Pastoral Power Beyond Psychology's Marginalization: Resisting the Discourses of the Psy-Complex

"This book is a cutting-edge contribution to the field of pastoral care and counseling. It confronts the mental illnesses caused by the inequalities of the current economy and outlines how 'pastoral power' can be used to help cure the emotional sickness that arises from social class oppression. Every pastoral minister faces this challenge constantly in the lives of their people; here is an invaluable resource to address it." - Thomas Groome, Boston College, USA

'Helsel calls for pastoral careers to become advocates across social classes bearers of pastoral power aimed at economic and social justice. Such care seeks to liberate the voices of the economically deprived and enable forms of agency that challenge biomedical understandings of the roots of mental ill-health. In calling for counselors to advocate across the social classes, Helsel opens up vital social and economic dimensions to the pastoral task of mental health care. This book will challenge all of us to re-think the nature of mental health issues and to re-evaluate what a faithful pastoral response might look like.' - John Swinton, University of Aberdeen, UK