Mental Health and Missions

Person in a brown sweater resting hands on a wooden railing, facing a blurred forested landscape.

What is MHM?

What are the unique issues that are facing mental health professionals who serve in the world of missions? How can we learn from each other so that we can serve cross-cultural workers more effectively? These questions and more are at the heart of the Mental Health and Missions (MHM) community.

MHM is an annual conference, held in the United States, of Christian mental health professionals who serve Christian missionaries. The attendees gather together for fellowship, networking, and professional development with a focus on the mental health of Christian missionaries and their families.

While MHM is intended for mental health professionals, member care personnel and leaders from mission agencies are welcome and encouraged to attend! This conference is relationally rich and intellectually invigorating , providing encouragement and professional development.

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2025 Conference Details

Dates: Thursday, November 20 – Sunday, November 23rd, 2025

Location: Hurst Conference Center in the DFW area of Texas

2025 Conference Theme: With Grace and Truth: Pathways for Humble and Effective Service/Care

Cost: $475 (includes conference center fee, lunches, dinners, and snacks; breakfast included at the conference hotel; hotel must be booked separately, see “Housing and Reservations” below). A $100 late registration fee will be applied starting November 10th. Students may apply for a student discount, see “Welcoming to Students” below.

Register Now!

Questions: email mhm@mti.org

  • As we share our resources and seek to collaborate with others for wholistic care of missionaries, we realize that our posture matters. We want to respond to needs as well as proactively cultivate mental health and spiritual wellness. We may find ourselves in contexts of conflict, distortions of truth, and competitiveness. As Christian mental health providers, what can we uniquely offer that will enrich the growth of those we serve as well as our fellow caregivers?

  • Thursday Evening, November 20, 6:15-7:15pm

    Grace, Truth, Humility and Effectiveness: It’s the Relationship that Heals: Nancy Crawford

    • The phrase "it's the relationship that heals" is a common one in the field of psychotherapy, particularly associated with Irvin Yalom. Yalom’s phrase can be applied beyond therapy to other relationships as well (including our relationship with God, friends, family, and colleagues), emphasizing the importance of connection, authenticity, and mutual respect in fostering healing and well-being.  The roles of grace, truth and humility in fostering healing relationships have deep roots in both Christian Theology and Positive Psychology, and are the foundation of why and what we do in providing care for missionaries.

    Friday Morning, November 21, 9:00 – 10:30am

    Pathways to Effectiveness: An Initial Investigation of Core Competencies for MHM Practitioners: Robert Watson, Chad Westmaas

    • In this presentation, we present our findings on core competencies needed for effective care of cross-cultural workers by mental health and missions' (MHM) practitioners. A group of MHM experts were surveyed and worked collaboratively to name, define, and develop a set of core competencies necessary beyond basic clinical competencies. Implications for training, collaboration, future research, and wise practice will be discussed.

    Saturday Morning, November 22, 9:00 – 10:30am

    Expanding Cultural Humility: Building on Theological and Biopsychosocial Foundations: Elizabeth Loewer, Daniel Shoji Onoe

    • Cultural humility represents a lifelong calling to grace and truth. Two adult third culture kids (TCKs) and early career psychologists will share their own journeys (so far) of cultural self- and other-awareness in their process of becoming clinicians. This presentation draws from theological and biopsychosocial foundations to discuss the who, why, and how of cultural humility in the mental health and missions world.

    Saturday Evening, November 22, 7:00 – 8:30pm

    Caring for the Caregiver: Self-Care, Other Care, and Organizational Care: Jennifer Smith, Lisa Green

    • Care providers to global workers and to those in ministry contexts must attend to their own personal care in order to thrive long-term. This workshop highlights the importance of caring for the caregiver on the levels of self, other, and organizational care, examining the barriers to that care, and gaining fresh tools for self-care.

    Sunday Morning, November 23, 9:00 – 10:30am

    Harnessing the Healing Power of Grace & Truth: George Jemison

    • Psychology continually uncovers the power of integrated grace and truth, but it goes by other names - love and limits, safety and vulnerability, etc.  This presentation will look at the theoretical necessity of its integration and the harm it causes when not.  It will focus on practical implementations of grace and truth that brings about transformative healing, deepens relationship, and provides structure and a framework for helping people grow.

2025 Conference

  • MHM is meant for counselors, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists and any other mental health providers. Such individuals will find this conference relationally rich and professionally invigorating. Although member care personnel and leaders from mission agencies are welcome, please recognize that presenters will be targeting mental health practitioners.

  • MHM is also meant for students working towards becoming counselors, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists and any other mental health providers with an interest in serving the missions community. Students will find this conference relationally rich and professionally invigorating. There is a separate luncheon (included) just for students on the Friday of the conference.

    Students may apply for a student discount of $150 off the $475 conference fee. Complete the Student Discount Request form asking for your name, school, degree program, and the name and email of a faculty or administrator who can verify your student status. Note that only 30 student discounts are available, and a limited number of student discounts are available for each university. Students can further save on conference costs by sharing a hotel room at the conference. Email mhm@mti.org to request a roommate match.

  • The Research & Resource (R&R) Fair is an interactive venue for sharing relevant research and ministry resources. Held Friday night, the fair showcases 20-30 organizational resources, literary reviews, and presentations of research. Share your valuable knowledge and organizational connections with the MHM community!

    Request a table at the R&R Fair link.

    The cutoff for R&R Fair table requests is one month before the conference, after that any remaining tables will assigned on a first-come, first-served basis but without the table host’s information published in the conference handouts.

  • The conference vision and direction rests on the shoulders of an independent team of program coordinators from various organizations. As a part of their volunteer role, these coordinators choose each year’s theme and presentations. Mission Training International serves as conference host, providing administrative and logistical support.

    The program coordinators are:

    • Andrew Brown, M.A. (co-chair)

    • Karen Carr, Ph.D. (co-chair)

    • Elizabeth Loewer, Psy.D.

    • Nicole Park, M.A.

    • Charlie Schaefer, Ph.D.

    • Susan Stocksdale, M.S.

  • Transfers and Cancellations:

    • All deposits are non-refundable.

    • Any refunds or transfers will result in processing charges.

    Regarding all MTI events:

    • Any cancellation of your registration for an MTI event will result in the loss of the deposit. If no deposit was made, a charge of $50 per adult will be assessed.

    • No refunds will be issued for cancellations within 30 days of the starting date of the event.

    • Transfers are not available for MTI events.

General Information

  • MHM is held at the Hurst Conference Center in Hurst, TX. The address is:

    Hurst Conference Center - 1601 Campus Dr, Hurst, TX 76054

    This is a suburban location 15 minutes from the DFW airport and 25 minutes from DAL airport.

  • Please note that all conference attendees are responsible for their own housing accommodations. If you would like to be added to a roommate matching list, email mhm@mti.org before reserving your hotel room.

    The Conference Hotel is the Hilton Garden Inn, adjacent to the Hurst Conference Center (with indoor access to the conference center, this is ideal for participants with mobility constraints). Three other hotels are in easy walking distance to the conference center (see below).

    • Hilton Garden Inn - 1615 Campus Drive, Hurst, Texas 76054

    • 817-281-5800

    • https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/dfwhcgi-hilton-garden-inn-dallas-at-hurst-conference-center/

    RATE: $134.00 per night plus applicable taxes. This rate includes hot continental breakfast daily.

    BOOKING: Reservations can be made using the Direct Booking Link below. Guests can also call the hotel directly at 817-281-5800, give their stay dates, and ask for the “Mental Health and Missions” block to receive the group rate.

    Mental Health and Missions - Direct Booking Link (you may edit your dates to the actual dates the room is needed).

    Guests can cancel their reservation 48 hours prior to day of arrival. After this time, one night’s room and tax may be applicable. Rooms will be held until October 26th 2025. After this date, the group rate will no longer be guaranteed. Note that in years past the hotel has sold out, so don’t wait until the last minute to book your room!

    ADDITIONAL HOTEL INFORMATON:

    • Complimentary covered parking with access to all guest room floors

    • Complimentary wired and wireless WI-FI in all guest rooms

    • Garden Grill Restaurant serving breakfast (included)

    • Fitness center featuring upgraded Precor equipment – open 24 hours

    • Indoor swimming pool/hot tub – open 24 hours

    • Large outdoor patio with a gas fire pit

    • Microwaves, mini-fridge, and Keurig’s in all rooms

    There are three other hotels within easy walking distance of the Conference Center:

    1. Hyatt Place Fort Worth - Hurst (2 blocks away, 3 min walk to the Conference Center)

    • 1601 Hurst Town Center Dr., Hurst, TX 76054

    2. Hampton Inn and Suites DFW Airport W-SH 183 Hurst (2 ½ blocks away, 4-5 min walk to the Conference Center)

    • 1600 Hurst Town Center Dr., Hurst, TX 76054

    3. Holiday Inn Express & Suites – DFW West (3 blocks away, 7-8 min walk to the Conference Center)

    • 820 Thousand Oaks Dr., Hurst, TX 76054accommodations. If you would like to be added to a roommate matching list, email mhm@mti.org before reserving your hotel room.

  • For those participants staying in the Hilton Garden Inn (Conference Hotel), transportation to and from the DFW airport only (NOT Dallas Love Field) and the Hilton Garden Inn is provided by the hotel. All other participants must arrange their own transportation from the airport. DFW is approximately 15 minutes away from the Hurst Conference Center, DAL (Dallas Love Field) is approximately 25 minutes away.

    Arrival on Thursday, November 21st between 8:30am and 10:30pm:

    • Upon arrival, please head to the Hotel Shuttle pick-up area in Terminal C – located on the lower level.

    • The hotel shuttle has signs for Hilton Garden Inn – Hurst Conference Center and Fairfield Inn & Suites Northeast.

    • The shuttle will pick up approximately every hour on the half hour.

    • The shuttle holds 9 people with luggage. If the shuttle is full, the driver will drop off the guests in the van and come back on the next half hour mark. Please note that this is a courtesy shuttle with limited capacity – you may take a taxi or rideshare if you do not want to wait.

    • You can call the hotel front desk at 817-281-5800 with any questions.

    Arrivals Monday-Wednesday:

    • Call hotel at least 48 hours prior to arrival at 817-281-5800 or email at hgihurstfd@gmail.com and give them your name, phone number, and full flight information including day, time, airline, gate, and terminal number.

    Departure:

    • For your departure shuttle, please visit the front desk to put your name on the Shuttle Drop-Off list. You will be able to select your departure time there. This must be done at least 24 hours before your hotel departure.

Housing & Transportation