There’s a local car dealership in Philadelphia that always ends its television ads with the owner of the dealership saying, “I’ve always been your dealer, even if you didn’t know it.” It may seem weirdly disjointed to summons a car dealer slogan for an inaugural entry of the Journal of Pastoral Care Publication’s new blog, but this slogan uniquely captures my perspective on the Journal and its place in the field of spiritual care and spiritually integrative counseling: JPCP has always been your resource for spiritual care and spiritually integrative counseling, even if you didn’t know it.
For over seventy years, JPCP has been committed to providing a forum for sharing professional knowledge, experience and innovative developments in pastoral ministries. What has set JPCP’s forum apart has been the balance and variety of content. In addition to publishing seminal books like, Anton Theophilus Boisen: His Life, Work, Impact and Theological Legacy, and Inside the Circle: A Historical and Practical Inquiry Concerning Process Groups in Clinical Pastoral Education, JPCP continues to publish a quarterly peer reviewed on-line journal with both scholarly and reflective literature on pastoral and spiritual care, counseling, psychotherapy, education, and research.Now, a new decade brings new opportunities and new platforms to deliver the same variety and quality of content you have come to expect from JPCP.
In an effort to create a meaningful, active and interactive presence in the field of spiritual care and spiritually integrative counseling, JPCP is pleased to announce a blog and podcast series, Spiritual Care Today. Visit our website bi-weekly and find short, informative blog entries on the issues that matter in every day practice. Our inaugural entries include pieces on Jewish and Islamic perspectives on addressing domestic violence, as well as pieces centered on the practice of spiritually integrative counseling.
As you’re on the go in the car or working out at the gym, be sure to take a listen to our new monthly podcast, Spiritual Care Today, hosted by Tres Adames. Highlights from our first few episodes include a piece on the role of mindfulness and meditation in spiritual care from the perspective of leading Buddhist scholars and practitioners.
I am excited that JPCP has so many avenues for professionals in the fields of spiritual care and spiritually integrative counseling to engage the on-going, conversations that shape the direction of scholarship and practice. And, as president of the Board of Officers of JPCP, I am honored to be a part of an organization that is seeking to enrich the lives and meet the needs of caregivers, counselors, and scholars from all over the world. For those who are already familiar with JPCP’s books and quarterly journal, my hope is that you enjoy discovering the new platforms and content. For those who just have stumbled across JPCP and its rich resources through a blog, podcast, or journal article, my hope is that you find a place where your professional life can be enriched in new and refreshing ways. And for old timers and new comers alike, may you all come to realize that JPCP has always been your resource for spiritual care and spiritually integrative counseling, even if you didn’t know it.
In addition to her work for JPCP, Beth serves on ACPE’s Psychotherapy Commission and is an Associate Professor of Clinical Counseling at Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
When not working, Beth can be found hiking with her dog, Ellie, and her partner, Kayla; planning her next big trip; or waiting for college football season
