Abstract

This essay contributes to the discussions about the end, or rather reform, of the Counseling Movement. One central problem concerns the question of whether, apart from the positive impact psychology has had on pastoral counseling, this influence may not also have led to an obfuscation of theological profile. This question is addressed in view of the language used in pastoral counseling. First, various implications of the use of psychological terms are exposed insofar as these influence pastors’ professional identity as well as the pastoral communication. In a second step, a parishioner-oriented communication model is proposed, which renders different language games complementary to each other