한국의 교회 내 목회상담 현장에서 나타나는 경계문제와 접근 방안에 관한 연구

Abstract

In the case of pastoral counseling taken in the counseling center within the Korean church, a client (who is a church member) left the church due to confidentiality and boundary issues. After counseling sessions, in another case, he or she tended to avoid the pastoral counselor (who is a pastor of the church). These particular patterns have been reported in the field of pastoral counseling within the Korean church. One possible reason is that pastoral counseling’s form and method have been imported without properly defining their cultural meanings and historical background, which are hidden. At the same time, Korean pastoral counselors should have investigated their own cultural and historical background. Thus, the examination seeks to determine why boundary issues are occurring in the counseling center within the Korean church and how this should be handled after comparing the two different cultures. Specific boundary issues in the context of Korean pastoral counseling are dealt with critically using Soo Young Kwon’s “relational boundary” and Immanuel Lartey’s “intercultural approach.” Even if a counseling center within a church creates boundary issues specifically, going outside the church might not be the answer. A comprehensive partnership with the church is a key to not losing the identity of pastoral counseling and, in fact, pastoral counseling is not defined without God and the church community. This thought is based on how Korean pastoral counseling has been settled in the Korean context historically. Therefore, this study suggests that any counseling center within the church must be maintained creatively and counseling ethics must be emphasized to approach the boundary issues indirectly.