As a professional counselor you probably noticed that Shepherding Women focuses on care primarily within the church and para-church environments.  This type of care includes elements of mentoring, pastoral counseling, spiritual, direction, and discipleship.  The shepherd may be called upon to facilitate, coach, listen, pray, or transmit information. 

The focus of professional counseling is pathology – the client asks “What is wrong with me?” The therapist's training focuses on courses such as human development, psychopathology, assessment, statistics, research, and legal and ethical issues. Typically contact time is costly and limited – most often one hour a week. 

Consequently, most of the long-term healing takes place outside of the counseling office.  Once a woman makes the choice to change behavior or lifestyle, the hard work of implementing begins.  This is when she needs someone to listen and help her process her discoveries once she leaves the therapist's office.  Women need shepherding while they are going to a professional counselor.

Our desire is that hurting women will experience both the benefit of therapy and shepherding. We believe it is critical for the healing journey  to have shepherds and counselors working together. We hope you will join us in this journey together.