Helping people discover a relationship with the spiritual aspect of being human
▪ World Religions & Individual Spirituality ▪ Spiritual Direction Skills Studies
▪ The Interfaith Spiritual Experience ▪ Personal Development & Integration
▪ Supervised Practicum ▪ Ethical Conduct in Spiritual Care
This certificate program is designed to inspire, nurture and educate those who are called to serve as Spiritual Directors in an interfaith capacity in our increasingly diverse world. Our innovative program focuses on a combination of the study of world religions, an exploration of personal spirituality, and spiritual direction skills….all in a creatively infused context. It is inclusive of many aspects of individual spiritual formation for ministry.
This program is designed for those who feel called to a private practice in personal, one-on-one spiritual direction, and who anticipate working with clients from a variety of faith traditions. The program is also suited to those who intend to do group spiritual direction, and for those of other helping professions who want to add a spiritual guidance perspective to their current work (such as psychotherapists, health practitioners, ministers and chaplains).
Through study, reflection, writing and engaging with others, students gain a broad understanding of the world’s faiths, while simultaneously deepening their relationship to their own spiritual traditions. We draw on wisdom from many of the world’s religions, to familiarize students with the wide variety of spiritualities and theologies they will encounter in their work with their clients. The curriculum includes class instruction, group interactions, theological study, spiritual direction skill building, and practicum experience. NOTE: This program is available as a hybrid distance learning program, learn more here>>
In addition, the ChI administration and faculty interact with the student’s unique gifts of calling and aspiration for spiritual direction in order to support the student’s attainment of the skills and competencies necessary to being a professional and successful spiritual director.
Our Interfaith Spiritual Direction Program teaches a non-directive interfaith approach. We do not believe in telling people how to think, what to believe, how they are supposed to feel, or what to do in any specific circumstance. We believe that the person who comes to us for direction is the expert on his or her own spiritual life, and that the person knows, deep down, what is best.
Thus we teach skills to help people discern their own deep inner wisdom and to live with a deeper sense of connection and alignment with Spirit. Interfaith Spiritual Directors do not shy away from people whose spirituality is different from theirs. Such a spiritual direction relationship can be fertile territory for the client.
See the Program Catalogue for more information.
Read more about Interfaith Spiritual Direction.
| PROGRAM CATALOGUE |
| PROGRAM APPLICATION |
| 2012 CALENDAR |
Advice about Enrolling
We appreciate that some people need support in making such an important decision. Indeed, choosing to enroll in a program such as this is a considerable investment of time and resources. Our Admissions Advisor is available to guide you in your discernment about enrolling in the Interfaith Studies Program, at no charge to you:
Rev. Jennifer Block
Admissions Advisor
admissions@chaplaincyinstitute.org
510-843-1422 x 3
Visit a Module Class
In addition to talking with our Admissions Advisor, prospective students are welcome to attend a module class to gain a first-hand experience of the program. All class visits are from 9am to approximately 1pm and are followed by a meeting with our Dean of Chaplaincy. The calendar of module visiting days is here>> Arrangements are made ahead of time through our office:
Vanessa Gomez Brake
Director of Operations & Outreach
chioffice@chaplaincyinstitute.org
510-843-1422
Spiritual Direction (or spiritual guidance) is the art of companioning people on the spiritual journey. To seek to live in alignment with path and soul can be challenging, exhilarating, sometimes even heart-wrenching. A skilled Spiritual Director listens carefully, asks lots of questions, points out things he or she notices that the client may have missed, and supports the client's spiritual unfolding.
Faculty
The landscape of Interfaith may seem as foreign to you as Morocco, or Nepal. For this reason you need guides on the journey who are knowledgeable, who speak the language because they have been there and have learned from experience, or who can join you in finding the way to ask the questions that will point to the next step on the path. ChI faculty have been serving as guides to Interfaith ministry students for the past decade. In addition, they are gifted artists who help to shine light into dark places and can help you to recognize the beauty in difficult terrain.
Our faculty help to expand students’ working language of Interfaith ministry and expresses the vision of Interfaith dialogue and inquiry of ChI. Guest faculty includes experts in specific faith traditions, spiritual practices, or other areas of spiritual leadership. Students learn from experts in specialized areas, such as hospice care, addiction & recovery, prison ministry, etc. as well as religious leaders dedicated to building bridges of peace and understanding. More ...
Our Alumni
Our alumni come from a diverse range of backgrounds—from nurses to yoga instructors to business people to psychologists. They also come from a diverse range of theological backgrounds—for example, Buddhists, Catholics, and many people who don’t define their spirituality through a specific faith tradition. More ...
