Dr. Chuck DeGroat

Dr. Chuck DeGroat is committed to spiritual and emotional formation for the sake of mission. His experience is represented in a fluid combination of pastoral ministry and seminary training for over 25 years. He has served two churches as a teaching pastor and has started church-based clinical counseling centers at both. He also co-founded a fellows program and a graduate training program while serving in San Francisco. Chuck is a sought-after retreat leader and speaker, and can be found on a range of podcasts available online speaking on issues of emotional and spiritual health, the state of the church and church leadership, spiritual abuse and trauma, addiction and wholeness, and much more. 

His academic specialization is in the intersection of psychology and Scripture, represented best in his book Leaving Egypt: Finding God in the Wilderness Places (Square Inch, 2011) – a narrative biblical paradigm for understanding counseling, care, formation, and mission. His next book, The Toughest People to Love (Eerdmans, 2014), focuses on caring for the most difficult people leaders encounter.  Wholeheartedness (Eerdmans, 2016) casts a vision for flourishing for those burdened by shame and prone to perform. When Narcissism Comes to Church (IVP, 2020) diagnoses the pervasive problem of narcissism and spiritual abuse within the Christian community, in particular. His forthcoming book will address trauma and addiction through the lens of God’s curiosity, care, and compassion. Chuck is an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America and holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. He is a faculty member of the Soul Care Institute. And he is a licensed therapist with an active counseling practice.

Dr. DeGroat has been married to Sara for 29 years and has two daughters – Emma and Maggie. Now empty nesters, he and Sara love spending time in nature, traveling, and connecting with family and friends. 

Areas of Expertise 

His experience is represented in a fluid combination of pastoral ministry and seminary training for over 25 years. He has served two churches as a teaching pastor and has started church-based clinical counseling centers at both. He also co-founded a fellows program and a graduate training program while serving in San Francisco. He is an experienced licensed therapist. He is a sought-after speaker on issues of emotional and spiritual health, the state of the church and church leadership, spiritual abuse and trauma, addiction and wholeness, and much more. He is also a retreat leader who cultivates spaces of rest and renewal.

DOWNLOAD DR. DEGROAT’S CV >