Susie Black, MDiv, MA is our expert in pastoral accompaniment through life & ministry transitions.
To book an appointment with Susie:
- Find an available time (Susie’s Calendar)
- Lock in that time by making your payment.
- Sign Agreement & send your signed agreement to info@Shepherdheart.com
Ministry Coaching at Shepherd Heart: FAQs
What is coaching and how might a coach be helpful to me?
The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”[1] Coaches come alongside clients in order to help them clarify goals, create a strategic action plan and maximize their efforts to move forward in some area of life. Many people benefit from having another person who will listen attentively, become an objective sounding board and offer accountability. Effective coaches are more than cheerleaders. They enter into meaningful conversation with the intention of helping another person overcome obstacles, self-defeating thoughts and ambivalence that tends to prevent people from advancing toward their goals. Sometimes it takes a fresh pair of eyes to recognize some of the underlying issues, obstacles and relational dynamics that are at play in a difficult situation. I believe anyone can benefit from coaching and people are often amazed at how helpful it can be.
What can I expect from a typical coaching session?
As your coach, I have been trained to ask questions, actively listen and provide feedback. A typical coaching session at Shepherd Heart lasts one hour. At the beginning of each session, I ask my client to set the objective or focus of the session and then I follow his or her lead toward their desired outcome. In coaching, my primary aim is to facilitate my clients’ development and draw out their values, goals and creative ideas. As a result, each client uniquely drives the conversation. By the end of each session, clients usually walk away with greater insight, focused energy, clarity of thought and clearly identified action steps.
How does a person know when it’s time to see a coach?
Here are some indicators that you are ready for coaching:
- You want to move forward or change some area of your life
- You feel stuck, ambivalent or indecisive about a task or decision
- You say you want to do something, but you do not know where to begin
- You find yourself “dragging your feet,” procrastinating or avoiding a task, decision or responsibility that is important to you.
- You wake in the middle of the night thinking about a difficult problem or issue
- You sense a disconnect between your head and your heart
- You act in ways that don’t make sense to you
- You lack inspiration, clarity or direction
- You want to brainstorm with someone to generate your best ideas
- You want a “sounding board” who is not emotionally connected to or affected by your situation.
How is coaching particularly useful for pastors?
At the end of a coaching session, many pastors express relief and gratitude for having a safe place to openly process their thoughts and feelings. They say things like, “I just can’t share things like this with members of my congregation or elder board.” Having served in ministry for years, I am aware of the pastoral conundrum of valuing authenticity and transparency in relationship, yet carrying the responsibilities that come with shepherding and leading a congregation. Many congregations have expectations for their pastor to be transparent…to a point.
Coaching can be a great way to gather your thoughts, process feelings, try on ideas and gain insight, perspective or inspiration without having to worry about the way the conversation will impact someone else. For one whole hour, you have permission to remove your pastor hat, relax and just be a person for a while. It’s amazing how often God will minister to your soul and bring clarity when you finally feel free to “go there.”
How can you help me with vision-casting?
As a naturally intuitive, futuristic, “big picture” strategic thinker with strengths in ideation and communication, I find great joy in coming alongside ministry leaders and assisting them in identifying felt needs, innovative strategic planning and leadership development. Although many leadership teams take a collaborative approach to ministry, the weight of responsibility for “setting the course” typically falls upon one person. This can feel burdensome to Pastors, especially those who don’t believe visioneering fits with their natural wiring or gifting. As your coach, I can help shoulder the burden as you begin to brainstorm, seek spiritual guidance and bring clarity to the questions, “Where do we go from here?” and “How do we get there?”
What is the scope of health and wellness coaching?
If you think about it, “health and wellness” is a very broad term that really touches so many areas of life. Wellness coaching may include conversations about relationships, emotions, thoughts, vocational/ministry issues, spirituality, physical or mental health, environmental issues, finances, transitions, leadership, life stage adjustments, grief and loss, as well as issues pertaining to spiritual direction and discernment of a calling. During 2020, many of my coaching conversations focused upon pandemic fatigue, resilience, grief and leadership strategies as pastors worked diligently to rethink ministry and congregational care in lieu of constantly changing COVID-19 restrictions. As you can see, people seek coaching for many reasons. Sometimes, at the beginning of a session a person will confess they feel unsure about where to begin. It never ceases to amaze me how the issue that most needs to be discussed will always rise to the surface.
How is coaching different than counseling or pastoral care?
I get asked this question often. As one who has served in all three of these roles, here is how I have learned to differentiate between them.
A professional counselor/therapist is licensed through a state agency after a rigorous vetting process that typically includes a Master’s degree in Psychology or Counseling, examination(s) and several thousand hours of documented, supervised clinical practice. Counseling involves the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, relationship/family, parenting issues, dysphoria and various disorders. People typically pursue counseling when they have a crisis or problem. Once that issue is resolved and they return to their baseline level of functioning counseling clients tend to discontinue therapy. Counselors/therapists also have the ability to help functioning individuals set goals and grow in capacity to move from their baseline level of functioning toward optimal functioning or thriving.
Coaches primarily focus on partnering with individuals or groups of people who are functioning well, but desire to move forward in a particular area of life. Some coaching clients may want to discuss, process or brainstorm about physical, emotional or relational issues, but coaching sessions tend to maintain a future-oriented focus rather than facilitating deep exploration of past experiences. As you can see, there is some overlap between coaching and counseling. However, a coach cannot and should never attempt to treat diagnosable mental illness or trauma. As a result, a coach’s scope of practice is much narrower than that of a professional counselor or therapist. If, in my capacity as a coach, I sense that someone is in need, instead, of a therapist or counselor, I make appropriate referrals.
Finally, pastors may be called upon to intervene during a crisis, offer prayer, provide counsel, support, mentor or coach in a wide variety of situations and settings. They may be asked to address spiritual questions, relationship issues, tend to a parishioner with a medical condition or grief event. They may also help meet practical needs, mediate arguments or advocate for a particular person or circumstance. People who are connected to a church will typically seek help from their pastor long before they would contact a professional coach or counselor. Therefore, pastors can find themselves in a “gatekeeper” role where they are required to assess a situation and quickly determine what resources are needed. Because a minister’s role covers such a broad array of helping activities, it is extremely important for clergy to have a clear understanding of professional ministerial boundaries and legal statutes that pertain to their role such as state requirements for mandated reporting and penitential confession.
My best advice to pastors and coaches is to do your best to care for people, know the law, know your limits and learn to recognize when it is appropriate to refer someone to a licensed professional.
You should refer when there is:
- Any indication of self-harm or suicidal ideation, especially when a person expresses desire, intent or means to hurt themselves or end their life
- Presence of diagnosable mental illness, and/or someone’s issues are causing disruption of their typical social roles (self-care, employment, relationships, parenting etc…)
- A person a person wants/needs advice regarding medications
- History of addiction, abuse, domestic violence or trauma
- Prolonged bereavement or trauma
A good rule of thumb for pastoral care: If a person’s issue will require more than 5-6 sessions, you will probably want to refer them to a professional counselor. While you may be especially gifted and suited to pastoral counseling, your role most likely doesn’t allow you to spend a large proportion of your time doing this.
Why do you choose to coach clergy specifically?
Pastors often come to me for advice regarding discipleship and equipping. Sometimes, they will seek consultation because they faithfully preach sermons, but feel frustrated when they do not see tangible growth among their congregants. At times, ministers perceive a gap between the stated mission of the church and their ability to mobilize resources to effectively accomplish the task of making disciples, who can then go and make disciples. I feel called to help the church become more effective in its mission, and I am passionate about discipleship. I also recognize the truth of an old adage, “So goes the pastor, so goes the church.” Unfortunately, I have seen my share of dysfunction in the Church. I want to do everything in my power to help pastors and ministry leaders lead well.
You mention being influenced by the person and work of Dallas Willard. What do you mean by this?
After decades of ministering within local churches and clinical settings, I have learned a great deal about spiritual formation, motivation for change and human nature. In addition to completing my own formal seminary training, my husband completed the first PhD dissertation on the works of Dallas Willard and was mentored through the process by Dallas himself. We have spent countless hours reading, discussing and doing our best to implement Willard’s ideas into our own lives and teach them to others. If you have ever felt inspired or overwhelmed by Dallas’ writings, I can help you incorporate these life-giving ideas into your church’s discipleship plan. I can also help you create a discipleship plan to fit the unique needs of your congregation if you don’t currently have one.
[1] https://coachfederation.org/about