Resources for Clergy

Sanctuary Counseling Group (SCG) recognizes the needs and stressors of the pastor working within the pastorate and well as the needs of the pastoral family. To this end, we offer a number of resources specifically for clergy.

Counseling and Consultation

At Sanctuary Counseling Group, we have a special place in our hearts for clergy, clergy spouses, and clergy families.  The calling to ministry is never an easy one to accept and it invariably becomes a part of each clergy family’s identity and daily life. The stressors that pastors face in the parish can, at times, seem overwhelming. Between the significant needs of congregants, the demands of keeping a church financially afloat, and the potential divides in churches, church leaders often live in a pressure-cooker.  While parishioners will often come to the pastor with problems, to whom does the pastor turn for help? In our fast-paced, often corporate-minded world, it is common for clergy and their families to feel isolated and out-of-step with others, as they face the challenges of navigating complex relationships with congregations, living in homes that may not feel like their own, and, for clergy families, being led spiritually by someone with whom they share deeply personal connections.  

We at SCG specialize in working with clergy and their families.  More than half of our clinical staff are seminary-trained, with six ordained clergy amongst us.  All of our SCG clinicians are trained to walk alongside clergy and clergy families, whether those individuals are starting the ordination process, leading churches, working to avoid burnout, considering retirement, or discerning new callings in ministry.  If you are clergy, a church staff member, working towards ordination, or a loved one of a clergy professional and are struggling, please call on the clinicians of SCG to offer counseling, support, and empathy.

Clergy Educational Resources

Sanctuary Counseling Group has a long history of working with congregations in many ways.  Throughout our more than 55 years in ministry, we have supported local churches by offering seminars on a variety of topics from pastoral care for laity to helping parents cope with the challenges of raising teenagers, from maintaining healthy marriages to navigating retirement, and so many more.  One of our skilled clinicians would love to come present for your group, no matter the age or stage, from children to retirees, men’s or women’s gatherings, or more topic-focused committees.

For more information on how to access our staff educators for your church, please contact our Executive Director, Jay Cobb.

Service Costs

Medical insurances often cover the cost of therapy, usually with a nominal co-pay. Otherwise, an adjusted fee can be negotiated with the individual therapist. See our notice of fees.

Confidentiality

The pastor's relationship to the therapist and Sanctuary Counseling Group is a private matter. Even the fact that someone seeks counseling is private and will not be revealed to anyone without the client's consent. As a result, all information is kept strictly confidential (within legal limits) and will not be shared without the pastor's written permission. See our notice of confidentiality.

Recommended Reading

The Pastor's Persona, by former SCG therapist Jonathan Golden, Ph.D., examines the Jungian concept of the persona and how it impacts those in ministry. Certain aspects of persona expectations, particularly those that can become problematic for clergy, are examined. In addition, self-care practices that can ameliorate some of the difficulties pastors can experience when they identify too strongly with their professional persona are also explored.

The first four chapters describe the psychological dynamics of persona and shadow as they relate to the ministry. Subsequent chapters explore the implications of these dynamics for clergy self-care and self-understanding. Chapters five through eight also end with a section on beneficial practices and a discussion of helpful self-care strategies for clergy.

The Pastor's Persona would be especially helpful for those relatively new to the ministry, those within the first five to seven years of serving in a parish, but would also be beneficial for experienced clergy as well.

The book is available for Kindle through Amazon as well as in the Apple iBook Store.