Anxiety and Stress Seminars | Mental Health Workshops for Churches and Communities | California
Faith-Integrated and Evidence-Based Mental Health Workshops for Churches, Ministries, and Community Organizations
Your congregation is carrying more than they’re letting on.
Anxiety, burnout, emotional exhaustion, and stress have become the quiet backdrop of everyday life for many people sitting in your pews on Sunday morning. They’re functioning, showing up, holding it together. And underneath that, many of them are struggling in ways they don’t have the language or the tools to address.
The (de)Stress seminar series brings clinically grounded, faith-integrated mental health education directly to your church or community, giving your people practical tools they can actually use, in a format that respects both their faith and their real life experience.
Mental Health Workshops That Actually Help People
These are not lectures. They are interactive, experiential workshops designed for real-world application by real people navigating real stress.
Every seminar integrates:
- Evidence-based mental health tools drawn from clinical research
- Nervous system regulation strategies that work in the moment
- Biblical principles woven naturally throughout, not as an afterthought
- Interactive and experiential learning that engages rather than overwhelms
- Practical take-home tools for continued practice after the workshop ends
Whether your audience is a Sunday congregation, a small group, a ministry team, or a community organization, the content is designed to be immediately accessible and immediately useful.
(de)Stress: Be Anxious for Nothing
The flagship seminar in the series, (de)Stress is a two-hour workshop designed to help participants move from overwhelm to peace, with tools grounded in both clinical research and biblical wisdom.
What participants will learn:
- How anxiety affects the brain and body, and why it’s not a spiritual failure
- Simple, evidence-based tools to calm stress responses in real time
- How to regulate the nervous system using practical techniques
- Biblical application of Philippians 4:6-9 as a framework for anxiety relief
- How to recognize the difference between everyday stress and anxiety that needs more support
- Take-home tools for continued practice in daily life
This is ideal for churches seeking a Christian anxiety workshop that is practical, engaging, clinically informed, and spiritually sensitive.
Who This Is For
Faith Communities Churches, ministries, small groups, and discipleship programs looking for a proactive mental health resource that speaks the language of faith without sacrificing clinical credibility.
Pastors and Ministry Leaders If you’re finding that more and more of your pastoral care conversations are centered on anxiety, burnout, and emotional overwhelm, this seminar gives your congregation shared language and practical tools, reducing the demand on crisis-driven pastoral care and strengthening overall church resilience.
Community Organizations A secular community version of this workshop is also available for non-faith-based organizations, community events, and workplace wellness programs. The core content, evidence-based tools for anxiety and stress relief, remains the same. The framework is adapted to serve a general audience.
Adults Experiencing Stress, Anxiety, or Burnout No prior mental health knowledge is required. These workshops are designed to meet people exactly where they are.
Why This Matters for Your Church Right Now
Churches today are navigating unprecedented levels of anxiety, burnout, spiritual fatigue, and emotional overwhelm among their congregants. Mental health conversations that once felt taboo are now happening in the hallways, the small groups, and the pastoral office.
Bringing a seminar like (de)Stress to your church:
- Gives your congregation practical tools rather than just encouragement to pray more
- Creates shared language for emotional and spiritual health across your community
- Reduces the burden of crisis-driven pastoral care by building proactive resilience
- Signals to your congregation that mental health is part of whole-person faith
- Opens the door for people who are struggling to take the next step toward support
This isn’t just a teaching event. It’s a proactive investment in the wellbeing of your community.
Biblical Foundation
The (de)Stress seminar is built around Philippians 4:6-9, one of the most direct and practical passages in Scripture on the subject of anxiety and peace.
Rather than treating this passage as a simple instruction to stop worrying, the seminar explores what it actually looks like to practice the kind of prayer, gratitude, and mental focus Paul describes, and how those practices align with what neuroscience and clinical research tell us about anxiety regulation.
Faith and clinical knowledge are not in conflict here. They point in the same direction.
About Marty Schwebel, LMFT
Marty is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with more than 30 years of experience helping individuals and couples navigate anxiety, trauma, and life transitions.
He is EMDR Certified through EMDRIA, with specialized training in trauma recovery including PTSD, abuse, and chronic stress.
He also served as a pastor in the San Francisco Bay Area and as a chaplain and missionary with Mercy Ships in Africa, giving him a perspective that is genuinely rare: he understands the church from the inside, the clinical world from the inside, and the intersection of faith and mental health from both directions.
That combination is what makes these seminars different. This isn’t a therapist talking at a church audience. It’s someone who has stood in both worlds and knows how to bring them together in a way that actually lands.
[Learn more about Marty and his approach →]
Workshop Details
Format: Interactive seminar with experiential components Length: 2 hours Group Size: 30 to 50 participants, adaptable for smaller groups Setup Required: Screen and microphone Honorarium: $500 Availability: In-person throughout California and Texas.
A secular community version is available for non-faith-based organizations and community events. Contact Marty to discuss format and availability.
What to Expect When You Book a Seminar
Step 1: Initial Conversation Reach out through the contact form or phone to connect with Marty directly. You’ll talk through your community’s specific needs, your event format, and whether the (de)Stress seminar or a customized version is the best fit.
Step 2: Scheduling and Preparation Once you’ve confirmed the date and format, Marty will connect with you in advance to understand your congregation or community and tailor the content appropriately.
Step 3: The Seminar A two-hour interactive workshop that leaves participants with practical tools, a new framework for understanding anxiety, and a sense that they are not alone in what they’re carrying.
Step 4: Follow-Up Resources Participants receive take-home materials for continued practice. Marty is also available to discuss next steps for individuals who want more personalized support after the seminar.
Common Questions About the (de)Stress Seminar
The faith-integrated version is designed specifically for Christian communities and uses biblical language and Scripture throughout. A secular community version is also available for organizations that prefer a non-faith-based format with the same clinical content. Yes. While the seminar is designed for groups of 30 to 50, it can be adapted for smaller small groups, leadership teams, or ministry staff. Currently in-person seminars are available throughout California. Contact Marty to discuss options for events outside California. The (de)Stress seminar is designed as a proactive community resource, not a replacement for individual therapy. Participants who recognize they need more personalized support will be guided toward appropriate next steps, including Marty's individual and couples therapy services. Yes. Contact Marty to discuss multi-session formats, seminar series, or ongoing partnerships with your church or organization. This is something to discuss directly with Marty during your initial conversation.
Bring (de)Stress to Your Church or Community
If your church, ministry, or community organization is looking for a practical, engaging, and clinically informed mental health workshop, Marty would love to connect.
This is proactive care for the people in your community who are carrying more than they’re letting on. And there are more of them than you might realize.
New Roads Counseling
Contact Marty to schedule a seminar for your church or ministry.