Samaritan Counseling
offers spiritual support

The center's therapists have
theological and psychological training

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By Mary Adamski
madamski@starbulletin.com

The patient who wants to discuss his spiritual belief in a session with his psychologist might find himself referred to his pastor, the soul being shaky ground for a behavioral scientist.

But not at Samaritan Counseling Center of Hawaii, whose founders believed that there is a close relationship of mind, body and spirit. Its licensed psychological counselors also receive theological training to understand and respect the spiritual dimension of clients.

The Hawaii center was organized 12 years ago with the endorsement of Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Buddhist church leaders. It is part of a network of over 100 independent counseling services around the country that follow the Samaritan model established in 1972 in Elkhart, Ind., by two pastors, a physician and a seminary professor.

"The expectation is to be sensitive to a client's own faith ... not impose one's own belief on the client, but don't keep the subject out of counseling," said the Rev. James Laurie, a Presbyterian minister and vice president of the Samaritan Institute in Denver, which provides centralized management, accreditation and consultation resources.

Like Laurie, the top executives of the Hawaii center, including Gary Augustin, interim executive director, have all been ordained ministers.

Laurie was in Hawaii last week to help the local staff and board of directors who, like many of their clients, are in a situation of loss and grief. Phyllis Roe, 53, who had headed the center for 10 years, died unexpectedly last month after surgery.

"We are finding ourselves forced to be more active than we ever were by the sad circumstances," said Alice Tucker, a board member for 10 years. "It has drawn staff and board closer. There was so much that Phyllis did."

Tucker said the board reflects the interfaith character of the agency, with at least eight different religious affiliations represented among the business people, clergy, and medical and education professionals on the body. Before the board begins a formal search to replace Roe, "we are assessing our needs and the role of the board and staff in the organization," she said.

The center has provided for about 2,500 clients since it opened its doors. The agency has conducted classes on topics such as parent-child problem solving and marriage preparation, and has provided clergy and lay leaders with workshops on managing conflicts within a congregation, ministering in cases of sexual abuse, and other topics.

About 50 percent of the clients are referred to the center by pastors, according to a 1999 report. About half the people who sought help came as couples or families.

"There is a very strong connection with the religious community here," Laurie said.

"It used to be that pastors were the front line for referrals for mental health. Pastors, if not trained, hopefully will have enough sense to refer to someone else," Laurie said.

An example of the faith-sensitive orientation, Laurie said, is: "Where there is a death, the reaction is often, 'What kind of a God allows a child to die?' How to make sense of life would involve some theological context.

"Some people come into counseling asking, 'What is the meaning of life?'" Laurie continued. "For example, I talked with a woman whose husband left her. When she asked, 'What do I do now?' that is a meaning-of-life question. It was helpful for her to think of it as, 'What's my vocation in life?'

"A therapist might pray with a client. ... It's all according to the client's agenda, not imposed by the counselor.

"Some people grow up with a religion that is abusive to them. In my view, that could include the ones who put women second at best. A therapist can help them know there is another biblical view of that," Laurie added.

"A particular congregation might be concerned that we would take a member in a different direction than they think is appropriate," Laurie said. "The key is, the counselor is there to help the person work through his or her problems. They are not going to say, 'This is what you ought to do.'

"Churches that are really doctrinaire will reject us."

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