In her capacity as psychological consultant to denominations, Dr. Hofstetter offers psychological assessment to ministry candidates to help the denomination do its due diligence in discerning candidates’ Readiness for Ministry. Dr. Hofstetter is unique in that she is licensed and/or authorized to offer psychological assessment to clergy candidates in over 40 states. (Most psychologists are only licensed to practice in a limited number of states.) She is licensed in California (Lic#PSY25696) and Arizona (Lic#4125), and is an interjurisdictional Telehealth provider through PsyPact (Authorization Holder #4880). She is also authorized to serve candidates in Massachusetts for a limited number of calendar days each year. Dr. Hofstetter provides psychological assessments and psychological consultation via telehealth to ministry organizations across the country, which is helpful to denominational structures that require interjurisdictional work. (Here is ASPPB’s PsyPact map of enacted or effective states.) Dr. Hofstetter is both a clinical psychologist and an ordained minister, which also uniquely equips her to evaluate ministry readiness.
CLERGY ASSESSMENT
Given her unique perspective, with both a clinical and pastoral lens for clergy leaders, Dr. Hofstetter offers psychological assessment to both ministry candidates and their credentialing bodies to help them discern if ordination candidates are ready for the demands and vicissitudes of ministry. She aims to help pastors have longevity in their vocations, and to help denominations and credentialling bodies with due diligence with respect to conferring ordination. She hopes to help pastors and their families set themselves up to be as emotionally healthy as possible when they enter into the ministry.
BACKGROUND
Dr. Hofstetter received her M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary, and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Fuller’s Graduate School of Psychology (APA-accredited).
Dr. Hofstetter has served as affiliate faculty at Fuller Theological Seminary, teaching on spirituality for professional caregivers, and humanistic psychology, as well as at Azusa Pacific Seminary as professor to M.Div. students who are studying pastoral care and congregational health. She has also served as psychology adjunct faculty to Azusa Pacific University’s psychology doctoral and undergraduate programs, teaching courses in neuroscience, cognitive psychology, personality, family psychology, adult development, general psychology, and management of private practice. She has supervised the clinical work of doctoral psychology students at Fuller Graduate School of Psychology at various levels of their training.
She has held membership with the American Psychological Association (APA), the San Gabriel Valley Psychological Association, and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.
TESTING PROCESS
Basic psychological assessment for Readiness for Ministry includes:
- In-depth clinical interviews
- Personal historical Intakes/Background Information Forms
- Psychological testing for significant clinical pathology
- Identification of relative strengths which may be applied to ministry,
- Personalized Recommendations to the credentialing bodies and the candidates regarding the candidates’ calling to ministry and their personal wholeness
Ministry Candidates review Agreement forms with the psychologist such as the Informed Consent form & their Authorization to Release Information to their ministry credentialling body, or perhaps a church search committee.
Typically assessment blocks are several hours over a day or two days of testing. Candidates later participate in a feedback session with the psychologist where they can hear personal feedback about the testing data from the assessment specialist. Assessment almost always occurs via telehealth, and HIPAA compliant teleconferencing.
Depending on the scope of assessment needed by denominational structures and ministry credentialing bodies, assessments are typically between $1300 – 2500 per candidate. Contact Dr. Hofstetter to discuss your assessment needs.