Soul Care Intensives
Maybe you’ve had this experience – the weekly spiritual direction, counseling, or pastoral care appointments are good, but aren’t enough. You sense that deeper work is needed. You’re just not sure where to go or what that looks like.
I’d like to discern with you whether or not a Soul Care Intensive is right for you. Soul Care is what I call the deep work of tending to our relational struggles, our story, even our trauma.
The goal – wholeheartedness. A place where, as the hymn says, every “wounded, weary, sick and sore” part of you can be tended to by a God whose kindness meets us in the most tender and broken places of our lives.
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CHUCK DEGROAT, PhD, LPC
I’m a follower of Jesus, a husband to Sara for 29 years, and father to two amazing daughters. I serve as Professor of Counseling and Christian Spirituality and Executive Director of Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Western Theological Seminary Holland MI. I’m also a faculty member for the Soul Care Institute.
I’m a licensed therapist, a spiritual director, author of five books, and retreat leader/speaker. As a therapist, I’ve specialized in issues of abuse and trauma, pastoral (and leadership) health, and navigating issues of doubt and dark nights on the faith journey. I’m also a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Reformed Church in America. I pastored in Orlando and San Francisco before transitioning to training and forming pastors. I also train clergy in issues of abuse and trauma, conduct pastor and planter assessments, facilitate church consultations and investigations of abuse among pastors and within congregations.
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RACHEL BLACKSTON, LPC
Rachel considers the counseling room a sacred space where deep heart change occurs. She specializes in working with women with a history of trauma and abuse as well as those struggling with infertility and sexual betrayal. Rachel is trained in EMDR, an evidenced-based therapy in the treatment of trauma. She is also a Florida Qualified Supervisor for registered mental health counseling interns.
Outside of the counseling room, Rachel serves as an Adjunct Faculty member at Reformed Theological Seminary and writes regularly for the blog Red Tent Living. She speaks frequently on topics around story, attachment styles in marriage, and the Enneagram. Rachel’s deepest joy is being with her husband and their three daughters, who are priceless gifts after several years of infertility. Rachel loves connecting with friends over a cup of dark roast, beating her husband in miniature golf, and exploring the beauty of the North Carolina mountains.
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We call this work “soul care” echoing the language of an ancient Christian tradition in which deep rest and restoration was a priority. The approach is relationally-oriented and trauma-informed, meaning we’ll engage this work intentionally with the best wisdom contemporary therapeutic approaches have to offer, yet within the context of a slow-paced, five-day therapeutic retreat for your soul.
You may choose to do this work with Dr. Chuck DeGroat LPC or Rachel Blackston LPC. Chuck is located in W Michigan and Rachel is located in C. Florida.
Intensive work is a proven, transformational process. Focused, intentional engagement over five days can bring about significant change that months or even years of spiritual direction, pastoral care, or therapy doesn’t accomplish.
We do this work for individuals and for married couples.
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We create a 5-day experience together that engages the rhythms of challenging inner work, significant rest for your soul, and enjoyable, rejuvenating activities.
It begins with your intention to take this time, set it apart, and commit to the rhythms of deep inner work, rest, reading, play, creativity, or whatever else your soul needs. Individuals/couples find a quiet place to stay for this time apart from home and normal rhythms.
We generally begin on a Sunday afternoon. Each day we meet for three hours, from Sunday evening to Thursday morning. This rhythm may differ depending on your needs and the therapist you work with.
With each day, the work builds, but we find a good rhythm of soul work, rest and play along the way for you. On our last day, we collaborate on a plan for your further work and care, and we provide you with resources to engage beyond our work together. In some cases, we engage in periodic follow-up appointments.
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Soul Care was called “the art of arts” by early Christians who engaged matters of the heart with depth and sensitivity. The pursuit of self-knowledge was key to unlocking the sufferings and disorders of the heart. Today, we have the opportunity to connect the wisdom and practices of ancient soul care to new insights in psychology and neuroscience which engage relationships, story, and trauma deeply, all for the sake of your healing journey.
Soul care isn’t merely psychotherapy (which is often too enslaved to insurance companies and tends to pathologize people) nor is it a substitute word for biblical counseling (which tends to shun contemporary psychological wisdom and best practices). No, soul care offers a new paradigm for your healing anchored in both ancient wisdom and contemporary science.
Soul care makes relationship central. It takes your story seriously. It treats trauma deeply.
Ancient wisdom. Contemporary insights. All for your journey to wholeheartedness.
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The focus of the intensive is discerned based on your specific needs. Here are some possibilities:
The 5 day ministry leader sabbatical reboot - An assessment and exploration of personal, relational, and vocational satisfaction, with a special attunement to the particular season of your developmental and spiritual journey, and the significant tasks for growth now and into the future.
The 5 day marital reconnect - A couple’s intensive designed for retreat and reconnection.
The 5 day “Healing What’s Within” Intensive - a deep, therapeutic exploration of your inner world based on the work Chuck details in his book Healing What’s Within (Oct 2024). This includes your attachment history, your unique experience of trauma (an assessment of your autonomic nervous system), and an approach to healing through parts work (IFS).
The 5 day spiritual abuse assessment and recovery - A thorough assessment of your experience of spiritual abuse and its impact on you, with an eye both toward addressing your own trauma and charting a course for any relational or vocational intersections that need to be engaged.
The 5 day leader impact assessment - If you’re a leader who has harmed others and wants to begin the healing journey personally and relationally, here you can take a deep dive into your understanding of yourself and how others experience you.
People often ask: "What if I want a mix of 2-3 of these?" It's often the case that some of this work is combined. We'll help discern what's best for you.
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Chuck’s intensives are offered either via Zoom or at his seminary office in Holland MI, a destination small city with lovely hotels, Air B&B’s, and unique dining experiences, consistently ranked highly as a top beach town. It’s shopping district is the best small town experience in the region.
Rachel’s intensives are offered via Zoom or at her office in Central Florida, where clients often stay at a lovely lake house just a short walk from the office. This location is less than an hour from beautiful ocean beaches, and within minutes of lovely walking trails, restaurants, and other amenities.
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A 5-day intensive is $5500, whether in person or over Zoom.
There is a 10% discount for those in ministry.
Most ministry leaders find that some or all of the cost is covered by their churches and organizations.
You are responsible for travel and lodging.
I ask for one-half of your payment to lock in your dates, and one-half when the intensive begins. All payments are invoiced by Chuck DeGroat PC.
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To be considered for an intensive, email Chuck confidentially at chuckdegroatsoulcare@gmail.com with:
Preference to work with Chuck or Rachel.
Name, Spouse’s Name (if applicable), Date of Birth
Location and Vocation
A detailed, 1-2 page description of what you believe you need
A brief summary of past (or present) care (therapy, spiritual direction, etc.) and its effectiveness.
Your desired outcome (what would flourishing look like for you…or for your marriage?)
4-6 dates of weeks during the year that could work for your intensive.
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Do you recommend things to do or resources to read beforehand? Often, this is dependent on what you need. Please do ask if you’d like to engage resources in advance.
Can I do this via Zoom? Yes, Chuck did all intensives via Zoom during Covid-19, and we do several a year still. We do ask that you find a quiet, retreat-like space with good WiFi wherever you’ll be.
Is the deposit refundable? Because most of these are scheduled well in advance, we do not refund intensive deposits if they are cancelled within 60 days of the first day of the scheduled intensive.
Is it the same price for you and Rachel? Yes. She is a veteran therapist with advanced trauma training and exceptional experience and credentials.
Is it the same price for individuals or couples? Yes.
Do you do longer or shorter intensives? Yes, we do intensives, on occasion, as short as 3 days ($3300) and as long as 7 days ($7700), after assessing what you need.
