| CODE | PLC5740 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | The Pastoral Agent: Professional and Ethical Issues | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Pastoral Theology, Liturgy and Canon Law | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The study-unit will cover areas related to the professional behaviour of the pastoral counsellor. It includes categories of professional conduct, such as autonomy, fidelity, justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and self-interest. The study-unit will also address issues of dual relationships, professional boundaries and situations that could verge on, or lead to abuse. Study-unit Aims: This study-unit aims at: - equipping pastoral ministers with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the delicate environment of providing profesional services that vulnerable persons and communities require and that are entrusted in their care. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - list the most important factors that ensure that the professional mode of conduct is adhered to; - outline the risk factors associated with the abuse of the professional-client relationship; - create a plan and a strategy that ensures that staff working in the pastoral ministry are aware of their professional conduct, boundaries, integrity, trustworthiness, accountability etc. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - increase his/her professionality and apply these skills to the various fields that will be required in the Church mission. The Pastoral Counsellor should be able to detect and address situations which transgress professional behaviour. Main Text/s and any Supplementary Readings: - Gula, Richard M. (2010) Just Ministry : Professional Ethics for Pastoral Ministers. New York: Paulist. - Battin, M. P. (1992). Ethics in the Sanctuary: Examining the Practices of Organized Religion. Yale U.P. - Pope, K. S., Vasquez, M. J. T., & Chavez-Duen虄as, N. Y. (2021). Ethics in Psychotherapy and Counseling: A Practical guide. Boston: Wiley. - Corey, C., Corey, G. and Corey, M., (2020). Issues & ethics in the helping professions. Boston: Chengage. - Herlihy, B., Corey, G., & American Counseling Association. (2015). ACA ethical standards casebook. Boston: Wiley. - Wheeler, A. M., & Bertram, B. (2019). The counsellor and the law: A guide to legal and ethical practice. Boston: Wiley. - Wicks, R. J. (2000). Handbook of spirituality for ministers: Volume 1,2 : perspectives for the 21st century. New York: Paulist Press. Further material will be made available on VLE. N.B. Material that at first glance appears as 鈥渄ated鈥� is actually core texts which form part of the 鈥渢radition鈥� and which have not been superseded by more recent texts to date. Students would miss out gravely if they so not familiarise themselves with these important texts. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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