To be eligible for a six-day Intensive, you must currently serve, or have recently served, in a position of influence and authority as a pastor, ministry leader within a church or parachurch organization, or serve as a missionary in the field or on furlough. We serve couples experiencing crisis—whether due to burnout, marital struggles, moral failure, or conflict and wounds from ministry assignments, among other issues. We serve single leaders in crisis on a case-by-case basis.

Our Intensives provide counseling and pastoral care that is firmly rooted in Biblical truth and guided by the Holy Spirit, seamlessly integrating proven clinical counseling techniques. We transform these Biblical principles and clinical insights into practical tools that foster deep healing and lasting change. Each Intensive is dedicated exclusively to one husband and wife couple or single leader at a time, allowing for focused, individualized care.

Intensives are six days in length, with counseling or pastoral care lasting 3-6 hours a day.  Afternoons and evenings are used for reflection, prayer, homework, and exercises assigned during daily sessions

SHM pastoral care specialists have extensive experience and backgrounds as pastors, missionaries, ministry leaders, or counselors. Many have experience in more than one of these areas. All pastoral care specialists are trained by SHM in the Intensive model. In addition, pastoral care specialists must meet the training, licensing, or certification requirements for the state or country in which they serve.

Yes. Intensives are scheduled at one of our centers around the world, depending on availability of location, date, and language spoken. This allows you to get away from your daily schedules and concentrate on your relationship with the Lord.

Our hosts do their best to provide healthy and well-balanced meals. If you have medical dietary issues or food allergies, please notify us well in advance so our hosts can pre-plan and purchase items that you can eat. You are welcome to bring special food items (gluten-free mixes, etc.), and your hosts will use or prepare them for you. Please let us know if you intend to bring food items with you.

We ask that you disengage from your work and family for the week, leaving technology behind. We prefer that you turn your phone off and not access email or the internet unless you have an emergency. Wi-Fi access will not be provided. For emergency needs, you may discuss internet usage with your hosts or pastoral care specialists.

Our goal is to honor absolute confidentiality. Since we have only one couple or single leader at our Retreat Centers at any given time, it is highly unlikely that you would see anyone you know during your week with us. A bio and photo of your hosts will be provided prior to your arrival. We ask that you contact our office if you know or have met your hosts previously, so we can discuss the situation.

If you are married, we see the need for your spouse to be present as a participant in the therapeutic process. Further details can be discussed in the initial telephone or contact screening.

Our facilities are not equipped for children, so you will need to arrange childcare at your home for the time you are with us. We need you to be free to seek God at a deep level and focused on the process of healing. 

Each situation is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Usually, mental illnesses and long-term addictions require long-term therapy, which we are not equipped to provide.  Our desire is that you get the best and most helpful counseling for your unique situation. These situations and topics should be disclosed to the screening administrator at your first contact with us.

We have counseled pastors, missionaries, and ministry leaders from all over the world for many years and have encountered nearly every conceivable issue. Our pastoral care specialists will never judge or criticize. Often, we have walked in your shoes. Our compassionate hearts have only one goal in mind – to be vessels of the Holy Spirit to bring healing to you in your circumstances. Our pastoral care specialists will be happy to speak with you prior to coming to ensure your comfort level with us and make sure we are the appropriate ministry to handle your specific issues.

We provide you with a rich and wonderful experience of great accommodations, healthy meals, caring hosts, and pastoral care specialists who listen and guide you through your specific issues, all at no cost to you. We are supported by a group of dedicated donors who believe in you and understand our mission of healing and restoration for pastors, missionaries, and ministry leaders who are in crisis. Your only financial responsibility is your transportation to get to and back home from the Retreat Center and maybe one mid-week date night. Of course, if you would like to support the ministry with a donation or love gift, we would appreciate it, but we certainly do not expect it.

Your first task is to begin by praying about this divine appointment. If God is directing you to Shepherd’s Heart, we would ask you to complete an Intensive screening on our website. We will contact you within a few days to discuss further steps. Following the initial online screening and subsequent contact, should we proceed with booking an Intensive, you will need to complete an extensive Intake form as part of your investment in the process. The completed Intake form is due 2 weeks prior to your arrival.    

Confidentiality is one of the foundational principles of Shepherd’s Heart Ministry. At SHM, we are committed to protecting and preserving the privacy of every individual, couple, and affiliation. If your denomination or organization requires a summary report at the conclusion of an Intensive with SHM, a Release of Information must be signed prior to your attendance.

Generally speaking, the information provided by and to the client during counseling sessions is legally confidential and cannot be released without the client’s consent. However, there are exceptions to this confidentiality as required by law.

Your pastoral care specialists will make themselves available to you for follow-up sessions on a case-by-case basis. You are responsible for initiating contact with SHM to schedule follow-up appointments. In addition, we encourage you to find an accountability partner/couple in your local area who can walk alongside and hold you accountable to the action plan you develop during your Intensive.