Pastoral Care
Trauma-informed care for churches and Christian communities
Rooted in Christian and biblical principles, and informed by psychological understanding, this training supports churches and Christian communities to care for others with wisdom, sensitivity and emotional safety. This support helps pastoral teams, church leaders and those in caring roles recognise signs of trauma or emotional distress, listen with care and respond in ways that are compassionate and responsible.
For churches, pastoral teams and Christian communities who want to support people with greater confidence, care and understanding.
I can support you to offer quality pastoral care to your community
The importance of Pastoral Care in Christian communities
Many people turn to their church or faith community during times of pain, loss, trauma, crisis or emotional struggle. In those moments, the way support is offered matters deeply.
Pastoral care can be a powerful source of comfort and connection, but without the right awareness, even well-intentioned support can unintentionally cause harm. Training helps those in caring roles understand trauma, recognise signs of distress and respond in ways that are safe, compassionate and grounded in both faith and psychological insight.
Blending faith and psychological understanding
Faith-informed. Psychologically aware. Emotionally safe.
This training brings together biblical principles of care, compassion, wisdom and responsibility with psychological understanding of trauma, emotional distress and relational safety.
It explores how the Bible speaks into suffering, healing, community and care, while also helping participants understand how trauma can affect the body, mind, relationships and faith. The aim is to support churches in offering care that is spiritually sensitive, emotionally safe and practically responsible.
“I felt listened to with compassion and care. The support was rooted in faith, but also sensitive to what I was carrying emotionally, which helped me feel safe and understood.”
Training supports participants to:
Understand what trauma is and how it can show up
Recognise signs of emotional distress or overwhelm
Understand relational dynamics within pastoral care
Offer prayer and spiritual input safely and responsibly
Recognise when someone may need additional support
Reduce the risk of unintentionally causing harm
“The training helped me feel more confident recognising trauma and emotional distress, while also giving me a safer, more thoughtful way to offer prayer and support.”
Half-day training
A focused introductory session for churches and pastoral teams who want to develop a stronger understanding of trauma-informed pastoral care. This training explores what trauma is, how it can affect people, how to recognise signs of distress, and how to listen and respond safely. It also introduces healthy boundaries, safe prayer and spiritual support, and knowing when to signpost someone for further help, with the option to expand training further later.
From £600
(3 hours)
Delivered online or face to face
An introduction or refresher session with more training available.
Full-day training
A deeper training day for churches, leaders and pastoral teams who want to explore trauma-informed care in more depth and apply it to real pastoral situations. This training looks at trauma through both a psychological and biblical lens, including how trauma can affect faith, relationships and behaviour. It also explores emotional overwhelm, shutdown and survival responses, alongside safe prayer, spiritual input, boundaries, responsibility and emotionally safe pastoral care.
From £1,200
(6 hours)
Delivered online or face to face.
More in-depth training while looking at practical applications.
Meet Helen Jordan
This training is shaped by my experience as a therapist, supervisor and trainer, alongside a deep understanding of the important role Christian communities play in supporting people through difficult life experiences. As a Christian, my faith is personally important to me and has been one of the foundations of my work throughout my career.
For over seven years, I have trained both Christian and secular counsellors on accredited pastoral care and counselling training programmes, alongside ongoing therapeutic and supervisory work with church leaders and members. I understand that churches are often places people turn to in moments of pain, crisis or uncertainty, and that those offering support can carry significant responsibility, often with limited training around trauma, emotional safety or psychological distress.
My role is to help Christian communities feel more equipped, confident and thoughtful in the care they offer, combining psychological understanding with Christian and biblical principles in a way that is compassionate, responsible and grounded. With therapeutic experience, thousands of clinical hours and ongoing work training and supervising others, I bring both professional understanding and relational care to this work.
If your church or community would like to develop safer, more trauma-informed pastoral care, we can explore which training option is the right fit for you.
Get in Touch
If you’d like to enquire about any of my packages, please complete the form with a few details about what you’re looking for. Once I’ve received your message, I will be in touch with you shortly.
