Bio Overview

Rev. Stefanie Etzbach-Dale is founder of TendingSpirit. She has over thirty years of experience leading support groups, retreats, and rituals, and companioning individuals through private pastoral counseling, mentoring, chaplaincy, and coaching sessions.
An ordained Interfaith and Unitarian Universalist minister with specialized training in spiritual psychology, Stefanie is deeply committed to “the sacred ground of the present and to the creative power of the human imagination.”
She received Final Fellowship from the Unitarian Universalist Minister's Association in 2008, has been affiliated with the UU Congregation of Palo Alto as Community Minister since 2018, and is member in good standing of the Unitarian Universalist Association and Spiritual Directors International,
Rev. Stefanie’s approach to ministry is both pastoral and prophetic, focused on a deep reverence for life, the complexity of human experience, and the possibility of personal and societal transformation. As a panentheist mystic and student of the esoteric, she weaves holy curiosity, expressive arts, magic and energy work into all that she does. She brings both reverence and humor, honoring the deeply personal work of creating a life of empowered, courageous compassion and joyful integrity.
Email: TendingSpirit@gmail.com
Originally from Queens, New York, Rev. Stefanie was ordained as an Interfaith Minister in 2000; received her M.Div through Meadville Lombard Theological School (Chicago, ILL); was ordained as a Unitarian Universalist Minister by the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica, CA in 2005; and was granted Final Fellowship by the UUA in 2008. In 2018 she completed the Interfaith Chaplaincy Institute's programs for Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Psychology. In 2020 she completed a Supervisor's Training program through Spiritual Directors International.
Congregational Ministry: Stefanie served the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Redwood City as settled minister from 2014-2017. Prior to that she served various congregations in the Pacific Southwest District (including the UU Church of Santa Clarita Valley, the UU Fellowship of Kern County, the UU Fellowship of Laguna Beach, the UU Church of Verdugo Hills, the Sepuleda UU Society, Monte Vista UU Church, the UU Community Church of Santa Monica, First UU Church Los Angeles and others). While in the Pacific Southwest District she served as Unitarian Universalist Minister’s Association Vice President, Good Officer, and Retreat Planner. She was cofounder of the Pacific Southwest District Addictions and Recovery Ministry Team and active in the San Fernando Valley Cluster.
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This website provides a small glimpse into my background and my approach to fostering resilience -through attentiveness to the sacred amidst the mundane, and through consciously developing spiritual courage, compassion, and creativity.
Please contact me at TendingSpirit@gmail.com if you feel drawn to working with me as your Spiritual Director, or are interested in having me speak, lead worship or ritual or a retreat for your community.
You can also follow my FaceBook page TendingSpirit, which offers daily original reflections and memes, or, visit Etzbach-Dale.weebly.com
An ordained Interfaith and Unitarian Universalist minister with specialized training in spiritual psychology, Stefanie is deeply committed to “the sacred ground of the present and to the creative power of the human imagination.”
She received Final Fellowship from the Unitarian Universalist Minister's Association in 2008, has been affiliated with the UU Congregation of Palo Alto as Community Minister since 2018, and is member in good standing of the Unitarian Universalist Association and Spiritual Directors International,
Rev. Stefanie’s approach to ministry is both pastoral and prophetic, focused on a deep reverence for life, the complexity of human experience, and the possibility of personal and societal transformation. As a panentheist mystic and student of the esoteric, she weaves holy curiosity, expressive arts, magic and energy work into all that she does. She brings both reverence and humor, honoring the deeply personal work of creating a life of empowered, courageous compassion and joyful integrity.
Email: TendingSpirit@gmail.com
Originally from Queens, New York, Rev. Stefanie was ordained as an Interfaith Minister in 2000; received her M.Div through Meadville Lombard Theological School (Chicago, ILL); was ordained as a Unitarian Universalist Minister by the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica, CA in 2005; and was granted Final Fellowship by the UUA in 2008. In 2018 she completed the Interfaith Chaplaincy Institute's programs for Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Psychology. In 2020 she completed a Supervisor's Training program through Spiritual Directors International.
Congregational Ministry: Stefanie served the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Redwood City as settled minister from 2014-2017. Prior to that she served various congregations in the Pacific Southwest District (including the UU Church of Santa Clarita Valley, the UU Fellowship of Kern County, the UU Fellowship of Laguna Beach, the UU Church of Verdugo Hills, the Sepuleda UU Society, Monte Vista UU Church, the UU Community Church of Santa Monica, First UU Church Los Angeles and others). While in the Pacific Southwest District she served as Unitarian Universalist Minister’s Association Vice President, Good Officer, and Retreat Planner. She was cofounder of the Pacific Southwest District Addictions and Recovery Ministry Team and active in the San Fernando Valley Cluster.
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This website provides a small glimpse into my background and my approach to fostering resilience -through attentiveness to the sacred amidst the mundane, and through consciously developing spiritual courage, compassion, and creativity.
Please contact me at TendingSpirit@gmail.com if you feel drawn to working with me as your Spiritual Director, or are interested in having me speak, lead worship or ritual or a retreat for your community.
You can also follow my FaceBook page TendingSpirit, which offers daily original reflections and memes, or, visit Etzbach-Dale.weebly.com