Sponsored by:
Joe Pullen combines 17 years of pastoral counseling with a master’s degree in clinical counseling to serve those with spiritual and mental health challenges as the owner of Dignity Counseling Collective in Appleton, Wisconsin. Joe is a former Army Major and veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, a husband his wife Katy for 25 years, Stephen and Grace’s father, and the leader of Freedom Fighters, a Christ‑centered recovery program for men battling sexual addiction.
Peter has served in full-time ministry for 26 years and has specialized in pastoral care and counseling for the past 13. After earning a degree in Music from Lawrence University and teaching music for eight years, he transitioned into ministry, serving as a worship pastor before focusing on counseling and care. His training includes lay counseling, trauma-informed narrative work, and studies with Dan Allender. He provides individual, premarital, marriage, and group counseling, and leads trauma-informed Journey Groups for men. He also helped develop Marriage Development, a marriage curriculum used throughout his church. Passionate about healing through story, he believes growth happens when people are given safe, supportive spaces to explore their experiences and find hope.
Title: From Fragmented to Whole: Responding Like Christ to the Mentally Ill, Addicted, and Traumatized
Description: How Christians and the church respond to those battling mental health challenges, addiction, and trauma can determine whether we reflect the healing love of Jesus or unintentionally add to someone’s suffering. Every person is created to be relational with a heart, soul, mind, and body meant to work together in relationship with God and others. Trauma can fragment these God‑designed parts. When we love as Christ loved, we help one another become more whole, but when the church responds with judgment, moralism, or ignorance, it can worsen the very pain it is called to heal. Together, we’ll explore how to make the church a safer, wiser, and more compassionate place for the wounded.
