18068. CHRISTIAN COUNSELING AND HYPERTENSION AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS. This paper discusses the role of the Christian counselor in helping African Americans deal with the problems associated with hypertension (high blood pressure). The first part of the paper discusses the causes of the problem (such as stress, unhealthy diets, lack of exercise and lifestyle choices), as well as the personality traits that enable some individuals to cope with stress better than others. Then the paper describes various ways that pastoral counselors can help African American clients overcome the negative consequences of hypertension, with an emphasis on the importance of having a strong sense of spirituality in this effort. KEYWORDS: christian counseling african americans hypertension stress. Written 2006. APA Style. 13 pages, 29 footnotes, 13 bibliographic sources. 3,206 words.