W P C S

Caring for you since 1961  

    In this time of managed care and malpractice suits, it is all the more challenging for clergy to provide appropriate counseling to troubled congregants. As the Wall Street Journal noted (2/5/98), clergy are becoming less likely to be willing to offer pastoral counseling themselves as they respond to the pressures of this changed environment. The Journal stated, "For ministers, the time-honored job of guiding people through depression, marital problems and family upheavals has turned into a minefield." Clergy are finding they need to be particularly sensitive to the issue of dual relationships, which can lead to problems with confidentiality, inappropriate mixing of roles, and the risk of litigation if things go sour.

    While in the past clergy were trained in the skills of compassionate listening, empathy, and emotional support, nowadays they may be called upon to address problems of a more serious nature, requiring the skills of a trained mental health clinician. This situation often poses a dilemma for both the congregant and clergy, having to choose between traditional pastoral care which may not provide needed clinical attention and secular mental health providers who may be insensitive to spiritual needs.

       WPCS provides a solution to this dilemma. The counselors at WPCS are both clinically and theologically trained. All counselors have at least masters degrees in social work or counseling with experience in such fields as crisis counseling and addictions. Many hold formal theological degrees (masters of divinity), while others have integrated theological study into their counseling degrees. The staff is balanced between clergy and laity.

    But why choose us? Because we are in the vanguard, dealing directly with the intersection of spirit and mind. We approach this work by considering the whole person before carefully choosing the optimum treatment. We address both clinical and spiritual issues to the healing process.

    Our staff is religiously diverse. We do not impose any particular religious doctrine, nor do we assume that spiritual healing comes by only one means. God heals in many ways, and we honor that diversity in our practice of pastoral counseling.

    While we explicitly honor the spiritual dimension in our treatment, our counselors are trained to handle situations involving major depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, grief, and marital difficulties.

    In essence, we are the "qualified mental health professionals" for every congregant. We look forward to being of service to you.