Training the Clergy in a Values-Based Counseling Approach

Abstract

Despite its high prevalence, fewer than 2So/o of people suffering from depression receive effective treatment, due to a lack of resources and trained therapy providers (World Health Organization, 2010). Approximately 2So/o of individuals who seek counseling do so from a member of the clergy (Wang et al., 2003). The proposed study focuses on the electronic dissemination of behavioral activation (BA) to 30 members of the clergy in the Kalamazoo, Michigan area. BA is a well-established treatment for depression that focuses on examining the relationship between an individual's behavior and depressotypic symptoms. The effectiveness of a novel interactive computer training program titled Building a Meaningful Life Through Behavioral Activation will be evaluated based upon participants' written knowledge assessments and performance-based role-play scenarios conducted pre- and post-training.