Module TMMC3277: Pastoral Psychology

Department: Theology, Ministry and Mission

TMMC3277: Pastoral Psychology

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To introduce students to a variety of psychological and spiritual approaches to the theory and practice of pastoral psychology, exploring the complementary interaction between the psychological and spiritual disciplines.
• To encourage students to recognize the need for supervision skills in order to handle conflict creatively.
• To enhance students’ awareness of different stages of spiritual and psychological development: and the appropriate approaches to these.

Content

• The module will include a range of topics in psychological theory and its application in pastoral practice, such as:
• basic developmental psychology (crisis management, and systems theory)
• exploration of various approaches to developmental and other life crises
• pathological development, its underlying dynamics and its effect on the pastoral encounter
• ways towards health in the Christian tradition
• understanding the pressures of countertransference and projective identification
• skills development in listening, reflecting and group dynamics
• practice in supervision skills, particularly in the development of an internal pastoral setting
• definition of personal and professional boundaries, and of best practice in setting and observing them
• self-evaluation of skills and needs.

Learning Outcomes

• Give a detailed, coherent and critical account of at least one model of human psychological development and its pertinence for Christian pastoral care.
• Describe and critically analyse the relationships between psychological and spiritual aspects of responding pastorally to those facing a variety of human experience, including conflict and crisis.

• Consolidate and extend their understanding and practice of pastoral care in the light of human developmental psychology and Christian theological disciplines, reflecting critically on their own practice as professionals prepared to work collaboratively with other professionals.

• Evaluate ideas, arguments, assumptions and practices critically, communicating coherent and transformative responses sensitively and respectfully.
• Take responsibility for their own personal and professional development.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures provide content, a conceptual framework and a survey of approaches within a subject area that enable students to locate their learning in a wider context, to make connections with other disciplines, and to evaluate and apply their learning to different contexts.
• The module will be assessed by an Essay.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

■ Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.