Abstract
Reviewed by: Richard P. Olson, Distinguished Professor of Pastoral Theology (retired), Central Baptist Theological Seminary, 6601 Monticello Road, Shawnee, Kansas 66226–3513. Email: richardolson1902@gmail.com
In his introduction, Helsel (2019, p.xi) states, “Central to the book is the idea of listening for stories and witnessing to them as an act of faith.” In his conclusion he also writes, “The central theme of the book has been that theology is lived out in the soul’s laments as the suffering struggle through challenging times” (Helsel, 2019, p. 131). He guides the caregivers to move from a problem-oriented approach to a style and a method that search for God’s presence in life’s difficulties and which perceives that they are remembered by God.
Within this overarching purpose, Helsel names and explores three important goals of pastoral care and counseling. As his title indicates these are stories, systems, and selves. In particular, the first goal is that persons have their stories heard so that they can explore the theological meanings in them. The second goal is to address the systems of society that impact persons so that these systems may be changed. And the third goal is self-care so that the clergy caregiver experiences God’s faithfulness and strength in a renewing way.
He organizes the book into these three sections with chapters addressing topics that explore that aspect. Each of these chapters begins with a story that provides context and structure for the topic explored. In the first section “Care for Stories,” the first chapter describes how pastoral counseling can help persons feel remembered by God. Next is a chapter dealing with the challenges of aging, and a third chapter explores pastoral care for suicide survivors. An emphasis of this section is that everyday matters of living are fittingly addressed by pastoral care and counseling.
In the second section “Care for Systems” pastoral care is extended into some of the systemic locations of injustice and need. The fourth chapter explores pastoral response to undocumented immigrants. The fifth chapter explores pastoral response to the problem of abusive relationships. This is always difficult, but even more so among persons marginalized because of race, poverty, or immigration. In the sixth chapter, the system of addiction and treatment both for the addicted and their families is the focus.
Part three explores “Care for Selves.” The seventh chapter explores being part of the “sandwich generation” with heavy care demands from both parents and children. The author goes on to describe the need and healing that can come from intentional spiritual self-care, for example, in a retreat setting. Chapter eight addresses the dangers of not maintaining appropriate sexual and emotional boundaries, including how this should be addressed to bring about healing when it occurs.
The final chapter draws this exploration into a “Theology for Hopeful Caring.” Helsel suggests that “pastoral care is a form of lived theology” (Helsel, 2019, p. 129). We are drawn back to central themes of each person being in the image of God and of lament as a fitting theological gift in living and caring. The caregiver needs to be ready with listening and with forgiveness, and have the ability to discern what it is that the person most wants and needs.
There is much to commend in this book. Helsel closely connects pastoral care and counseling to the other tasks of a parish minister and makes it an integral part of that parish ministry. Similarly, he connects pastoral counseling to theological aims and with biblical theological formation guiding the counselor. The subjects he raises in the stories, systems, and self-care are certainly issues and topics the parish-based pastoral counselor will need to face and respond to. Helsel writes out of deep conversations with creative minds in the pastoral counseling community as revealed in his detailed endnotes. He deals with the topics he selects with more depth than seems possible in a thin 143 pages of text (plus end notes and index).
He writes for the beginning pastoral counselor with food for the more experienced. As such, this book has its possibilities and limitations. He does not survey a range of options on the subjects he discusses but lays out a path in which he believes. The topics he includes are worthy, but there are many others that could have been mentioned. For example, very likely every parish pastor will have opportunities in pre-marriage, marriage, family care-counsel (which is increasingly complex), and grief not associated with suicide. And while the story format provides structure for exploring the topics and issues, it is quite concentrated and thick reading for beginning students in pastoral counseling.
If I were still teaching introductory pastoral counseling classes I would strongly consider including it in combination with other texts that survey both the areas of concern and a variety of methods more broadly.