Pastoral counseling with African American men focuses on a holistic un
derstanding of manhood that is rooted in the deepest inner feelings, v
alues, and intentions emerging from a man's life. Through pastoral cou
nseling, the African American male discovers his unique self, his true
emotions and feelings, his meaning and purpose for life, and his uniq
ue contribution and vocation to the world. He is able to engage in all
aspects of life, including the formation of close and intimate relati
onships with significant others, while taking full responsibility for
his own growth and development. Pastoral counseling identifies the sou
rces of his manhood as including his African heritage, the African Ame
rican tradition of equalitarian relationships and androgenous roles, t
he penchant for oral styles of communication, the use of Bible stories
and characters, arid the capacity to be empathic with African America
n women.