For more than two decades, I’ve stood in the pulpit, walked hospital hallways, sat in living rooms, prayed in parking lots, and listened to the quiet heartbreaks people rarely speak aloud. Ministry has taught me that behind every Sunday smile is a story—sometimes joyful, sometimes heavy, sometimes deeply complex.

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As a Kentucky Licensed Pastoral Counselor, I now sit with those stories in a different but deeply connected way. Pastoral counseling allows me to bring together two worlds that have shaped my life: the rich theological heritage of Christian faith and the evidence‑based tools of clinical counseling. Both matter. Both are needed. And when woven together with care, humility, and professional training, they create a space where people can experience healing in mind, heart, and spirit.

 

What Pastoral Counseling Really Is

Pastoral counseling is often misunderstood. Some assume it’s simply “talking to a preacher.” Others think it’s just regular counseling with a Bible verse added at the end. In reality, it is far more intentional and far more robust.

Pastoral counseling is the integration of sound psychotherapeutic practice with a deep understanding of Scripture, theology, and spiritual formation.

It honors the whole person—emotional, relational, physical, and spiritual.

As a Kentucky Licensed Pastoral Counselor, my training includes:

• Doctorate‑level theological education

• Extensive clinical training in counseling theories and techniques

• Supervised clinical hours

• Ongoing professional development

• Ethical standards that mirror both clinical and ministerial expectations

This means I’m not simply offering spiritual advice; I’m providing clinically informed care that respects a person’s faith, values, and spiritual journey.

 

Pastoral Counselors as Fully Qualified Mental Health Professionals

One of the most important truths about pastoral counseling—one that is often overlooked—is that licensed pastoral counselors are fully trained mental health professionals. The title “pastoral” does not imply a lesser form of care; it reflects an additional dimension of training and perspective.

 

Equivalent Clinical Standards

As a Kentucky Licensed Pastoral Counselor, I am credentialed to provide the same level of clinical care that clients would receive from:

• Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC)

• Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW)

• Other state‑licensed mental health providers

The clinical expectations, ethical responsibilities, and professional standards are comparable. This includes:

• Evidence‑based therapeutic methods

• Diagnostic understanding

• Treatment planning

• Crisis intervention

• Professional ethics

• Continuing education requirements

 

Pastoral counselors are not “ministers who counsel.” We are clinicians who also understand the spiritual dimension of human experience.

 

What Makes Pastoral Counseling Distinct

The difference is not in the quality of care—it’s in the integration of care.

Pastoral counseling brings together:

• Clinical training

• Psychological insight

• Theological understanding

• Spiritual formation

• A holistic view of the person

This allows clients to receive high‑quality mental health support without having to separate their emotional struggles from their spiritual identity. For many Christians, this integration is not just helpful—it is essential.

 

Why Pastoral Counseling Matters Today

In my years of ministry, I’ve seen the growing weight people carry:

• Anxiety that keeps them awake at night

• Marriages strained by silence or misunderstanding

• Grief that lingers long after the funeral

• Trauma that reshapes how a person sees themselves and God

• Spiritual wounds from church conflict or unhealthy leadership

• Ministers and church leaders quietly burning out

People need a safe place to talk about these things—without fear of judgment, without pressure to “just pray harder,” and without feeling like their faith disqualifies them from needing help.

 

Pastoral counseling creates that space. It acknowledges that faith and mental health are not enemies.

They are partners in the healing God desires for His people.

 

How My Ministry Experience Shapes My Counseling

After 22+ years in the pulpit, I’ve learned that ministry gives you a front‑row seat to the human condition. I’ve seen:

• The quiet courage of families navigating crisis

• The exhaustion of caregivers

• The loneliness of leadership

• The unspoken pain behind spiritual questions

• The deep desire to be seen and understood

 

This experience shapes how I counsel.

I understand church culture—not in theory, but in lived reality.

I understand the pressures ministers face—not from textbooks, but from my own journey.

I understand the spiritual questions people wrestle with—not as an outsider, but as someone who has walked with Scripture for decades.

Pastoral counseling allows me to bring all of that into the room.

 

What Someone Can Expect in a Session With Me

People often ask, “What does pastoral counseling look like?”

Here’s what I tell them:

• It’s confidential.

Your story is safe. Your struggles are not sermon illustrations.

• It’s clinically grounded.

We use evidence‑based approaches to understand patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior.

• It’s spiritually sensitive.

Your faith is honored—not forced, minimized, or ignored.

• It’s collaborative.

We work together toward healing, growth, and clarity.

• It’s compassionate.

You are not a problem to be fixed; you are a person to be understood.

 

Why I Believe in This Work

Pastoral counseling is not a replacement for ministry—it is an extension of it.

It is counseling with clinical depth.

It is counseling with spiritual awareness.

It is care that sees the whole person.

And for me, it is a calling.

I believe God works through Scripture, through prayer, through community—and also through the wisdom He has allowed us to gain in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and human behavior. Pastoral counseling brings these together in a way that honors both faith and science.

 

A Final Word to Anyone Who Is Struggling

If you’re carrying something heavy—emotionally, spiritually, or relationally—you don’t have to carry it alone. Whether you’re a church member, a couple, a teen, a family, or a minister who feels like you can’t tell anyone what you’re going through, there is help and hope.

Pastoral counseling is not about weakness.

It’s about courage.

It’s about honesty.

It’s about healing.

And it’s about walking with someone who understands both the heart of faith and the realities of mental health.

If you’re ready to talk, I’m here.