A Clergy Guide to Catholic Therapy and Coaching
Helping souls heal, grow, and thrive
A practical resource for priests and deacons to help parishioners access faithful, professional support for emotional healing, mental health, marriage, family life, personal growth, and life transitions.
Priests and deacons are often the first people parishioners turn to when life becomes difficult.
Clergy want to help. But sometimes the best pastoral care includes knowing when and where to refer. That is why we created Clergy Guide to Catholic Therapy and Coaching.
This guide helps priests and deacons understand the difference between pastoral care, spiritual direction, therapy, and coaching — and how these supports can work together in service of the whole person.
What the Guide Covers
- When pastoral care is enough and when additional support may be needed
- The difference between Catholic therapy, Catholic coaching, and spiritual direction
- Domestic violence, elder abuse, addiction, and crisis resources
- Referral resources for relationship and mental health struggles, addictions, traumas, grief, life transitions, parenting
challenges, and personal growth. - Telehealth and how it expands access to Catholic therapists
- A simple referral protocol priests and deacons can use immediately
- Mental health and pastoral red flags
- When to refer for therapy or coaching
- How to evaluate therapists and coaches
- Affordability options for therapy
Trusted Catholic Referral Resources
Two networks. One mission.
CatholicTherapists.com
Connects individuals, couples, families, and clergy with qualified Catholic mental health professionals that are carefully screened for faithful adherence to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
CatholicLifeCoaches.com
Connects Catholics with coaches who support personal growth, leadership, parenting, ADHD, marriage enrichment, career transitions, and life direction from a Catholic perspective.
Both networks exist to support the Church's mission of healing, growth, and human flourishing
Our Mission…
…is to bring the healing love of Jesus Christ to those seeking psychological help and support. We provide psychological information and a list of therapists across the USA, Canada, England and Asia who are faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
