Licensed Professional Counselors’ Perceptions of Pastoral Counseling in the African American Community

Abstract

This study utilized a phenomenological theory to evaluate the perceptions held by licensed professional counselors regarding pastoral counseling conducted in African American communities in the southeastern United States. The study was designed to build a deeper understanding of how licensed professional counselors conceptualized the African American pastor’s role. To evaluate those perceptions, the researcher analyzed data collected from face-to-face interviews. The findings from this qualitative data analysis study revealed that the licensed professional counselor’s perceptions of pastoral counseling are jaded by several factors that divide the two professions: lack of training, poor communications, and misconception of the level of professionalism in the church. These are just some of the results from the study. Moreover, the results of this study (a) can offer direction to pastors in selecting individual professional development goals to better prepare themselves and (b) can add perspective to the design of collaboration programs between counselors and pastors.