Shepherding Through Crisis
Pastoral Strategies for Betrayal Recovery
About the Training
Shepherding Through Crisis is a unique, two-day, online training designed specifically for pastors, church staff, lay leaders, and faith-based professionals who want to respond wisely and tenderly to individuals impacted by sexual betrayal trauma – especially women and men of faith.
Each training is facilitated by:
- Dr. Barbara Steffens – Founding APSATS President & co-author of Your Sexually Addicted Spouse
- Lyschel Burket – Founder and Executive Director of Hope Redefined, co-host of Hope For Wives podcast, and experienced betrayal trauma coach and group facilitator.
Together, they combine clinical insight with practical ministry application through a trauma-informed, spiritually sensitive lens.
What You’ll Learn
You will gain tools, language, and posture to walk faithfully with the wounded.
- Understand the effects of trauma after betrayal through the APSATS Multidimensional Partner Trauma Model (MPTM)
- Recognize the spiritual crisis that often accompanies betrayal, and how to gently support both faith deconstruction and reconstruction
- Provide compassionate care without over-spiritualizing or minimizing pain
- Navigate sensitive topics—forgiveness, trust, reconciliation, and boundaries—from a biblically grounded, trauma-aware perspective
- Distinguish between helping the betrayed vs. enabling the betrayer, even within the same congregation
- Serve as a first responder: a safe, steady presence for women and couples walking through confusion, grief, anger, and deep spiritual questions
Why It Matters
This training isn’t just about information – it’s about transformation. When betrayal enters sacred spaces, the Church must respond with truth, tenderness, and unwavering integrity.
Next Steps
To learn more about upcoming trainings or to discuss the possibility of your organization hosting a training, please email Tami@Hoperedefined.org.
Meet Your Facilitators
Dr. Barbara Steffens, PhD, BCC
Dr. Barbara Steffens specializes in helping women recover from sexual and relational betrayal. She is a retired mental health counselor, a Board Certified Coach (BCC), and the founding President of the Association for Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists (APSATS)—the leading organization for training and certifying Clinical Partner Specialists and Partner Trauma Coaches.
Barbara’s groundbreaking 2005 research on the traumatic impact of sexual betrayal helped reshape the field, providing a new foundation for how professionals understand and respond to partner trauma. She has trained pastors, counselors, and care providers across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., New Zealand, Singapore, and beyond.
She is also the co-author of Your Sexually Addicted Spouse: How Partners Can Cope and Heal (2009; 2021), a book that has transformed the lives of thousands of women and influenced the training of professionals worldwide. Often called the “Grandmother” of partner trauma care, Barbara continues to consult, teach, and mentor those who walk with the betrayed.
Lyschel Burket, PCC, FRLC, APSATS-CPC, ADOH
After experiencing the profound impact of betrayal trauma herself, Lyschel Burket felt called to walk alongside other women on the same journey. She is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Facilitator of Relational Life Change (FRLC), APSATS-Certified Partner Coach (CPC), and ADOH-certified (A Doorway Of Hope).
In 2018, Lyschel founded Hope Redefined, a growing ministry dedicated to guiding women toward healing through faith and community. What began as a personal calling has expanded into a thriving team of eight staff members and countless volunteers who provide online support groups, coaching, intensive retreats, and a private online community for women around the world.
Lyschel is also the co-founder and co-host of the Hope for Wives podcast, which offers encouragement, insight, and practical support for women impacted by betrayal.
Above all, Lyschel wants women to know they are not alone. Through Hope Redefined and Hope for Wives, she has created spaces where women can find safety, faith-centered connection, and renewed hope.