Faced With Strife and Simcha, Experts on Jewish Pastoral Counseling Share Insights That Transcend Judaism Itself

Recognizing that the methodology and skill-building needed to address these issues were sorely lacking in the traditional education of religious leaders, efforts began to integrate such training into the curricula. One of the most important contributions to this effort is the recent publication The Art of Jewish Pastoral Counseling: A Guide for All Faiths by Michelle Friedman and Rachel Yehuda. Friedman is the founding director and Sharon and Steven Lieberman Chair of Pastoral Counseling for the pastoral counseling program at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School. Yehuda is also a professor in the yeshiva’s pastoral counseling program as well as Director of the Traumatic Stress Studies Division at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.