Soul Care Sessions
Shepherd Heart offers soul care to clergy and congregants in ministry. This can be in the form of one-on-one Pastoral Care, Spiritual Direction, Christian Coaching, or through Retreats.
Make an appointment today. Upon each soul care session – whether Pastoral Care, Spiritual Direction, or Christian Coaching – you can simply pay below at the time of your meeting.
Spiritual Direction:
Listen to Teresa Blythe Spiritual Director & Pastor Melissa discuss Spiritual direction and Soul Care at Shepherd Heart.
According to David Benner (2003), Care of Souls or “cura animarum” is an ancient Christian tradition of pastoral care that is holistic in nature (that is, concerning the whole person), and is inherently spiritual. It addresses your relationship to God, as well as your faith-informed commitments to others and to yourself.
While soul care may include examination of feelings, beliefs, and behaviors as they affect your faith, it is distinct and separate from any kind of psychotherapy. It is not a psychological service. (For instance, soul care does not address consultees’ clinical symptoms or psychological disorders; appropriate referrals for mental health professionals are offered as necessary.)
Soul care is collaborative. Sessions are time-limited, and the duration is short-term. It may include ministry-related resources and referrals. Issues addressed may include one’s: awareness of God; acceptance of God’s grace; repentance and responsibility; responses to God’s leadership; involvement in your church; experience of fellowship with others; Christian ethics; and openness to faith.
Soul care sessions are $150 per 50-minute sessions (or occasionally, $75 per 30-minute sessions, if applicable.)
(While information is held as sacred, there are always some limits to confidentiality in healthy relationships. Some things will not be kept confidential within soul care, including your potential harm to yourself or to others. Note that a consultant offering soul care through Shepherd Heart is a clergy mandated reporter of suspected abuse or neglect of children, dependent adults, and elders. This means that clergy are legally required to report reasonable suspicion of maltreatment of vulnerable populations. Participating in soul care indicates agreement to these limits of confidentiality.)