That’s because they AREN’T equipped. But most pastors THINK they have the answer — they don’t.
The closest I’ve seen that works is the 12 step programs. Yet, the AA guys, who never ‘front’ sobriety, will front emotional sobriety like it was free candy.
IMO the glue that holds the entire 12 step process together is the “be of service to others” step.
I am not a friend of Bill, but friendly to friends of Bill. He tried for years, usually without success, to help people get sober. He couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t working. His wife said “but it is working, for you” and then it dawned on him... His helping others was helping himself.
Psychological health and spiritual health go hand in hand but they are not the same. Neither one alone can help make a person whole again. While many pastoral counselors do harm by overestimating their competence, , many psychologists do harm by ignoring the spiritual dimension, or pretending it doesn’t exist,