Helping Hurting People: A Handbook on Reconciliation-Focused Counseling and Preaching

By Asa R. Sphar III and Argile A. Smith

Book Overview

This book provides a working solution to the challenge of helping hurting people. A theological foundation for a Reconciliation-Focused Counseling (RFC) model is followed by a description of the procedure for facilitating corrective relational experiences in the lives of clients. Accompanying the model are applications of reconciliation-focused interactions in counseling and preaching situations in which ministers are typically engaged.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0761824774
• ISBN13: 9780761824770
• Release Date: December 2002
• Publisher: University Press of America
• Length: 308 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Recommended to the attention of ministers and clergy

The impressively collaborative and erudite work of Asa R. Sphar III and Argile Smith, Helping Hurting People: A Handbook On Reconciliation-Focused Counseling And Preaching is deftly organized into two major sections: The first is "Introducing The RFC Model"; the second is "Applying The RFC Model". Beginning with a comprehensive presentation of the pastoral counseling challenges (including a theology of emotional and relational problems as revealed in the Biblical creation story), Helping Hurting People covers the twelve basic principles in reconciliation focused counseling as well as the necessary counselor qualities and the characteristics of redemptive counseling and relationship restorative goals. The focus then changes to the application of RFC principals to pastoral counseling and preaching. Expertly enhanced with an extensive number of appendices, notes, bibliography, and a thoroughly "user friendly" index, Helping Hurting People is most especially recommended to the attention of ministers and clergy who engage in marital, family and pastoral counseling with their parishioners.

New Conceptual Model!

Authors, Sphar and Smith, provide a new conceptual approach to the ministry of counseling. Built upon a relational model, the book contains theoretical, spiritual and practical guidance through commonly encountered counseling problems. The model reframes successful techniques found in Solution Focused, Cognitive Behavioral and Interpersonal psychotherapy and utilizes a step by step training approach appropriate for pastors, professional counselors and the graduate classroom. As a former pastoral counseling professor, this book would have definitely been my text of choice.