An Ecumenical, Interdisciplinary, and Integrating Specialization Program in Pastoral Counseling in East Central Europe

Abstract

Pointing out the similarities and differences between pastoral counseling and pastoral psychology, our study presents the goals, curriculum, characteristics, and novelty of a specialization program in pastoral counseling established at a historic moment in Hungary—after the end of the communist dictatorship. On the one hand, we describe a university-level ecumenical, interdisciplinary, integrating specialization program in pastoral counseling which is offered at the graduate level through the cooperation of secular and ecclesiastical institutions of higher learning and which takes into account the differences of historical and cultural conditions between East Central Europe and the West. On the other hand, we present an effectiveness study of the program in which we measured, with the help of an instrument developed by our research group, changes in students' pastoral counseling competence (N=55). In the longitudinal study ‘person-centeredness’, ‘non-directiveness’, ‘assuming responsibility for the process’, ‘ability to handle spiritual issues’, ‘recognition of competence boundaries’ showed significant increase. The results prove that students’ practical helping competence developed significantly, and our findings correspond to the goals of the educational program. We also discuss the strengths and limitations of the specialization program as well as its social significance.