth will be loosed in Heaven (Matthew 16:19). During any form of counseling, we must be lead by the Holy Spirit, recognizing that He is the Wonderful Counselor, who Jesus said would lead believers to discovering all truth (John 15:26, 16:7). Through the work of the Holy Spirit it has allowed His children to find answers that changes challenging behaviors and thought processes for righteous thought processes. When authority is given to the Word of God, under the guidance and control of the Holy Spirit along with the proper resources and connections that not only support wellbeing but a relationship with Christ, change is inevitable and can be sustained (Hawkins, 2010 a slide 8). The combination of these Bible verses along with methods and teachings from Strategic Pastoral Counseling (Benner 2003), Hawkins Pastoral Assessment Method´ and Pastoral Counseling Scenarios´ in along with Kollar Solution Focused Pastoral Counseling (1997) web together to form a counseling approach known as Solution Blessed Brief Pastoral Counseling. SBBPC relies on the Holy Spirit to guide the counselor and counselee through the counseling scenario to implement change which results in the counselee becoming more capable of achieving the overarching goal of imitating Christ. SBBPC is a highly structured counseling process. It is holistic, spiritually focused, utilizes Christian centered techniques and is solution focused rather than problem-centered. SBBPC is also time-sensitive, therefore each of the five sessions are between 60 to 90 minutes in length and seeks to move the counselee to the overarching goal of Christ-likeness through the sharing of their story, discussing life without the problem, coming up with solutions to solve the problem and then connecting them to others that will hold them accountable for living a life that imitates Christ. Due to the time constraints of SBBPC, counselees are given pre-session packets that contain information such as the counselors credentials, worldview/statement of beliefs, ethical guidelines and 4

asked to complete an intake form and review the confidentiality and informed consent forms prior to coming to the session by downloading it from the website, See Appendix A-G (Hawkins 2010b, slide 4). Because of the amount of information in the pre-session packet it should be returned prior to the first session if possible. This will afford the counselor an opportunity to review the material and seek guidance from the Holy Spirit. Then in the initial session there is a brief discussion of the documents. Although the counselor recognizes that the Holy Spirit is the supreme guide, he/she issued to direct the counseling process and assist the counselee with becoming a willing participant in the counseling process so that viable solutions can be co-created (Kollar 1997, 87). When solutions are co-created with and implemented in the life of the counselee and both parties agree that formal counseling sessions are no longer needed, the formal counseling relationship is ended, keeping in mind that there will be no more than five session. The counselor may still contact the counselee by phone to ensure that the overarching goal is still being achieved (Kollar, 181). If the counselee and counselor are not making progress or the counselee presents extreme behavior, a referral to the appropriate agent or agency will be made (as recorded in the Ethical Guidelines, Informed Consent and Confidentiality agreements in the Appendix.) Homework, either in the form of reading assignments, behavior rehearsals or journaling is often given to help the care-seeker retain information gained from the counseling session and practice their ³strengths´ that help them to make the necessary changes (Benner 2003, 58-59) length and seeks to move the counselee to the overarching goal of Christ-likeness through the sharing of their story, discussing life without the problem, coming up with solutions to solve the problem and then connecting them to others that will hold them accountable for living a life that imitates Christ. Due to the time constraints of SBBPC, counselees are given pre-session packets that contain information such as the counselors credentials, worldview/statement of beliefs, ethical guidelines and asked to complete an intake form and review the confidentiality and informed consent forms, See Appendix A-G (Hawkins 2010b, slide 4). Because of the amount of information in the pre-session packet it should be returned prior to the first session if possible. This will afford the counselor an opportunity to review the material and seek guidance from the Holy

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Spirit. Then in the initial session there is a brief discussion of the documents. Although the counselor recognizes that the Holy Spirit is the supreme guide, he/she issued to directs the counseling process and assist the counselee with becoming a willing participant in the counseling process so that viable solutions can be co-created (Kollar 1997, 87).When solutions are co-created with and implemented in the life of the counselee and both parties agree that formal counseling sessions are no longer needed, the formal counseling relationship is ended, keeping in mind that there will be no more than five session. The counselor may still contact the counselee by phone to ensure that the overarching goal is still being achieved (Kollar, 181). If the counselee and counselor are not making progress or the counselee presents extreme behavior, a referral to the appropriate agent or agency will be made (as recorded in the Ethical Guidelines, Informed Consent and Confidentiality agreements in the Appendix.) Homework, either in the form of reading assignments, behavior rehearsals or journaling is often given to help the care-seeker retain information gained from the counseling session and practice their ³strengths´ that help them to make the necessary changes (Benner 2003, 58-59) Note-taking by the counselor and breaks are also utilized to ensure the productivity of the counseling process. Guiding Assumptions for SBBPC. 1. God is already active and at work in the life of the counselee (Kollar, 91). All humans are created in the image of God and are worthy of His love, He shows grace and mercy to all regardless of whether or not they are believers. 2. Finding exceptions helps create solutions regardless of how big or small the problem appears to be (Kollar, 92). The counselee experiences moments no matter how brief when they are not plagued by their problem; the solution lies in finding the behavior and thought processes the counselee utilizes during these times. 3. The counselee is always changing and the counseling relationship is positional

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(Kollar, 92, 93). All lives are impacted by change; any small change the counselee makes will result in a change in their lifestyle and can lead to the position of the counselee changing in the counseling session. 4. The counselee is the expert and defines the goals (Kollar, 92).Only the counselee possesses the knowledge to know the thought processes and behaviors that allow them to experience life without the problem. 5. Solutions are co-created (Kollar, 92). The Holy Spirit, counselor and counselee work together to develop a plan of action to create a solution for sustainable change. 6. The counselee is not the problem; the problem is the problem (Kollar, 92). Problems do not define the individual and are to be viewed as temporary set-backs; problems can be changed by thinking and behaving differently 7. The counselors focus is on solutions (Kollar, 93). The counselor does not become depressed by the problem, but keeps working with the counselee until a sustainable solution is discovered Part 2: The Counselor’s Style. I believe that the personality of the counselor is very important when it comes to helping the care-seeker find the solutions problems of everyday life. We as counsels now must place his/her self as the student for evaluation to see or gain a true (sometime frighten) perception of himself to see how others perceive him and how his personality reacts, interacts and relates to or with other personality types. In PACO 500 we participated in taking a personality profiles and spiritual gifts analysis to identify the personality, temperament types, and spiritual gifts we might have. In the Uniquely You temperament analysis in Graph 1 I have a high D. As a D, it is states that I feel that people expect me to be dominant, direct, demanding and determined. Furthermore, my strengths and uniqueness’s says; my strength is my strength; some people need my influences and can be codependent upon me. In Graph 2 “This is me” my D personality types places me at a C/S/D. 7

In reviewing two 360 degree interviews, some see’s me with a lion personality type, others as a golden retriever. These types are on the opposite end of the spectrum. This indicates a balanced approach to life and ministry. The Lion Personality -- “Driver” or “Powerful” or Choleric Style (Choleric/Dominance) Characteristics: They are fast paced goal oriented people, they are direct and like to get down to business, they are great at achieving their goals with immediate results, the choleric is interested in knowing the “what” in a situation or circumstance. Strengths– Visionary, practical, productive, strong-willed, independent, decisive, leader Weaknesses– Cold, domineering, unemotional self-sufficient, unforgiving, sarcastic, cruel Cautions: They can easily dominate a situation, conversation, or friendship, they have a hard time relaxing and can become very demanding, and they do not sympathize well. The Golden Retriever Personality Amiable or Peaceful or Phlegmatic Style (Steadiness) Characteristics: They are the slow paced- people oriented people, they are very loyal to whatever they are doing, they are great at peace making, The Golden Retriever is interested in knowing the “how” in a situation or circumstance. Strengths– Calm, easy-going, dependable, quiet, objective, diplomatic, humorous Weaknesses– Selfish, stingy, procrastinator, unmotivated, indecisive, fearful, worrier Cautions: They tend to lack motivation if working by themselves, they are usually not self starters, and they have a hard time making decisions because everything sounds good. On the other hand, from what I gathered from the case study and watching the movie, Crossroads: A story of Forgiveness (Harrison 2007), Bruce Murakami (the counselee) seems to be a D/C/I. So if this is the case, this means that He is a driving, cautious, influencer. They can be demanding, competent and impressive toward task orientation. They need to increase their

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sensitivity and softness. They do not mind change and can be compliant and cautious. They like to do things correctly while driving and influencing others to follow. (Uniquely yours, 38). As Bruces counselor, I need to recognize the strengths and weaknesses in joining, (Benner 2003), or as Kollar, (1997), puts it demonstrating fit (112). This is key in making our time together the most productive it can be. It will also help Bruce find the solutions he needs to move toward an overflowing hope in his life and others. I counseling, I have to realize my primary Spiritual gifts of Encouraging/Exhorting and Teaching; This is Expected of me “D” and This is me C/S/D. I must recognize that interacting with Bruce with a D/C/I I must: 1) be intentional and careful. I cannot be spontaneous with Bruce but be prayerful and thoughtful before responding to his situation and conversation. 2) Listen and show an attentive listening position. This will demonstrate fit with Bruce and he will not feel threatened or unheard. Strategically placing the Talker/Listener Card (Petersen 2007), to help me focus on our roles in the conversational will be helpful. 3) Consciously give supportive feedback, (Kollar 2007), and at the same time look for clue to move forward in our conversation, without interrupting the flow of Bruce story. 4) Resist the pressure of wanting to answer Bruce every question, even if I think I know the answer, the solution must come from him and I must guide with supporting words and gestures without teaching him what I think I already know. Part 3: The Counseling Structure/Strategy Phase One P1 Bruce Murakami has suffered an overwhelming loss. As I try to help him using the SBBPC process, I must remember that it will be impossible to address all the immediate concerns, problems and challenges he is facing. My goal in P1 will be to discover what the predominant problem is and let the final phase, Phase Four / P4 be the opportunity to draw him

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into a community of people who can address the ongoing issues he may continually face in his life. Whereas, Bruce is a member of our church and there is a pastor on staff that is helpful and empathetic to people in need. Bruce is coming for information on other outreaches at the church. He wants to help saying that maybe if he is busy serving the Lord he can forget about his problems. He is visibly struggling as he tries to talk to me. On the grieving scale Bruce is somewhere between the denial and anger stages, (Kanel 2007). This is observable from his response when I ask him how he is doing. His response was that he did not know and it was hard to tell, sometimes he came home expecting to see his wife and daughter and then he would catch himself, feeling sad, even guilty. He apologized for dumping on me and seemed to want to end the conversation, but I asked if I might ask a question. His response was yes. I asked him whom he felt close enough to dump on, who was it he could talk to when things get hard to understand. He said God. He prays and talks to God about the stuff he is feeling. When I asked what God says, he laughed and said that he felt God was more of a listener these days and he is having a hard time figuring anything else out right now. He seemed uncomfortable and vulnerable with his comment to me and got quiet. I then told him that our complete conversation was between himself, God and me. I mentioned how many things come my way even casually and that if I was the only person told, then no one else would hear or know about it because I am committed to making sure that the issues people have and feel trusting enough to share with me, they are confidential. He asked what I was writing; I showed him some words I had written down. When he asked me what they meant I told him there are times when someone comes and until I can understand why the person is coming to talk to me, I write down key words the person is saying to make sure I am listening well and fully understand what the person is saying. I will shred them

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as soon as our conversation ends with no written record of our conversation. I turned placed the piece of paper in the shredder and we sat and listened to the grinding sound of the paper being torn into small tiny strips. He mentioned how we needed one of those for our problems. There was a casual conversation concerning how hard it must be to listen to people’s problems. It ended with me telling him that my soul purpose for living, my calling in life was found in two passages of the Bible. Romans 15:13. May the God of hope fill you with all joy, as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit? And I Peter 5:2 where God lays out the responsibility I have to not just work for people but to love and care for them, helping them through life. I went on to tell him that the overarching goal in my life was to help awaken hope in myself and in each person God brings my way. Our first meeting set the stage for coffee for us at the local café. I feel he is moving from a casual visitor or the attending position to a willing position in the counseling setting. After he left I prayed for our time together and for wisdom for this journey we were on together. Phase Two P- 2

Our coffee time together went well. I was prepared to help guide Bruce into a willing position. I had some written material, what some might call a pre-session package that included my personal information and background. Ethical things that I had prepared if he asked, my thoughts on counseling using the SBBPC model I had gained understanding. After our initial discussion Phase One and listening to Bruce, praying it through and discussing anonymously the session with a couple of peer mentors, we agreed that it sounded like Bruce needed to get into a functional state in his life by moving him along the Five Stages of Death and Dying, (Kanel 2007:136). My goal will be to try to move Bruce through these stages using SBBPC. Even after coffee, I felt he was in Phase One until I received a phone call from him a 11

few days later asking me if I could come to his house to talk. I told him I could and would, I asked if there was anything in particular he wanted to discuss? He said he wanted to talk about the five stages of grief he read in the book that I gave him...