Religion and Spirituality in Psychiatry

Community Psychiatry and Religion 229assist our wounds and help in healing. The primarywork of Thomas Moore, Ph.D., writer andtherapist, is critically important for this reason.As a starting point, we invite readers to reviewthe resources and curriculum of our pastoralcounseling training web site.(6)All helping professions that invite spiritualand psychological insight for healing are growingin our day. The people we seek to help are insearch of a meaningful life. If we can walk “withthe human heart through the world” takinglessons on “real knowledge of the human soul,”we will surely help those who come to us for care.Take some time to engage the community thatseeks to teach us these lessons.I would like to suggest one final resource.We can build on the strong tradition of pastoralcounseling. Next you will find importantresources regarding standards and ethics thatwill be useful in providing care and cultivatingrelationships with spiritual leaders in yourcommunity. We invite clinicians to share theseideas, add to them, and join in conversationwith others who are equally committed to careof the soul.8. STANDARDS OF PASTORALCOUNSELINGStandards of pastoral counseling worldwide arealways evolving. For the purposes of helpingreaders become acquainted with a primary organizationin this field, I recommend becomingaware of the American Association of PastoralCounselors (AAPC). The standards below (fromthe AAPC directory and Web site) delineatemembership, ethical considerations, and issuesof confidentiality.The American Association of PastoralCounselorsThe American Association of PastoralCounselors (AAPC) represents and sets professionalstandards for over 3,000 PastoralCounselors and 100 pastoral coun selingcenters in North America and around theworld.(7) AAPC was founded in 1963■■■as an organization that certifies PastoralCounselors, accredits pastoral counselingcenters, and approves training programs. Itis non-sectarian and respects the spiritualcommitments and religious traditions ofthose who seek assistance without imposingcounselor beliefs onto the client.AAPC Code of EthicsAs members of the AmericanAssociation of Pastoral Counselors, we arecommitted to the various theologies, traditions,and values of our faith communitiesand to the dignity and worth of each individual.We are dedicated to advancing thewelfare of those who seek our assistanceand to the maintenance of high standardsof professional conduct and competence.We are accountable for our ministrywhatever its setting. This accountability isexpressed in relationships to clients, colleagues,students, our faith communities,and through the acceptance and practiceof the principles and procedures of thisCode of Ethics.In order to uphold our standards, as membersof AAPC we covenant to accept thefollowing foundational premises:To maintain responsible association with thefaith group in which we have ecclesiasticalstanding.To avoid discriminating against or refusingemployment, educational opportunityor professional assistance to anyone on thebasis of race, gender, sexual orientation,religion, or national origin; provided thatnothing herein shall limit a member or centerfrom utilizing religious requirements orexercising a religious preference in employmentdecisions.To remain abreast of new developments inthe field through both educational activitiesand clinical experience. We agree at all levelsof membership to continue post-graduateeducation and professional growth including