Case Study: Pastoral Counseling Process of Pastor Greenbush & Richard

This case study analyzes the pastoral counseling sessions between Pastor Greenbush and Richard, focusing on the phases of reorientation, termination, and habituation. The reorientation phase involves Richard understanding the root of his problems and exploring potential solutions. The termination phase highlights the emotional dynamics and the pastor's role as a spiritual advisor. The habituation phase examines Richard's efforts to integrate new behaviors and attitudes, emphasizing the role of faith and church support. The analysis emphasizes the importance of mutual decision-making, follow-up, and the potential for positive change through spiritual guidance. The document highlights how Richard's faith and the pastor's support likely contributed to a positive outcome, reflecting the principles of pastoral care. The case study is designed to illustrate the practical application of counseling phases in a religious context.

Running head: PASTORAL COUNSELING 1
Pastoral Counseling
Name
Instituted

PASTORAL COUNSELING 2
Using the phase of Reorientation, Termination and Habituation, give a brief description how
the counselling process between pastor Greenbush and Richard may have gone.
In the reorientation phase, it is evident that Richard may have understood the cause of his
problem and probably came up with some solutions to it. He probably understands the
advantages and disadvantages of his choice of life and decision through reconnaissance. During
the decision making process when Richard is given a chance to make his own decision, even
with the help of the pastor it is still down to him to make the decision. Pastor Greenbush’s
decision might be biased if he was to decide on his behalf.
Through preventing the prejudice and desires that control, of the counselor, it is evident that
this decision was fairly and justly made. Coming up with a program on how these decisions were
to be implemented, which were arrived at mutually, was the best way of ensuring that Richard
will be able to live by his decisions. Since a pastor is a spiritual advisor and a shepherd who is
obligated to lead his people, it was evident that he would make follow ups on Richard probably
to be certain that he was living by these decisions that he had just made.
In every counseling process, we have what we call the formal leave; this is a relationship that
does not occur in a pastoral counselling. Though in pastoral counseling there are deep emotions
that have been aroused in the pastor. This takes place in the termination phase. If you are
emotionally attached to someone, you will want to see them to the end or through the situation
affecting them. If pastor Greenbush developed feeling for Richard, whether empathy or any other
type of feeling, this only worked in favor of Richard. Since it was not anywhere near a
professional counseling we have the surety that once in a while he would check on him and want
to know of his progress. This only proves to us that probably Richard did not only see his

PASTORAL COUNSELING 3
counseling process to the end but came out of it and practiced exactly what he and pastor
Greenbush had agreed. For believers, if pastors commit you to the guidance and enabling of the
Holy Spirit, then through this you will be able to live a holy and righteous life. This makes us
believe that Richard, probably, might have changed his life for the better.
At the Habituation phase, the post counselling phase, where Richard struggles to consolidate
his gains, cultivate new modes of behavior and even struggle with the readjustment of his
attitude only proves to us that he’s trying his best to live a perfect life. That kind of life that he
was looking for when he approached pastor Greenbush. His believe in the church will keep him
from not giving up since he sees some light at the end of the tunnel especially with the faith he
has in God, that from him is where healing comes from.