Since its publication, Strategic Pastoral Counseling has been a standard text for pastoral counseling classes and a practical resource for parish clergy. This user-friendly book has been thoroughly revised and now includes two new chapters. Benner includes helpful case studies, a new appendix on contemporary ethical issues, and updated chapter bibliographies.

Benner maintains that clergy are uniquely positioned in their pastoral roles to combine the therapeutic approach of modern counseling with the framework of classic Christian soul care. This practical handbook will be a useful guide in that aspect of their ministry.

A model for strategic pastoral counseling that is brief and time limited (usually five sessions), bibliotherapeutics, wholistic, structured, spiritually focused, and explicitly Christian. Pastors and church leaders involved in counseling ministries will benefit greatly from reading it.–Siang-Yang Tan, Fuller Theological Seminary