Pastors often come in contact with suffering persons—the grieving, confused, immature, or neurotic. This book's 47 chapters set forth basic ground rules for effective counseling of such persons by nonprofessionals and indicate under what circumstances they should refer troubled persons to professional counselors.
A revision of a book published in 1977, this volume discusses such subjects as anxiety, AIDS, depression, drugs, personality disorders, and marriage counseling. It can be read in short spurts or used for sustained study.
Kennedy and Charles believe that the value of nonprofessional counselors lies in their ability to approach counselees on their level. The authors show nonprofessional counselors how to capitalize on this strength. "Understanding is at the heart of all good therapy. . . . Understanding transmitted through the discipline of counseling skills helps bewildered people to see themselves in better perspective."
I recommend this book to all who must counsel troubled individuals but lack extensive psychological training.
