Curriculum

The Interspiritual Spiritual Counseling Program is a two-year part-time professional training that can be started in either February or September. ISC focuses on the Counselor’s own spiritual foundation and his/her ability to be present, aware and connected to spirit in daily life. From this foundation, this program is designed to help the counselor understand and incorporate various psycho-spiritual and Interfaith spiritual approaches to guiding others on their own unique path.

SEMESTER A - THE INNER JOURNEY: FROM ME TO WE:
INTERSPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVES ON PURPOSE AND POSSIBILITY
(Sept 2009 – Jan 2010. This class will be offered again in 2010 – 2011.)
This semester focuses on the personal growth of the counselor, while building facilitation skills. The Inner Journey from Me to We, uses life stages as well as selected philosophical, spiritual, and psychological premises as a framework for investigation of the life journey from “me” to “we.” Participants focus on the key developmental tasks in different life stages to understand the myths and truths we live by and how they limit and/or foster our potential. We explore themes that point to one’s life path and ways to enlarge and open to more authenticity. The class is intended to foster the development of awareness and presence to access one’s authentic self and deepen the ability to relate more skillfully with others. Training and practice in individual and group facilitation and dialogue is offered as practical skills for working with others in the world.

Emphasis is placed on nonjudgmental inquiry to promote curiosity, creative reflection, and problem-solving. Personal and interpersonal development is encouraged through a variety of approaches including presentations, experiential exercises, readings, meditation, self-inquiry, journaling, and opportunities for service to each other. Participants have opportunity to practice facilitation skills together in study groups between monthly classes.

Overview of the One Spirit Learning Alliance Premises
The spiritual or life journey is one of developing consciousness with psychological processes and spiritual perceptions inextricably linked. While there may be rare individuals who have experienced instantaneous and lasting enlightenment, for most of us the journey is an ongoing process of development and unfolding. The notion that the journey from the ego to our True Self is a one-step process has caused needless suffering to confused spiritual aspirants.

While many spiritual precepts, paths and practices exist, we have found the following spiritual and psychological principles to be helpful perspectives for the journey. Using them as “working premises” can accelerate our growth when we apply them to our daily lives and interactions with others. Each is a contemporary formulation of teachings from one or more of the ancient wisdom traditions, and they are a significant part of the philosophy and teaching at One Spirit.

1. We each have a personality and a True Self. Whether we are centered in our personality or in our True Self affects the quality of both our inner experience and our interactions with others and the world.
2. We are all interconnected in profound ways, beyond what most of us understand or experience in everyday life.
3. We unconsciously project our emotions, beliefs and unresolved issues on outer situations and other people. Relationships are therefore a profound crucible for growth and healing, which includes becoming aware of and reintegrating the projected and disowned aspects of ourselves.
4. The personality uses fear, anger, and guilt to protect itself. Learning to work with and transform difficult emotions opens the way to spiritual freedom, authenticity, and compassionate presence.
5. Interior spaciousness, which manifests as nonjudgmental awareness, deep listening and honest inquiry, is potent and transformative.
6. As the obscurations in the body and the personality thin, the body becomes a more powerful container for awareness of the True Self and the expression of presence.
7. Kindness, compassion, and acceptance are central to the spiritual life.
8. As we face our fears and wounds, and let go of false identities, our hearts open and the energy of the True Self flows through us in skillful service.
   

SEMESTER B - BEING AN Interspiritual Spiritual Counselor
(Feb 13 & 14, Mar 13 & 14, Apr 10 & 11, May 8 & 9, 2010)

• Interspiritual Spiritual Counseling: Definitions and roles
• Developing the client/counselor relationship
• Interspiritual Spiritual Counseling skill development
• Listening, nonjudgmental communication, inquiry
• Working with image of God, Goddess, Divine
• Working with client’s personal religious/spiritual history
• Working with trauma, grief and loss
• Working with resistance and defenses
• The practice of forgiveness
• Ethical issues
• Counselor self-care, resources, and career development

SEMESTER C - INTERSPIRITUAL SPIRITUAL COUNSELING FROM MANY PERSPECTIVES
(September 2010 - January 2011)

• Multicultural and diversity competence issues
• Ranges of spiritual and religious experiences and aspirations
• InterSpiritual Spiritual Counseling sourced from the wisdom traditions/perspectives
• Including: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Catholicism/Christianity,
• Islam, Sufism, Goddess, Shamanic, African, and Native American perspectives,
• Interspiritual Spiritual Counseling sourced from recently developed perspectives
• Including: Course in Miracles, Diamond Heart, Jungian, existential,
  transpersonal psychology, Twelve Step, and other
• Integral (Wilbur) and InterSpiritual (Teasedale) perspectives
• Working with clients on meaning and meaning making issues
• Working with ‘out of the ordinary’ and mystical spiritual experiences
• Working with spiritual materialism
• Using spiritual and guided practices with clients
• Ethical issues
• Counselor self-care, resources, and career development

SEMESTER D - INTERSPIRITUAL SPIRITUAL COUNSELING FOR FACILITATING HEALTHY LIVING AND SERVICE IN THE WORLD
(February – June, 2011)

• Human development processes in Interspiritual Spiritual Counseling
  
• Working with persons at different developmental stages
  
• Psychosocial and spiritual development
  
• Working with spiritual ‘by pass’ and uneven development issues
  
• Using Body/Spirit work approaches
  
• Facilitating uses of creativity, fun, relaxation, and rest
  
• Thriving in transitions
  
• Discernment, decision-making and choice issues
  
• Habit building and change management for personal and spiritual growth
  
• Ethical issues
  
• Counselor self-care, resources, and career development