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Pastoral Counseling through Understanding on the Grief of the Loss of Companion Animal

  • Journal of Counseling and Gospel
  • Abbr : Jocag
  • 2020, 28(1), pp.301-326
  • DOI : 10.17841/jocag.2020.28.1.301
  • Publisher : Korean Evangelical Counseling Society
  • Research Area : Humanities > Christian Theology > Pastoral Counseling
  • Received : March 3, 2020
  • Accepted : May 9, 2020
  • Published : May 30, 2020

JOSEPH JEON 1

1성결대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This article is to clarify pastoral counseling through psychological understanding on the grief of the loss of companion animal. Recently, companion animal becomes a part of family. So, the English word familization came into a psychological neologism. The grief of the loss of companion animal becomes as much as the grief caused by the death of a family member. Psychological traits of grief family include sadness, mental depression, and various emotional problems. When the pastoral counselor is asked by church members if their companion animal could go to Kingdom of Heaven, pastoral counselors may be lead by confusion. The reason for this is that there is no clear verse in the Bible. God the Creator made not only human but also animals. God is also the almighty God with love; thus, leaving the issue on animal salvation to God’s sovereignty is the sound attitude and evangelical aspect. The pastoral counselor should empathize the grief family from the loss of companion animal. In addition, it is encouraged that pastoral counselors make or support church members to join the self-help support group so that the grief from the loss of companion animal can be filled with the Holy spirit. Pastoral counselors are encouraged to help the grief families learn about human life and death through the loss of companion animals.

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