Welcome to the Mental Health & Pastoral Care Institute
Helping the church to support mental health and wellbeing
The Mental Health & Pastoral Care Institute provides Christians and churches with online mental health and marriage courses.
We seek to facilitate mental wellbeing and promote an informed and compassionate response to mental health challenges within the church through our Christian mental health resources.
Spotlight Sessions
The MHPCI hosts monthly spotlight seminar, both in-person and online, where a Christian mental health professional provides information on a mental health-related matter and discusses how church communities can offer support.
Understanding and Preventing Burnout
Exhaustion, fatigue, depression – is it burnout? In this session, we’ll explore the common causes and symptoms of burnout, offering actionable strategies to help you maintain balance and well-being in your personal and professional life. Learn how to recognize early warning signs, implement effective self-care practices, and create a supportive environment so you can truly be a living sacrifice.
2024 Spotlight Sessions:
Upcoming Events
12 August – Burnout with Valerie Ling
9 September – Suicide Prevention with Trinette Stanley
21 October – Depression with Lyn Worsley
11 November – Borderline Personality Disorder with Neil Jeyasingam
Past Events
11 March – Living with Adult ADHD Matters with Sarah Hindle
13 May – Social Media and Mental Health with Leisa Aitken
17 June – Living with the Impact of Childhood Trauma with Ruth Holt.
22 July – Social Anxiety with Lauren Errington
About the Mental Health & Pastoral Care Institute
Founded by Keith and Sarah Condie, the Institute exists to resource churches and Christian believers alike, so that we can all be better equipped to understand mental health and to serve and love others well.
We provide biblically and psychologically informed training and resources about mental health and healthy relationships for churches and individuals.
We recognise that ministry staff have many demands on their time and energy, yet we also know that a significant proportion of people in our churches experience mental health challenges. Our Christian mental health resources assist those in ministry to understand the contribution they can make to good mental health and how to provide the best support possible to those experiencing mental health challenges in their communities.
We are a ministry of Anglican Deaconess Ministries (ADM), based in Sydney, Australia.
Press On: Building Resilience & Mental Wellbeing
Press On is a Christian mental health course designed to assist believers in maintaining their mental wellbeing, so they can continue faithfully in Christ’s service. Press On is a seven session course, drawing upon biblical truth, as well as key insights from psychological science.
‘Press On’ is developed specifically for Christians, highlighting the particular benefits for wellbeing associated with Christian faith. This unique course can be done online on your own, or in small groups (such as bible study groups).
We are encouraged to ‘press on’ in our walk with Christ (Phil 3:12-14)
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call one of the following national helplines: Lifeline 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467
Building a Safe & Strong Marriage
Building a Safe & Strong Marriage is a Christian marriage enrichment course created to help couples in nurturing their marriage, across five easy sessions. The course gives couples a chance to stop and focus on their marriage and how to make it better.
Building a Safe & Strong Marriage is available in two formats: online – making it easy for couples to access from home and and in person – making it easy for churches to run a marriage enrichment course at their church. It is available in Australia and internationally.
Benefit from other couples’ experience and insights, and follow their journey as you travel yours.
The Graduate Certificate of Pastoral Care for Mental Health at Mary Andrews College
Awareness of mental health issues in the church and the wider community is growing, yet ministry workers report feeling under-equipped to care effectively for those experiencing mental health challenges. The Graduate Certificate offers specialised training in pastoral responses to mental health and wellbeing with a focus on preventative and reactive strategies.
While the primary focus of Mary Andrews College has been equipping women for ministry, this Graduate Certificate is designed for both female and male students. Mary Andrews College is an affiliated college of the Australian College of Theology (ACT) and is pleased to offer the ACT’s new Graduate Certificate of Pastoral Care for Mental Health. This is an accredited tertiary qualification.
Purchase our courses securely via our online shop
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Our latest articles
Being anxious about being anxious – the Christian believer’s dilemma
The church can be of real help here. The gospel addresses feelings of guilt and shame in a way that lifts burdens rather than adding to them. We are those who listen with compassion and ‘weep with those who weep’ (Romans 12:15).
Spotlight Session: Social Media and Mental Health
Clinical Psychologist, Dr Leisa Aitken, spoke at the May 2024 Spotlight Session on ‘Social Media and Mental Health’. This article summarises some key aspects of her presentation.
Spotlight Session: Living with Adult ADHD Part 2
Rev. Simon Carter was recently interviewed in our first MH+ PCI Spotlight Session, giving an insight into his lived experience of ADHD.
Spotlight Session: Living with Adult ADHD part 1
Clinical Psychologist, Sarah Hindle, works in private practice and has a special interest in ADHD, focusing on therapeutic support especially of adults with a late diagnosis. Sarah presented at the first Spotlight Session for the Mental Health and Pastoral Care Institute, informed by research, experience as a clinician, and experiences living alongside of family-members with ADHD.
