ART & PRACTICE OF SPIRITUAL DIRECTION YEARS 1 AND 2

The 2-year Art & Practice of Spiritual Direction Program is designed for men and women who are seeking formal training in spiritual direction. We welcome people from diverse faiths, yet our program remains rooted in Christian traditions. Please review our course content and other program criteria.

The content of the theoretical, practical, and interactive sessions includes:

• THE NATURE OF SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
  One-on-one spiritual direction
  History and Assumptions/Theologies of
     Initial Meeting and Closure Group
  Spiritual Direction
  Retreat Direction
• BECOMING A SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR
  Discerning a call
  Integration of knowledge and practice
  Developing a contemplative attitude
  Professional issues/development
• THE EXPERIENCE OF GOD
  God's action in the world/in life
  Theology of the experience of God
  Identifying religious experience in direction
  Listening to the experience of God
• ADULT HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
  Graced History
  Male/Female Spirituality
• DISCERNMENT
  Noticing interior stirrings of mind/heart
  Origin/fruit of key interior stirrings
  Christian/Ignatian Discernment
• SUPERVISION OF SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
  Individual supervision
  An experience of peer group supervision
• SOCIAL DISCERNMENT
  Relation of faith and works
  Mind-set of directors
  Social analysis/Experience cycle
  Culture and spiritual direction
• PRAYER
  Styles of prayer
  Practical helps in prayer
  Stages of growth in prayer
• GUIDELINES FOR ETHICAL CONDUCT
• THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE OF GOD
  Finding God in the human experience
  The director's theological perspective
  Relationship of psychology and spiritual direction
  

Worship segments, which are included at all sessions, include guided imagery, scripture, meditation, and quiet prayer.

CRITERIA TO ENTER YEAR ONE:

• Completion of the Sacred Journey program.
• Monthly spiritual direction for a MINIMUM of one year; and currently in direction.
• Active participation in a faith community.
• Some educational background (e.g., workshops, courses in scripture, contemporary theology, spirituality, psychology) that grounds and supports the ministry of spiritual direction.

Once accepted and enrolled in the Art & Practice of Spiritual Direction Program you will be required to:

A. Make a silent directed retreat at least once during the two years. Options: Five day summer home directed retreat Annual six day silent Ignatian Retreat (June) 30 week Ignatian Retreat (Spiritual Exercises) Two- or three-day silent directed retreat

B. Attend one Don Bisson workshop at Mercy Center Burlingame each year.

Learn More about Spiritual Direction

Read the Introduction to Sacred is the Call, a book of essays on the practice and teaching of spiritual direction. Sacred is the Call was edited by Suzanne M. Buckley, director of Mercy Center Burlingame, and is available for purchase from the Mercy Center Bookstore. Visit the SDI International website.