How much counseling/psychology do Priests learn?

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LadyofFaith1978

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I hope I included this in the correct section. I’m curious to know how much counseling and psychology do Priests learn in their education? I’ve been a mental healthcare provider (mostly couples/families) for 20 years and I’ve always been Catholic. I’ve recently started practicing Catholicism even more so after marriage and finally having kids. We attend confession and we practice at home (husband and kids) – we go to mass twice a week etc. I’ve tried confession with several priests in the area (more than one Catholic Church) and I’ve learned to lower my standards when it comes to the advice SOME of the priests choose to give me after a confession.
I realize their job is not to provide therapy, or to just make someone feel good for sake of feeling good… I’m not looking for that. It’s a confession, it is what it is. However, I sometimes get easily put off by their inability to connect with people. I shake it off and understand they are human with different personalities. However, sometimes that connection that some lack would really help bring people closer to the faith rather than push them away. I couldn’t consult the issue with most folks in my field as mental healthcare tends to generally steer clear of religion…unless we’re talking about a Pastoral counseling setting – in that case they are typically Protestant in my area. Anyway, I have come across some priests who are generally very welcoming, patient and understanding/empathic. We generally have them over for dinner.
Perhaps the issue I see is that some of them take their position in the church to their head vs. being a disciple of Christ first. And for me that means feeling understood and wanting to change for the better after consulting with them, after all as Christian followers we are seeking them for that. I’m able to understand the faith but I seriously wouldn’t suggest some of my past trauma clients trying to get back into the faith to go to confession prior to knowing the priest due to re experiencing trauma.
So basically, I’m curious to know how much do they learn in school.
 
The sacrament was instituted by Jesus. Need I say more about your comment about sending your past clients to confession?

Maybe you are too caught up in your field? It has been said, “Everyone has their own bend”.

We can all use a conversion of heart. If not, then some folks are saints.
 
I’m sorry, I don’t follow your response. I don’t “send” them anywhere, they ask for suggestions. I suggest they know their priest and set up a time to meet with him before re-experiencing trauma by a priest who wouldn’t understand them fully.

I could be “too caught up” in anything, sure. I don’t deny that. I appreciate you trying Bon_Croix none of my priests who we have become close with as a family have ever suggested I’m too caught up in my field. Peace.

I never actually asked any of them what is their formal teaching is like. Because they are in a position where they would benefit from some formal education on basic counseling techniques. One or two we’ve known have gone for further education in the field of counseling in online universities to further their work in Christ.
 
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You might consider viewing them as judges with the ability to declare you “not guilty” via their absolution from your sins. That is their role, and that is the purpose of the Sacrament. “Physician, heal thyself” applies here. They are spiritual doctors, juridical doctors and not psychological doctors. Philosophy is much more important, actually, to the priest.

If you do not “connect”, then humble yourself to the earth as Jesus did in the garden at Gethsemane. I recall here that the Apostles “taught” the Pharisees, even though the Apostles were crude, uneducated men.

No matter what, focus on the hands of the priest.

Why?

Those hands, by the power of the Holy Spirit, make our Lord present to us. A suggestion: find the priest you least connect with. Take both of his hands and kiss them and watch the glow on his face. They need reminding of their unique and blessed role in the economy of salvation.
 
I don’t disagree with anything here. The advice to do this suggestion can be given with some clients, not so much with sensitive cases. They’re just not there yet. But thanks for the suggestion, I’ve done it as well.
 
LadyofFaith1978 said:
So basically, I’m curious to know how much do they learn in school.
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Most mainstream seminaries have a required course in pastoral care, but it has to cover a lot and there is little time for focus on an actual counseling skillset. Then, the seminarians are required to take Clinical Pastoral Education, which takes them into hospitals or other institutions, where they have one-on-one pastoral care as a chaplain. It is intense and many seminarians learn as they go, with support from other seminarians in their cohorts. CPE is interfaith, so they may be working with men and women who are Jewish, Muslim, Wiccan, as well as other Catholics.

All this is to say that unless a priest had prior education as a counsellor, he learns as he goes. And he may be good with inherent skills, or he may not be blessed with them at all. You never really know.
 
The purpose of the Sacrament is to be absolved from sin and be restored to a right relationship with God. Same with exorcisms, actually.

Spiritual direction is quite another realm, and there are laypersons who do that. Priests are divided, performing many roles. They’re primary role is to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. After that, the Sacraments. The rest follows.

We must keep our expectations reasonable - actually you might contact your archdiocese and see if there are priest/psychologists or known Catholic psychologists available.

Fr. Benedict Groeschel† was Fransican Friar, Priest and clinical psychologist. He was not alone.
 
I see, thank you for answering my question. They are basically thrown at the lions in all this (learn as you go). That’s okay even some counselors aren’t always blessed with inherent skills and try to learn it. Even in the field of healthcare providing you either have it or don’t have it as a professional helper, some have better bedside manner and patients flock to them, other’s make better administrators. Which isn’t bad either.
 
LadyofFaith1978 said:
I see, thank you for answering my question. They are basically thrown at the lions in all this (learn as you go). That’s okay even some counselors aren’t always blessed with inherent skills and try to learn it. Even in the field of healthcare providing you either have it or don’t have it as a professional helper, some have better bedside manner and patients flock to them, other’s make better administrators. Which isn’t bad either.
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I would say that if you find a priest that has good counseling skills, either in the confessional or out of it, know that you have found someone worth keeping, as it were. The opposite is true also. It’s not always evident, but word gets around, and of course your own experience interacting with different priests is of value here too.
 
The Sacrament of Reconcilliation is not a psychology or counselling session.

Were you thinking that was its function?

The function of the Sacrament of Reconcilliation is the Tribunal of Mercy abd Forgiveness by God
 
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I would suggest you have the priests over that you do not connect with and seem lacking. Priests get a basic overview in pastoral care. Some may get more in counseling and psychology. I think most just learn it in the confessional. However, all of them that I know realize that sometimes problems are more than they are trained for and would appreciate knowing a good Catholic mental healthcare provider to collaborate with. Many, many problems are both spiritual and mental. Priest and counselor make a good team. You could potentially teach them a lot just by sitting down for meals on a regular basis.
 
LadyofFaith1978 said:
and I’ve learned to lower my standards when it comes to the advice SOME of the priests choose to give me after a confession.
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But their job title is neither counsellor nor psychologist. It would be like being disappointed in your child’s teacher not giving them good therapy. I think priests are perhaps not ideal for solving our mental health issues. There is overlap between the spiritual and the psychological but not necessarily.
its an interesting area for me as I have done some study in both psych. and theology.
 
I think we have to remember the enormous workload priests are under. Seven days a week. No only sacraments but running of the parish and visiting the schools. Parish priests learn to be pragmatic rather than intellectual, is my experience. I don’t think they do any counselling units in seminaries. Sorry that was your question wasnt it.
 
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I like Priests - from the school of hard knocks 😛
 
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There may get a course in counseling, maybe two or more if they have the interest. That is about it. Even CPE is optional at most.

And that is unfortunate because of the overlap of mental and spiritual health.
 
Can’t disagree with you. Yet I’ll bet it would not take very long to find more than a dozen posts here on CAF advising an OP to “go talk to your priest” about all sorts of personal, family, marital. or psychological issues or other non theological, moral, or spiritual problems.
 
felsguy said:
Yet I’ll bet it would not take very long to find more than a dozen posts here on CAF advising an OP to “go talk to your priest” about all sorts of personal, family, marital. or psychological issues or other non theological, moral, or spiritual problems.
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we expect too much of our priests. the cost angle as well. free counselling?
 
They are trained to administer the sacraments … Penance is a Sacrament …
 
felsguy said:
Yet I’ll bet it would not take very long to find more than a dozen posts here on CAF advising an OP to “go talk to your priest” about all sorts of personal, family, marital. or psychological issues or other non theological, moral, or spiritual problems.
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You beat me to it, felsguy. ‘Go talk to your priest’ seems to be the rule of thumb here. Every difficulty one runs across, and the advice is to talk to your priest. I wonder how many clergy actually take on the role of counsellor for their thousands of parishioners. We know that pre-marital counseling is required, and on the other end, problems with annulments is necessary too. Many of the clergy I know wish they had more training, but there are a dozen other tasks in the job description. (Spoke to a friend who was dealing with a plumbing emergency in the rectory all day. So much for the realities of priestly life.)

Regardless, pastoral counseling is in the job description, and it would be a good thing to recognize it.
 
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