Pat Martin
Pat Hostetter Martin is credentialed in the Mennonite Church USA for the ministry of chaplaincy. She has worked as a hospital chaplain at Sentara RMH Medical Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia, for about a decade. In earlier years, Pat worked with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Vietnam and in the Philippines, and then in administration of MCC's Southeast Asia programs and personnel. Pat also provided leadership for the Summer Peacebuilding Institute at Eastern Mennonite University for ten years.
Pat discovered Gestalt Pastoral Care when her youngest son began developing symptoms of mental illness. She was introduced to Tilda Norberg's book, Stretch Out Your Hand, then took the GPC Foundation course with Tilda. But it took another ten years before she was able to continue the training to become a Gestalt Pastoral Care minister. She helped to start the Shenandoah Gestalt Pastoral Care Community of Practice in Harrisonburg, VA, which, for five years now, has been offering Opening to Grace Retreats as well as individual and group work in Gestalt Pastoral Care.
Pat graduated from Goshen College (IN) with a degree in Social Work (1964). She subsequently received a Certificate in Occupational Therapy from San Jose State University (CA) and an MA in Conflict Transformation from Eastern Mennonite University, (VA). More recently she completed two units of Clinical Pastoral Education from Eastern Mennonite Seminary (VA).
Pat is the contact person for the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia Community of Practice.