Mental Health Crises
in Pastoral Ministry:
Recognizing, Responding & Referring
Tuesdays @ 12pm — 1:30pm PST
April 21 — June 9, 2026
Live via Zoom
(12 CE hours)
Register here.
You know that sinking feeling in pastoral ministry. Your intuition tells you that the parishioner sitting across from you is in the throes of a mental health crisis. Or maybe they’re in a seriously dangerous position at home—and you don’t know what to do. You know you’re not a mental health professional, but as a pastor, you still find yourself on the frontlines of emergencies in emotional health and well-being—ready or not.
Shepherd Heart has created an 8-week certificate program specifically tailored to the needs of ministry leaders and spiritual directors who find themselves in this position. Designed to help you recognize, respond, and refer wisely in the face of mental health crises and domestic violence, this is a live-by-Zoom program that certifies your attendance as we cover and discuss critical issues of congregational health and wholeness, including:
- Depression, Bipolarity, Suicidality/Homicidality
- Schizophrenia-Spectrum Disorders
- Eating Disorders (& their lethality)
- Struggles with Disordered Personality: Narcissistic PD, borderline PD, & antisocial PD (i.e., sociopathy)
- Trauma and Complex PTSD
- Intimate Partner Violence/Domestic Violence
- Clergy Mandated Reporting: Reviewing when, where, & how
- Burnout & Self-Care
This certificate program is live via Zoom. 12 hours of instruction and discussion — $800, Register by April 7, 2026.
Your instructor:
Melissa Hofstetter, PhD, MDiv is an ordained Mennonite minister, having served as district elder in the Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist (CA, PSY25696; AZ #4125, Psypact APIT #4880). She is the founder of Shepherd Heart. Dr. Hofstetter has served as a seminary instructor in Pastoral Counseling & Congregational Health, and served as adjunct professor in the doctoral and undergraduate psychology departments at Azusa Pacific University, teaching courses in Neuroscience, Adult Development, Family Systems, Cognition, General Psychology, Personality.
Disclaimer:
This certificate program is for educational purposes only, and is not a substitute in any way for consultation with an attorney. Dr. Hofstetter is not a lawyer and does not give legal advice of any kind. This seminar is *not* a psychological service. Appropriate referrals to lawyers or clinicians may be offered. You are expected to keep the identities of parishioners and others confidential. Do not share their identifying information in the course of this seminar. Please note that, as a clergy person residing in California, Dr. Hofstetter is a mandated reporter of suspected abuse and neglect of children, dependent adults, and elders.