Pastoral counseling

Pastoral counseling is a branch of counseling in which ordained ministers, rabbis, priests and others provide therapy services. Practitioners in the United States are subject to the standards of the American Association of Pastoral Counseling and many are either licensed as a LPC or LMFT as well.

Most state laws require pastoral counselors to have secular counseling licenses in order to provide mental health services or therapy.

Insurance companies often will not pay for pastoral counseling of counselors without state licensing.

It is often synonymous with pastoral care.