Pastoral Care & Counselling

The Diocesan Pastoral Care and Counselling Service exists to provide confidential help in times of emotional or psychological difficulty for diocesan clergy and lay staff and their immediate families. It also provides help for licensed Readers and Diocesan volunteer workers with formal contracts.

Download A Guide to the Pastoral and Counselling Service

The Advisor in Pastoral Care and Counselling is Julia Barrett. She has worked as a Counsellor and Psychotherapist for many years in the NHS, agency and private practice settings. She is accredited by the United Kingdom Council of Psychotherapists (UKCP).

She has also been a confirmed member of the Church of England since she was eighteen and was licensed as a Reader in 2001.

If she is not available to answer the telephone, please leave a message on the confidential answering machine; she will normally respond to messages within twenty-four hours. The email is only accessible by the Co-ordinator.

Email Julia or phone on 01884 820493

Reflective Practice Groups

Reflective practice groups are small facilitated clergy peer groups meeting on a fortnightly basis for one and half hours in term time with breaks for a total of 18 sessions a year.

The purpose of the groups is to enable clergy to support one another in their ministry particularly in relation to managing the interface between their public ministerial, personal lives and spirituality. Discussions can range from practical discussions on managing time and boundaries to dealing with difficult pastoral issues and organisational dynamics to exploring underlying themes and values.

Because shared experience and mutual support are important features of these confidential groups a high level of commitment and attendance is needed.

If you would like to find out more about reflective practice groups please contact Julia using the details above.

More information

Useful links: Mental Health Information and Resources