Neighbouring Well Consulting
You don't have to figure this out alone.
Pastors are often the first person someone turns to when life becomes complicated. When you're not sure whether something is a pastoral-care issue, a clinical issue, or both, this is a place to think it through: to better understand what's happening, clarify your role, and find a response that fits your church and context. A referral doesn't mean pastoral care has failed, and pastoral care doesn't mean professional support isn't needed.
By video, or in person in the Greater Toronto Area by arrangement — consultations and workshops alike.
Availability Sessions and consultations are offered Mondays 6–8 pm, Thursdays 11 am–5 pm, and Fridays 11 am–8 pm.
A short introduction to church consulting
A practical resource for pastors
Neighbouring Well offers pastors a place to consult when a situation is complex, uncertain, or sits at the intersection of pastoral care and professional practice.
"Is this something I should continue handling pastorally, or does it need a referral — and what's my role afterward?"
Clarifying pastoral and clinical boundaries, and thinking through appropriate professional, social, or community resources.
"I'm concerned someone may be at risk of suicide — how do I recognize the signs and know when to act immediately?"
Building preparedness before a crisis; immediate risk is always routed to emergency services first.
"I sense something is wrong, but the person isn't disclosing it — what do I do?"
Recognizing and gently responding to hidden struggles where shame or face-saving keeps someone from speaking openly.
"A congregant discloses child abuse — what are my legal obligations, and how do I respond with both compassion and appropriate urgency?"
Consultation reinforces mandatory reporting obligations and safe, timely response; it does not delay or substitute for them.
"Something happened at church last night — what do we do now?"
Debriefing after a crisis, considering who's been affected, and thinking through ongoing pastoral care and next steps. See "Can I consult about a situation after a crisis?" below.
Who this is for
- Pastors and associate pastors
- Elders, deacons, and ministry staff
- Church leadership teams, for workshops and ongoing partnerships
- Churches of any size, with or without a mental-health team
- Parachurch and faith-based organizations
Who this isn't for
- Emergencies — call 911 or 988
- Counselling for yourself — see counselling with Neighbouring Well
- Caring for your congregant directly — I consult with you, and you stay their pastor
Pastoral care and clinical care can work together
Pastors bring something important to the care of people in their congregations — spiritual care, relationship, community, advocacy, and ongoing support. Clinical professionals bring a different kind of expertise. Sometimes a person needs one. Sometimes they need the other. Often, they need both.
Neighbouring Well helps pastors think through where their role fits, when additional support may be appropriate, and how they can continue caring for someone when a referral is made.
The goal is partnership — not replacing one kind of care with another.
The question this exists for
Pastors regularly encounter mental-health, family, and crisis situations that sit between pastoral care and clinical support — often without training to know where one should end and the other should begin. These situations don't always have clear answers, and the goal isn't to replace pastoral care with clinical care — it's to help you understand how the different pieces of care can work together.
Pastoral ministry
Spiritual care, relationship, prayer, discipleship.
Neighbouring Well
Consultation, discernment, education, care planning, referral support.
Clinical services
Assessment, diagnosis and treatment, specialized clinical care.
Recent speaking: guest on "Ministering While Grieving" — CBOQ's Baptist Bridges podcast, November 2024. My own church background is Baptist, but this consulting isn't denomination-specific — I work with pastors and ministry leaders across traditions.
Why I do this
I know what it's like to carry something you can't easily share on a Sunday morning. I've served as a deacon and on a preaching team, alongside 20 years as a social worker in child welfare, schools, and community mental health. My doctoral research at Acadia University explored how faith communities can take an asset-based, neighbouring posture toward the communities around them. That research, and a curriculum I piloted with local church leaders, shapes every consultation and workshop I offer.
I'm not here to hand you answers or grade how you've handled something. You know your church — my role is to bring another perspective and help you think it through. Needing that perspective isn't weakness; it usually means you're paying close enough attention to know this one's too big to carry alone.
What we discuss is confidential, within the limits I outline below — it doesn't automatically reach your board unless you decide it should.
— Jeremy Ng, MSW, RSW, MDiv, DMin
How consultation works
You don't need the situation figured out before we talk — "I'm not sure what to do" is a fine place to start.
Bring the situation
Most people start with the free 15-minute intro call — a no-pressure conversation where I'll tell you honestly whether it's something I can help with — or an email if you'd like to ask something first. If a full session makes sense, we'll schedule it. In the session, you describe what's happening in your own words. You don't need to name the person involved; I'll work from the situation as you describe it.
Think it through
I'll ask questions to understand what's going on, such as:
- What's happening, and what's your biggest concern about it right now?
- Is there a safety issue?
- What have you already tried, and what's made this hard to address?
Identify next steps
We'll think together about your role and your options: referral, continued pastoral care, or often both. The goal isn't to tell you what to do, but to help you make a thoughtful plan that fits your church, your relationship with the person, and the support available to you. If it would help, I'll follow up with a brief written summary of next steps, without identifying details.
Different churches, different needs
Every church is different — tell me what you're dealing with, and we'll figure out what kind of support makes sense.
Smaller churches
A thinking partner, not a department.
Growing churches
A shared approach to complex care, and knowing when to seek more support.
Larger churches
Staff development, referral pathways, and policy, building on what your team already does well.
A few things to know
Am I the one you're consulting with, or is it the person I'm concerned about?
I meet with you to plan how best to support the people you bring to consultation. As part of a consultation, I don't provide direct care to those individuals. You stay their pastor throughout, and you're the one who decides what happens next.
If a situation turns out to need expertise I don't have, I'll say so and help you figure out where to look.
Why not just ask someone I already know?
Often you should. A trusted colleague, your denominational office, or a counsellor each has a place, and consultation isn't meant to replace them. What I offer is an outside perspective from someone who knows both social work and pastoral ministry, and who isn't part of your church's relationships. Part of what we'll do together is work out which kind of support a situation calls for.
Is what we discuss confidential?
What we discuss stays between us and isn't shared without your consent, except where I'm legally required to disclose it — for example a court order, or an imminent risk of serious harm. You remain responsible for your own legal and professional obligations, including any mandatory reporting requirements tied to situations you bring to consultation — this supports that responsibility, but doesn't replace or fulfill it on your behalf.
Can I consult about a situation after a crisis?
Yes. Neighbouring Well isn't an emergency or on-call service, but once the immediate crisis has been handled, consultation can help you debrief what happened, consider those directly and indirectly affected, think through ongoing pastoral care, decide whether a communal response is appropriate, identify any policies that may need to be activated, and plan next steps.
Who can use the consultation hours, and can the whole team consult together?
When a church sets up a consultation arrangement, we identify the pastors and ministry leaders authorized to use the hours. Some situations are best worked through one-on-one; others benefit from the whole team being in the room, especially when a shared response matters.
Ways to work together
Not sure where to start? Book a free 15-minute intro call first. It's a chance to learn how consultation works and see whether it fits your situation — the consultation itself happens in a full session. No commitment.
Single-session consultation
First session: $100/hour. Up to two people from each church can use this rate once each. You don't need a crisis or a clearly defined problem to book.
A one-off, scheduled call for a specific situation you're working through. No ongoing commitment. Not intended for same-day or emergency response.
Workshop & training
A practical workshop for pastors and ministry staff — mental health literacy, child abuse & neglect response, suicide prevention, trauma-informed care, or grief and loss, shaped to your team's needs.
Public speaking
Guest preaching invitations follow standard honorarium rather than this rate.
A keynote or guest talk for a conference, retreat, or gathering on grief, mental health, or trauma-informed ministry. I'm a sessional lecturer at Tyndale University and preach at East Toronto Community Baptist Church.
Looking for a workshop for your team or congregation? See workshop topics.
A 40-person church with no discretionary budget isn't treated the same as a large church with a full staff. I have a limited number of sliding-scale arrangements — if cost is what's holding you back, raise it on the intro call rather than skipping it.
Looking for ongoing support? I also offer year-round consulting partnerships for churches — get in touch to talk through what that could look like.
Get in touch
Reach out to book a free 15-minute intro call, ask a question, or set up a workshop or consultation for your church or ministry team. I am generally able to respond within three business days.