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 is initiating a monthly spotlight seminar, both in-person and online, where a Christian mental health professional will provide information on a mental health-related matter and discuss how church communities can offer support.

Managing our use of social media well is crucial, especially in light of research demonstrating the significant part it can play in worsening mental health. Like all technology, it not only transforms the world, it transforms us as we use it, in ways we may not be aware of. 

This talk explores some of the benefits and harms of social media, including from a Christian lens. It is also an opportunity to reflect on ways it can colour our psychological experience of ourselves and the world, the data on its impact on young people, an assessment tool for social media addiction, and practical strategies to help manage excessive use in children and teenagers, as well as using it thoughtfully ourselves.

2024 Spotlight Sessions:

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

12 August – Burnout with Valerie Ling

9 September – Suicide Prevention with Sarah Piper

21 October – Depression with Lyn Worsley

11 November – Borderline Personality Disorder with Neil Jeyasingam

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

A Childhood Grief

How can we help our children to grieve well when a beloved family pet dies? What helps them to process the loss and to say goodbye? Bonnie Rozorio shares some of the things she did, some of which were purposeful, while others more accidental that seem to have helped her son absorb a loss and grieve well.

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