Cultural Landscapes of Pastoral Counseling in Asia:

Abstract

Abstract Is the American (AAPC) model of pastoral counseling possible and feasible in Asian countries? This article describes and analyzes the developmental stages of the AAPC model pastoral counseling in modern Korean society and depicts seven dimensions of contextualization including historical, societal, educational, theological, cultural, clinical, and supervisory contexts. It is suggested that transplanting pastoral counseling to Asian cultural soils requires culturally creative integration. It is specifically noted that Asian notions and meanings of self, familism, veneration for the aged, harmony and interdependence are critically important for integration. The article concludes with the ideas that pastoral counseling, as an emerging and blossoming discipline in the coming years, needs to be developed and nurtured via highly competent trained clinical supervisors in the field.