Acting with genuine care and concern, pastors can be effective in helping married couples resolve difficulties and discover reconciliation, joy, and love. The question often is, “How do I do it?” In Pastor, Our Marriage Is in Trouble, Charles L. Rassieur, an experienced counselor, outlines a step-by-step approach that takes the pastor from beginning to end in a process of short-term intervention and counseling. A helpful tool in the process is the Pastoral Marriage Counseling Questionnaire, which can be used in gathering essential information about both spouses and their relationships. In addition, you’ll find important information about:
a rationale for the need and opportunity for pastoral intervention in troubled marriages
how the marriage counseling process begins with the initial pastoral contact with one or both spouses
help for the pastor in preparing for individual counseling sessions with each spouse
important topics for marriage counseling regardless of which approach or model is used
the last two sessions of counseling: deciding whether to end counseling, to refer the couple to other professional resources, or to contract with the couple for further counseling sessions