At The Shepherd Within, we support both individual priests and Church institutions, uniting emotional intelligence (human formation) and organizational support to renew priestly life and ministry from the inside out.
Our approach is rooted in the conviction that grace builds on nature — and that the renewal of the Church depends on renewed priests and the systems that sustain them.
Our Services
Many priests come to coaching not because they’re failing, but because they’re ready for more — more peace, clarity, resilience, and authentic joy in their vocation.
Others come simply because, as the saying goes, “you don’t need to be sick to get better.”
Whether you’re navigating stress and isolation or simply striving to reach the next level of leadership and spiritual maturity, this is a space for you.
Our Approach: The EQ-i 2.0 Framework
We use the EQ-i 2.0, the world’s most scientifically validated model of emotional and social intelligence.
Often called the platinum standard of human effectiveness, it identifies 15 measurable emotional and relational skills that determine how well we lead, relate, and thrive.
It’s the perfect complement to the Church’s understanding of human formation—translating theological ideals into practical, measurable growth.
We don’t just talk about formation—we measure it and help you strengthen it.
One-on-One Coaching
Confidential, personal coaching for priests who want to grow in their humanity and priesthood. Together, we’ll identify key emotional and relational strengths and design a practical plan to build confidence, resilience, and interior freedom—so your ministry flows from wholeness, not depletion.
Includes:
60-minute coaching sessions (single or package)
EQ-i 2.0 Emotional Intelligence Assessment and debrief
Personalized Personal Development Plan
Messaging support between sessions
Group Coaching
Formation continues in fraternity. Group coaching offers priests or seminarians a safe, confidential space to grow together in the 15 emotional intelligence skills—applied directly to priestly life. Each cohort blends reflective dialogue, pastoral application, and spiritual integration.
Includes:
Bi-weekly 90-minute sessions (3-month cohort)
Guided study of 15 EI competencies
One-on-one EQ-i 2.0 assessment & coaching session
Peer reflection, prayer, and pastoral application
For Priests and Seminarians: Personal & Group Coaching Pathways
For Church Institutions: Comprehensive Clergy Support Services & Organizational Consulting
The fastest way to transform your Diocese is through a strong, thriving, and holy presbyterate. The equation is simple: thriving priests → thriving parishes → thriving Diocese → thriving Church.
Strong, healthy, and holy priests aren’t a “nice to have”—they’re a non-negotiable priority for Church leaders. Yet many priests struggle with common human challenges: celibacy, leadership, conflict resolution, stress tolerance, mental health, and blurred boundaries. Left unaddressed, these issues can lead to personal suffering, scandal, and significant costs.
Our comprehensive clergy support services, centered on theologically sound and scientifically based human formation, change that. Here’s are the institutional services we offer:
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We walk with bishops, provincials, and leadership teams to address the most pressing clergy-related issues, including:
Clergy Support & Development – building systems of formation, mentoring, and wellness that foster resilience and holiness.
Personnel & Placement – advising on clergy personnel matters, assignments, and strategies for long-term priestly thriving.
Crisis Response & Suitability for Ministry – guiding leaders through clergy crisis response, support and accountability plan, as well as the difficult determinations of suitability for ministry in cases of misconduct or other sensitive matters.
Organizational Consulting – aligning diocesan structures, policies, and culture with best practices in priestly well-being and parish vitality.
Our consulting combines theological grounding with evidence-based human formation and organizational effectiveness best practices. Whether you are looking to strengthen ongoing support for your clergy, address critical personnel questions, or implement systemic reform, we partner with you to build a healthier and holier presbyterate - the key that unlocks a revival in your whole Diocese.
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Who’s managing and supporting your seminarians over the summer? Too often, no one. Everyone’s too busy. We change that with a full suite of services: world-class human formation (individual or group); coordination with diocesan leaders and local pastors; evaluations and implementation of seminary recommendations; year-over-year tracking of growth; addressing real issues with real solutions by having difficult but pastoral conversations.
Summer isn’t downtime—it’s formative time.
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Sure, you get psych evals, but is that enough? We offer the use of a level B psychometric Emotional Intelligence assessment to help you evaluate the emotional and social maturity of your applicants. Not only that, this assessment and report can be performed year-over-year, giving you insight into your seminarians’ human formation growth in the 15 most important emotional and social skills.
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Training faculty to understand and apply emotional and social intelligence frameworks in priestly formation. We provide tools to measure growth, foster honesty in seminarians, and cultivate a seminary culture rooted in trust, transparency, and authentic human maturity.
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You likely have a newly/recently ordained program, but why are you seeing so many struggles with young priests? It’s because of emotional and social skills. We need to equip our young priests with the skills to navigate the transition to active ministry, a landscape that differs entirely from seminary life (no matter how good that seminary formation was). We supplement your newly/recently ordained programs to equip young priests with the emotional and social tools they need for real-world ministry.
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Leading is harder than ever before, and we are asking our priests to do it with less experience and fewer support structures. You likely have a new pastor and parish administrator program, and while it’s good to teach skills in temporal administration, you know what’s better? Skills like assertiveness, flexibility, resilience, self-awareness, and reality testing. An information definition of emotional intelligence is “common sense,” or “street smarts.” Isn't that what your men need most when assuming leadership? We supplement your new pastor/admin programs by training your leaders in emotional intelligence skills scientifically proven to enhance leadership. We provide ongoing, individualized or group coaching, a much more in-depth process than a day at the Chancery.
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Feedback channels generally shut down when one becomes a priest or leader. While it’s true that some people might be prone to criticizing priests, most tend not to offer their true thoughts and feelings. This can lead to an overly self-referential lifestyle affecting everything from personal life choices to decision-making in ministry. In the absence of a wife, children, or a direct supervisor (who are always happy to provide feedback!), priests need to be ultra-intentional about getting feedback. We reopen those feedback channels to foster growth, holiness, and better decision-making, all through the lens of emotional intelligence, because, without feedback, there is no self-awareness, and no growth, simple as that.
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You likely have priests who are struggling (either in ministry or temporarily absent from ministry). Perhaps some of these priests are on structured wellness plans. What may be missing from your support of these priests is targeted coaching for the enhancement of emotional and social skills. Remember that everything depends upon a solid foundation of human formation. Chaste celibacy, for example, requires emotional and social skills as a prerequisite. We’ll partner with you to support these priests and get them to the next level.
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Engaging presentations and formation workshops designed for clergy gatherings, seminaries, and presbyteral convocations. Each session combines practical insights with pastoral application, equipping participants to grow in areas such as emotional intelligence, resilience, leadership in ministry, and the foundations of human formation.
Powered by the EQ-i 2.0 — the gold standard in emotional intelligence assessment, now applied to priestly formation.
Every service we offer—from one-on-one coaching and group formation, to newly ordained, to 360° reviews —utilizes this Level B psychometric tool to establish clear benchmarks, measure progress, and ensure practical, grounded, and lasting transformation.
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