The Boundary Between Pastoral and Mental Health Care (IN: Clergy Response to Suicidal Persons and Their Family Members, edited by D C Clark)

This chapter presents & discusses 3 cases which suggest that pastoral care professionals & mental health professionals alike need to be sensitive to the suicidal client’s search for relatedness, belonging, & community. The care offered may be quite different in different cases. 2 factors that are most significant in shaping these differences are the severity of the suicidal ideation or behavior & the context in which the pastoral care or counselling takes place.