The 'methodic' exploration of the ethical and pastoral dimension in interaction: the cycle of encounter.

Social competence can be understood as the capacity to interact with each other. As such, it is the acquisition and optimization of an interior attitude that transcends technique; it is a way of loving and doing justice to one another. A scheme is presented to explore the ethical and spiritual dimensions of the pastoral counseling process. Ethics is both an objective discipline and a relationship. Relationships are built during qualitative encounters that build respect and construct religious meanings. All encounters share this process. This article explores the logic of ethical dynamics with particular focus on pastoral counseling encounters.