Ruth Layzell is the Director of the Institute of Pastoral Counselling. She is a BACP accredited counsellor with a particular interest in working with those in ministry and has a mentoring role with some clergy. She was a qualified social worker before taking up a post at St John's College, Nottingham, where she managed the range of counselling courses and was course leader for their Diploma in Pastoral Counselling. As well as a number of short articles, she has written a Grove booklet about adoption, contributed a chapter on religious abuse to a book entitled Clinical Counselling in Pastoral Settings and is co-author of The Beta Course. As a trainer, her main interest is in making links between theology and psychology, which drives her twin passions of resourcing clergy psychologically and counsellors theologically.

Alistair Ross trained as a Baptist minister, before embarking on his training as a psychodynamic counsellor and supervisor. He holds a research degree in Clinical Theology and is currently engaged in PhD research on The Emergence of Spirituality in Contemporary Psychoanalytic Thought and Psychodynamic Practice. Alistair is Head of Counselling Training at Birmingham University. He is also pastoral tutor and honorary research fellow at the Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education. He has written a number of books and most recently he has published Counselling Skills for Church and Faith Community Workers. He has also contributed to Clinical Counselling in Pastoral Settings. He has an interest in developing supervision in pastoral contexts.

Margaret Bazely is an accredited BACP counsellor in private practice and an accreditation assessor for BACP. She is Unit Director for the Human Relations programme at the Church Army Training College in Sheffield and has worked as a project manager and counsellor for children in schools through the project 'Place 2 Be'. Formerly a tutor for the Diploma in Pastoral Counselling at St John's College, Nottingham she is currently on the executive committee of the Association for Pastoral and Spiritual Care and Counselling. She is studying for an MA in Pastoral Theology and, alongside a fascination for the embodied spirituality of Julian of Norwich, she seeks to foster and learn from the spirituality of children.