WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES
LA PAZ, ILOILO CITY

METHODS OF RESEARCH
(FND 501)
ROSENDO D. MIJE FORTUNATO J. BASAL Researcher Course Facilitator

RESEARCH PROPOSAL:
PASTORAL COUNSELLING COMPETENCIES OF THE CONVENTION BAPTIST MINISTERS’ ASSOCIATION JANIUAY-BADIANGAN CIRCUIT MEMBERS

INTRODUCTION:
At any time, we can face uncertainties and experiences that threaten our emotional and spiritual well-being. Caught off-guard by the numerous crises and transitions that accompany life, we may not know how to cope or where to turn for help.

Some people turn to psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers for help in coping with these crises and transitions. Others look for support and the opportunity to discuss these issues within a spiritual context. But can one find spiritual help and psychotherapy at the same time? Most religious leaders have little time or training to provide in-depth and extensive therapy. And most psychotherapists have little training or desire to discuss in-depth spiritual matters during sessions with patients. The answer may be pastoral counseling.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK:
According to the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) pastoral counseling is a form of psychotherapy that uses spiritual resources as well as psychological understanding for healing and growth. The central theme in pastoral counseling is an awareness of the spiritual dimension in human wholeness. Crises and transitions are addressed in terms such as faith, meaning, purpose, and direction, as well as in psychotherapeutic terms.

The integration of religion and psychology for psychotherapeutic purposes began in the 1930's in several contexts, including (a) the collaboration of Norman Vincent Peale, a renowned minister, and Smiley Blanton, M.D., a psychiatrist,