Using counseling methods in chaplaincy

Providing spiritual care to individuals who experience disorientation is a core aspect of chaplaincy. In this chapter, inspired by insights from humanist chaplaincy as it is theorized and practiced in the Netherlands, it is explained how chaplains may draw from existing counseling methods when providing spiritual care in one-on-one encounters. The chapter contains a model aimed at guiding chaplains’ reflection concerning the question of what counseling methods to use in what situations and contexts. Reflection on the moral visions underlying counseling approaches and methods is an important element of the model. Various counseling methods that chaplains may use to work towards specific chaplaincy goals in one-on-one encounters are presented and critically explored.