Pastoral Counseling at the UU Church of Brevard

Rev. Dr. Gregory Wilson offers Pastoral Counseling to individuals, couples, families, and children at an affordable, sliding scale fee. Sessions are typically one hour per week, by appointment, in the Minister's Office at the church. Dr. Wilson is a Fellow with the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (www.AAPC.org), and has been counseling individuals, families, couples and children for over 20 years. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call Dr. Wilson at 772-486-4029 or 888-367-5491 (toll-free), or email gvwilson@bellsouth.net.

• strengthening your marriage
• questions of individual growth and change
• recovery from childhood sexual abuse
• divorce
  
• blending families
• living with anxiety and depression
  
• the challenges families face in the 21st century 

• The nature of family spiritual and emotional life
• The tension between family health and social demands
• Nurturing and protecting our children
• The spiritual and emotional development of families
• Reducing the suffering of emotional reactivity and intense anger, or their opposite, emotional withdrawal, in families and relationships
  

For more information about Gregory, see Rev. Gregory Wilson, D. Min.

For more information about Pastoral Counseling, see The American Association of Pastoral Counselors.

F.A.Q.:

A: (Adapted from the AAPC website) Pastoral Counseling is a unique form of psychotherapy which uses spiritual resources as well as psychological understanding for healing and growth.

Pastoral Counselors are certified mental health professionals who have had in-depth religious and/or theological training. Because Pastoral Counselors are trained in both psychology and theology, they can provide psychological as well as spiritual guidance to individuals and families.

Q: How would I benefit from Pastoral Counseling?

A: At any time, individuals, couples or families can be confronted by uncertainties and life experiences which threaten to exhaust emotional and spiritual resources. The loss of a loved one, parent-teen conflict, loss of job or the care of an elderly parent are just a few of life’s transitions and crises that can be depleting.

Q: How is Pastoral Counseling different from traditional Psychotherapy?

A: Pastoral Counseling is very much the same as any other type of counseling you might seek from a psychotherapist, except that a pastoral counselor also has training in issues of spirituality and faith, and will always respect your beliefs, whatever they may be, and will help you integrate what you believe into how you resolve your current problems. While some individuals turn to a psychologist, social worker or psychiatrist, others want support and the opportunity to discuss their problems or illness in a spiritual context.

Q: I am on medication for depression. Can I still benefit from counseling?

A: Research has shown that a combination of counseling and medication is more effective than medication alone in helping a person deal with depression.

Q: I am a member of the UU Church of Brevard. Can I see Dr. Wilson for counseling?

A: Dr. Wilson offers Pastoral Care to church members at no charge, but cannot engage in long-term (4 sessions or longer) counseling. This would be a form of "dual-relationship" that can interfere with the counseling process, and with the pastoral relationship. If you have an issue that calls for long-term counseling, Dr. Wilson can refer you to another counselor in the area.