Support and care for churches, ministries and clergy
More than 50 years ago, The Center was founded as The Pastoral Counseling Center as part of a movement by ministers who recognized the value of clinical training in pastoral care and saw their role as pastors as helping professionals providing emotional support for their congregations. The provision of “pastoral counseling” recognized the influences of both spirituality and psychology on the lives of those they served and added intentional theological reflection to the psychological care they provided.
While our services and reach have expanded, we remain a trusted resource for ministers and ministry leaders who would like support providing mental health services and education to those they serve and to ministers who need support for challenges in their own lives. With a new name – but the same mission – The Center encourages the church to join forces with us in de-stigmatizing mental health issues and counseling and provide preventative education.
Our ministry-related services include:
- Training and mental health education for church leadership & staff
- Informative workshops, retreats and presentations for church members and the community on topics such as communication, parenting, marriage, emotional health challenges, and grief – workshops can be held for Sunday School classes, other church events and the community
- Individual and family counseling for ministers and church staff
- Ministerial candidate evaluations and programs
- Articles on mental health for church communications
Counseling within Churches
The Center provides counseling within churches enabling churches to make counseling accessible to the church and community. An agreement allows for The Center to provide counseling within an established office at the church with all financial and clinical processes being managed by The Center.
- The church is able to promote the collaboration as support for the congregation and as a way to be a resource to the community.
- The Center carries the liability and the liability insurance for the services offered.
- Clients pay for their counseling either on their own or using their insurance.
- The church offers space comfortable for counseling with families and easily accessible within the church with signage directing the way to the office.
- The church commits to promote the work of The Center to the congregation consistently.
- An agreement signed by The Center President & CEO and a church official outlines all details of the collaboration.