Original Research

Pastoral counselling: towards a diagnostic and interpretational approach in Africa

Vhumani Magezi
In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi | Vol 41, No 4 | a325 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ids.v41i4.325 | © 2007 Vhumani Magezi | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 27 July 2007 | Published: 27 July 2007

About the author(s)

Vhumani Magezi, Practical Theology & Old Testament,Bible Institute of South Africa & George Whitefield College, Muizenberg, South Africa

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Abstract

Effective pastoral counselling is influenced by appropriate pas- toral diagnosis. A pastoral diagnosis or assessment in Africa should focus on socio-cultural systems thinking, which entails an understanding of the people’s worldview of distress embed- ded in stories. Thus, the process of assessment in Africa should concentrate, among other factors, on the constructive and de- structive role of the community and the strength of beliefs in supernatural causes of distress in order to focus the probing and interpretation of the conversation.

Keywords

Counselling And African Worldview; Pastoral Assessment And Interpretation In Africa; Pastoral Counselling And Community In Africa; Pastoral Diagnosis In Africa

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