Units of Study
The Doctor of Ministry with emphasis in Pastoral Care and Counseling comprises 20 semester units of class and clinical work and nine semester units of dissertation/project research and writing.

Course Descriptions
Theories of Counseling and Pastoral Counseling
In this course we will examine the major theories of personality and counseling, as background theory and as having practical implications for our work as pastoral caregivers and counselors. The primary theme of this comprehensive review is what constitutes change. How do people change? What blocks change? What facilitates change?  Our effort will result in each student building an integrated theory of pastoral counseling and a theology of change.

Dynamics of Loss, Grief, Trauma in Pastoral Care and Counseling
This course explores the psychological, relational and theological dynamics of loss, grief and trauma. We will place these subjects in the larger theoretical contexts of attachment theory and trauma theory.  We will give special attention to the growing incidence of trauma in modern life, and the corresponding body of literature that informs how we understand the dynamics of trauma.  We will then explore the practical implications of this theory for pastors, chaplains and counselors who are seeking to help people and families in pain.  Attention will also be given to the theological understandings of loss, grief and trauma in the context of clinical work.

Assessment and Pastoral Diagnosis
This course will review the major issues and approaches to the assessment and diagnosis of psychological and relational problems from a pastoral perspective.  We will look in detail at the prevailing diagnostic scheme based on the DSM-IV.  We will attempt to reflect on various diagnoses from theological perspectives and suggest ways that the DSM-IV system could be augmented by a spiritual axis. We will look at several of the more common assessment tools used by pastoral counselors today, and give students opportunities to become thoroughly acquainted with at least one tool.  We will also dig deeply into how we understand some of the more common psychological problems—depression, anxiety, obsessions and impulse control problems—from both psychological and theological perspectives.  This course will teach students how to think theologically about psychological issues.

Pastoral Care of Persons with Addiction Issues
This course addresses current understandings of the description, etiology and treatment of addictive disorders including, but not limited to, addictions to legal and illegal substances such as alcohol and drugs, as well as addictions to various activities.  Is there such a thing as an addictive personality?  What is the spiritual dimension of addiction diseases and how can pastoral caregivers and counselors play a critical role in helping people overcome their addiction difficulties?

Faith Issues throughout the Life Cycle
We will study the contributions of key contemporary developmental theorists, looking at the needs, developmental tasks, and role of faith at each life stage.  We will give particular attention to the adult life stages.  We will explore the dynamics of rituals and how to effectively use rituals in therapeutic ways.   We will explore the opportunities for pastoral care at various stages of the life cycle.  This course also includes an exploration of issues in the field of psychology of religion, particular such questions as: What is a healthy faith?  What is a toxic faith?  How does faith develop over the life cycle? 

Pastoral Couseling with Couples and Families
This course provides a basic framework for understanding and reflecting on couples and family systems in theory and practice.  It will focus on two primary models of family work: communication theory and Bowen family therapy.  Attention will be given to couple dynamics and models of couple interventions, and also attention to family dynamics and models of family interventions.  The genogram is a tool for making assessments with individuals, couples, and families in pastoral counseling.  We will practice using the genogram in class, learning to deepen understandings of persons in relationship.

Multicultural Pastoral Counseling
In this course we will be exploring issues of culture and social location and how those issues influence psychological and spiritual well-being, and the helping process itself.  The course seeks to provide students with a way of understanding people within their cultural context.  By cultural context, this course means to include gender, age, class, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, cognitive and physical characteristics, and religious orientation.  By understanding the cultural factors operative in the counseling relationship, students will be better equipped to serve in multi cultural settings. 

Groups and Leadership in Congressional Settings
This course will introduce the subject of the full range of group work in the life of a congregation or counseling clinic.  We will examine the basics of group dynamics, and assist students to understand the dynamics of group process, so that they can be more effective group leaders/facilitators.  In particular,, we will explore how a pastoral counselor can create and use support and therapy groups to augment ministry with persons.  This course provides theoretical and experiential understanding of group processes including: the value, predictable stages of development.  We will review a range of group methods and approaches, discussing various leadership styles and the factors recommending each style.  We will explore what constitutes effective pastoral leadership--- in particular, a discussion of conflict management and conflict resolution techniques as applied to congregational/group conflicts.  This course will also touch on a systematic way of understanding congregational health and function, with related implications for pastoral care.

Spirituality, Spiritual Direction in Pastoral Ministry
This course will explore the increasing interest in spirituality and spiritual direction as a resource for the practice of pastoral care and counseling.  We will review the history and contemporary understandings of Christian spirituality and spiritual direction.  We will explore our own sense of spirituality and how to evaluate the counselee's spirituality in helpful ways.  We will also study the various ways that one can do theological reflection upon clinical practice, and see theological perspective as integral to a complete understanding of a clinical issue or person.  This course will be taught in two segments in the Extended option during the January intersession.

Theological Research Methods
This course introduces students to integrative methods that connect theological and psychological perspectives in the theory and practice of pastoral counseling.  The course will focus on identifying, understanding, and practicing the skill of theological reflection.  Methods of critical reflection and decision-making will be presented and implemented through case studies and examination of problems and procedures in the practice of pastoral care and counseling.  This course is offered in two segments in the Extended option during the January intersession.  In the Intensive (summer) option, this course is offered as a Dissertation/Project workshop each summer.

Program Structure
The program can be completed in one of two ways:

• Extended Option for Bay Area students
  Classes meet one day a week during two SFTS academic years (September to May).  The student’s clinical work will occur in the student’s local ministry setting.  We welcome inquiries from potential applicants for admission to the Fall 2012 class.

• Intensive Option for students for students beyond commuting distance
  Students attend three successive four-week summer periods of residence.  The clinical requirement is fulfilled between Summers One and Two, and between Summers Two and Three.  Applications for this intensive option should include a description of how the student intends to fulfill this requirement.  We welcome inquiries from potential applicants for the Summer 2012 class.

The Extended Option requires two seminars on the seminary campus in the fall and spring semesters, with shorter one-unit classes during the January intersession. A typical model is as follows: 

Year One: Fall Semester

• Loss, Grief and Trauma in Psychological and Theological Perspectives
• Theories of Pastoral Counseling Today
• Clinical Practicum--year one

Year One: Intersession

• Theological Research Methods

Year One: Spring Semester

• Assessment and Pastoral Diagnosis
• Faith Issues throughout the Life Cycle
• Clinical Practicum--year one

Year Two: Fall Semester

• Pastoral Care of Persons with Addiction Issues
• Pastoral Counseling with Couples and Families
• Clinical Practicum--year two

Year Two: Intersession

• Spirituality and Spiritual Direction in Pastoral Ministry

Year Two: Spring Semester

• Multicultural Pastoral Counseling
• Groups and Leadership in Congregational Settings
• Clinical Practicum--year two

Year Three: Dissertation/Project Supervision

The Summer Intensive Option requires some special structuring of academic and clinical work in order for students to meet the requirements of this curriculum.  The usual model is as follows:

Summer One (four weeks):

• Resource seminar: Theories of Counseling and Personality: Pastoral Counseling Today
• Resource seminar: Loss, Trauma and Grief in Psychological and Theological Perspectives
• Dissertation/Project seminar:  Research Methods and Models in Ministry, including Use and Validity of Case Studies

Between Summer One and Summer Two:

• Clinical Practicum
• Independent Study: Assessment and Pastoral Diagnosis

Summer Two (four weeks):

• Resource seminar: The Spiritual Journey: Human Life Cycles, Spiritual Director and Psychology of Faith through the Life Cycle
• Resource seminar: Contemporary Issues: Addictions and Issues of Diversity in Counseling
• Dissertation/Project seminar: Types of Theological Reflection and Presentation of D/P Topic

Between Summer Two and Summer Three:

• Clinical Practicum
• Independent Study: Assessment and Pastoral Diagnosis

Summer Three (four weeks):

• Resource seminar: Pastoral Care and Counseling with Couples and Families
• Resource seminar: Group Dynamics and Organizational Leadership in Congregational Settings
• Dissertation/Project seminar: Finalizing and Approval of the D/P Design

After Summer Three:  Dissertation/Project Supervision

The Clinical Practicum
Regular clinical experience is an important part of the program.

• In the Extended option, Bay Area students present clinical material, using audio or video players, plus in-vivo (live) skill practice sessions, and have opportunities to learn experientially from their work through group and individual supervision.  Students learn in a context of constant interplay between didactic sessions and experiential/clinical training.  For these students, individual and group supervision is provided on campus.

• The Summer Intensive option for non-local students requires some special structuring of academic and clinical work in order to meet the requirements. Students in the summer Intensive option must arrange for and pay for their own clinical supervision in their home setting,according to AAPC guidelines and approved by the Director. This clinical work/supervision must cover two years and include, where possible, both individual and group supervision. Clinical work may include either pastoral care or pastoral counseling work. An approved supervisor is normally a seasoned professional affiliated with the American Association of Pastoral Counselors or the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education.   Students who complete the entire supervision segment will be credited for three semester units annually toward their degree.

Dissertation/Project
The purpose of the dissertation/project is to involve the student in an objective investigation into an issue or aspect of her or his own ministry. The work needs to demonstrate relevance to the mission of the church, theological foundations, a thorough knowledge of relevant literature and a process of critical theological reflection. The D/P involves accountability or reporting to a church body, e.g., presbytery, conference, diocese, or other faith community, and an oral presentation. In preparation for the student research work, we offer one or more mini-seminars designed to assist students to identify and develop their dissertation/project topic and design, and to secure approval of their project so that work can begin at the end of the second year. In this seminar students will explore ways to design their pastoral research projects and how various approaches to methodology will facilitate their research objectives.