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David Benner. Strategic Pastoral Counseling: A Short-Term Structured Model. 2d ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003.153 pp. $14.99.
"When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." Unfortunately, when it comes to counseling, most pastors feel that the contents of their counseling toolboxes are severely limited. Benner's revision of Strategic Pastoral Counseling should help with this predicament. This book is not just another reprint from a decade ago. There are many updates and significant revisions. One of the most beneficial changes is the expanded vision of the role of the pastoral counselor. As Benner mentions, one of the disconnects between pastors and counseling has been the idea that counseling is a highly skilled endeavor requiring not only specialized training but also requiring a great deal of time if one is to adequately provide counseling to those needing it. Many pastors wonder if they have these special skills, and almost all pastors question whether the time commitment is realistic. This lack of time to give has contributed to many pastor's views that they will never be able to impact someone's life as a counselor, and so they refer out to "experts" who not only have the skills but also have the time.
Benner's book challenges these two barriers to pastoral counseling ministry by providing a skill package that is...