Pastoral support
We provide confidential counselling to support clergy and their families in times of personal difficulty.
The Pastoral Care and Counselling service is a professional, free service and works independently of the authority structures of the church.
The service is funded from trusts established specifically for care of clergy and their families.
Clergy, their spouses and children can all use the service. Counselling for couples and families is also available.
Contact John Careswell in confidence. You can Email John or phone: 01373 454491
What's involved?
Counselling offers a safe place in which to reflect, without rush, on issues that are concerning you. Counselling nowadays is used extensively in many personal and professional settings.
Counsellors are trained to listen and engage in a sympathetic, respectful and non-judgemental way with how a person is feeling, to provide support, and assist the client’s growth in self-understanding and self-acceptance.
Counselling is not advice-giving, nor do counsellors impose their own views or values on clients. It is about finding the best way forward.
Counselling sessions last about an hour. The number and frequency of sessions varies according to the presenting issues. Clients using the service often find 6 – 12 sessions, spaced at fairly regular intervals, are sufficient - but longer term work is not uncommon.
To use the service while problems still seem manageable often avoids a serious crisis later on.
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