Wellbeing and Counselling

Wellbeing is a priority for the Diocese of Bristol. This is expressed by our commitment to supporting and encouraging Clergy to invest in their wellbeing, alongside making structural diocesan wellbeing support available.

This involves promoting holistic wellbeing, recognising that wellbeing includes many factors:

  • Social connection
  • Physical activity
  • Creativity
  • Learning new things
  • Spirituality
  • Recreation
     

Practical ways to support good rhythms:

  • Value the activities and hobbies you enjoy and make time for them on a regular basis.
  • Adopt a healthy approach to eating well, good rhythms of sleep and making time for exercise you enjoy
  • Regularly review your hours of work, with the aim of taking compensatory rest after an unusually busy period.

Time off

•   Take a day off each week, including the night before, to enter into this rest period.
•   Book ahead for your monthly 48 hour break to ensure you take this extended period or rest regularly.
•   Plan for how you will take your full annual leave allocation each year. Booking a holiday in advance creates something to look forward to.
•   Set aside time for friends and family connections.
•   Take time for spiritual refreshment separate to your allocation of time off. This will allow space for reflection and reconnecting with God without a work agenda.
•   Prayer can become squeezed by busy ministry and yet it can also sustain us in the challenges. Meet regularly with a spiritual director, mentor or trusted friend to review this important practice

Being actively involved in ministry can be immensely rewarding. However, ministry can also present as a challenge to maintaining positive patterns that sustain our wellbeing, this can include workload challenges, long working hours, isolation and uncertainty as to whether we are ‘doing a good job’. 

There may be times when further support may feel helpful. If you are feeling this may be the case, our Adviser for Clergy Wellbeing, Revd. Jordan Ling is available to meet with you for a confidential initial chat to discuss what support may be most helpful. Jordan has 15 years of experience in parish ministry and is also a qualified and experienced BACP registered counsellor. This conversation may involve exploring various avenues of support, including counselling. 

Other means of support may involve signposting to funding organisations, clergy coaching, and facilitating conversations with relevant DSS staff who can offer specialist support. Our Archdeacons or Bishops are committed to supporting Clergy Wellbeing and welcome the opportunities to offer direct support for Clergy. 

Contact Revd Jordan Ling, our Adviser for Clergy Wellbeing

In practice a referral for counselling looks like this:

The referral is confidential, so no one will know you are having counselling other than you, the Adviser for Clergy wellbeing and anyone you choose to tell. Jordan oversees a list of qualified self-employed counsellors who are supportive of a Christian viewpoint, and have an understanding of ministerial pressures, so you are able to bring all areas of life, faith and ministry. The counsellors have various approaches and specialisms, and hold an up-to-date DBS. The initial chat with Jordan will involve suggesting the most suitable fit counsellor for your presenting needs.

The initial referral is for 6-12 sessions and the usual counselling confidentiality applies. Whilst the counselling provision is not unlimited, it is possible to have more than 12 sessions where appropriate. This extension is reviewed & facilitated through a confidential process between Jordan and the funding provider. 

This counselling service is also available for Clergy Spouse/Partners and Clergy dependants. We also have a self-led  ‘Spaces for Spouses’ network for those married to and partnered with church leaders. The aim is to facilitate connection, welcome and friendship – and have some fun! if you’d like more details and to get involved, contact Julia Watts at the button below.
Contact Julia Watts

If you require urgent support, please contact:

Your GP
Call 111 
Call 999 or go to A&E

Other sources of urgent support include:

  • Samaritans is a 24 hour free helpline, call 116123
  • Shout is a texting support service you can reach on 85258

Find the suicide guidelines here

 

Here are some further sources of support

Broken Rites supports clergy spouses/partners who are experiencing difficulty in their relationships or situations.

Women’s Aid is a provider of safe confidential services for women and children who have experienced any form of domestic abuse at any time in their lives

Refuge is a provider of specialist support for women and children who experience domestic abuse and other forms of gender based violence

ManKind Initiative provides help for men suffering from domestic violence or domestic abuse by a current or former wife or partner (including same-sex partner)

St Luke’s Healthcare for the Clergy - St Luke’s offers to work with any diocese to enhance clergy wellbeing through resilience training workshops and reflective practice groups

Mind - Information, guidance and signposting to support around mental health

Financial support

Clergy Support Trust is a clergy support charity, established in 1655, which provides financial grants to Anglican clergy households in times of poverty, hardship or illness. Eligible beneficiaries include serving and retired Anglican clergy and their families, divorced and separated spouses and civil partners of eligible clergy, and widows, widowers and surviving civil partners of eligible clergy. Support is also currently provided to Anglican ordinands training for ministry in the UK.

Churches' Mutual Credit Union (CMCU) is a mutual society, a savings and loans co-operative owned and controlled by its members. Savings and Loan accounts are available to individuals who hold a recognised position within The Anglican Churches of Great Britain, The Church of Scotland, The United Reformed Church,The Methodist Church of Great Britain, The Catholic Church in England & Wales and The Catholic Church in Scotland in either a paid or voluntary capacity. This includes a wide variety of associations including lay or ordained ministers, church council members, elders, office staff and trustees of church charities including church schools. The CMCU are also able to offer accounts to household members of people who qualify and to retired ministers.

The Henry Smith Charity, founded in 1628, has a programme of grants to assist ordained clergy serving in parochial ministry in England, administered by Diocesan Bishops, from whom full details, including eligibility criteria, are available. The Charity also has a Christian Projects grant programme to support projects that explicitly promote the Christian faith in the UK.

English Clergy Association provides grants to make a significantly helpful contribution to clergy (and their family’s) enjoyment of human life.

State Pension Entitlement - This website will help you to calculate your state pension entitlement at retirement.

Turn2us is a charitable service helping people access money available to them through welfare, benefits, grants and other help. It gives a wealth of information.

The Foundation of Edward Storey may provide help, grants and accommodation or offer a number of services to those professionally connected to the Church of England - at the discretion of their Trustees.

Adviceguide is the online help from Citizens Advice Bureau and provides information on your rights covering a range of topics.

Retreats information

The Retreat Association provides advice on making a retreat, finding a spiritual director and links to over 200 retreat centres across the UK and beyond.

Sheldon Hub is for people in ministry to share ideas, advice and resources for wellbeing, confidentially. 

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