The Counselor Within: A Study of Rabbinical Counseling Training and Practice in the Conservative Movement

Abstract

Members of the clergy provide a great deal of counseling. How did this come about? How are they prepared for this role? In what capacity is this role played by rabbis? Do rabbis feel their training is adequate for what they are called upon to do? What are the implications of this for both education and professional development of rabbis? This article addresses these questions historically and through presentation of an empirical study of Conservative rabbis who studied at the Jewish Theological Seminary and are currently in the pulpit.