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Samaritan Counseling Center Helps Pastors Handle Families in Crisis
In a recent article, the Reverend David C. Olsen, Executive Director of the Samaritan Counseling Center of the Capital Region discussed how his organization was helping pastors meet the changing needs of their profession. "Seminary education and an extensive reading list do not equip clergy to tune in effectively to the day-to-day situations of ministry, deliver sermons that tap deeply into parishioners' lives, deal with the congregants' complex problems, or negotiate with difficult boards," Olsen stated.
A local affiliate of the national Samaritan Institute, the Samaritan Counseling Center of the Capital Region established its Clergy Institute as a special service to those on the front lines of pastoral care. Olsen said the Institute seeks to assist pastors facing complex situations including, "responding non-defensively to an angry board member, engaging a congregant constantly challenging his or her minister's theology reading the emotional climate of a committee meeting and address the tension in the room and finding the right words for a family in crisis."
Founded in 1985 by Dr. David Olsen, the Samaritan Counseling Center of the Capital Region is a nonprofit counseling practice for individual, couples, family and group therapy. The Center relies on private philanthropy and foundation grants to provide counseling regardless of an individual's ability to pay. Since most counseling services are not funded by insurance or government dollars, the Center has engaged the Innovative Resources to help build their volunteer leadership's capacity to raise philanthropic support. The Center's therapists are all certified and licensed professionals, representing the disciplines of clinical social work, clinical psychology, marriage and family therapy, and pastoral counseling.
