What is pastoral care?

Probably the most painful class I will take in Divinity school is Pastoral Care?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Unfortunately, this is so. I am not one to be properly sympathetic with individuals in day to day interaction. But this could be the result of the few ministers who I reached out to in the past that responded with "so what?" after I divulged a vulnerable thought/need. This communicated to me that I had to either figure it out on my own or just hope a prayer would suffice. But somehow, I thought ministers were suppose to minister...... but in order to know what good pastoral care is, I am going to have to visit the bad and painful moments where I have been wounded or I did the wounding (hopefully unintentionally).


But it is hard to be vulnerable in this learning process when I feel some judgment from colleagues when I confess I am not working in a congregational/chaplain position nor am I member of a specific church. hmmmm.... right back at the beginning.