Training & Supervision

Spiritual Companionship Certificate Training Program

Overview

The Spiritual Direction Training Program (The Internship) is a unique, two-year, learning and discernment program using resources from a wide variety of religious traditions. Beginning in the Fall of even numbered years, classes meet in person a minimum of once a semester for a full day, and on Zoom for Wednesday evenings for three hours from September to May, as well as attendance at an annual retreat.. The primary learning is experiential and comes through didactic sessions, group work, reflection papers, and an interfaith website with links to many traditions, receiving and offering spiritual direction and individual and peer supervision. 



The focus and content of the Internship program follows the guidelines for training in spiritual direction established by Spiritual Directors International. As the program progresses the intern, with the help of the Leadership Team, assesses and discerns the intern’s call to the ministry of spiritual direction. Those whose discernment does not lead to a call to the ministry of spiritual direction will have developed gifts and skills that will be helpful to their work in other settings and ministries.

Resources

Meet the teaching team, associates, and partners

The Internship program is taught and facilitated by an experienced three person Team who have training in spiritual direction, supervision of spiritual directors, and other related areas of expertise. The Team invites three recently trained spiritual directors who will serve as Partners and continue their learning and practice under the mentorship of the Team.

Internship Team

Nancy Benben
Oscar Brockmeyer

Lisa Hudkin

Team Partners

Judy Pluta

Nancy Janiszewski
Courtney Canfijn
Susan Piescik

Spiritual Companion
Professional Development Consultant

Nancy Benben

Executive Leader, Internship Team

Lisa Hudkins

Internship Team

Judy PLuta

Internship Team Partner

Supervisor Training Team Member

Internship Team Partner

Spiritual Companioning Coordinator, Internship Team Partner,
ex-officio Board Member

Special Projects and Communications Director, Internship Team Partner

Reflections by Graduates

The Internship Class of 2020 gathered for a virtual celebration of Blessing and Graduation on Saturday May 2nd on Zoom to mark the completion of the Internship Program. We are happy to share with you some of what our graduates are saying about their experience of the Internship!

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"Expect to be just as deeply supported as you are challenged, and to grow in Spirit in ways you never imagined."

University Professor

“The internship opened many doors and windows to my heart. 
I am more lovingly thoughtful to myself and to others and I more readily seek out and listen to spirit's wisdom and presence when navigating life's storms.
I am profoundly grateful for the experiences afforded by the internship and carry its treasures forever in my heart. Amen”

Clinical Psych Nurse

“The new cosmology has given me peace and a sense of joy as I come to know myself as a part of an enormous whole. The ground we have covered together is deep, wide, personal and communal. We have met Presence, where truth, wisdom and acceptance abide.”

MSW

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“This internship was a big blessing. It was a privilege to spend two years in the company of others who have a heartfelt sense of the importance and significance of the spiritual in their lives.”

Retired Elementary School Principal

“We cannot recognize the fullness of what is and what is possible when we are in communion with grace. This has been a call to open myself to the call of grace.”

UU Member

Peer and Individual Supervision

In her classic book, Looking into the Well, Maureen Conroy states,


“The goal of supervision is to help spiritual directors to grow in self-awareness and interior freedom in order to stay with directees’ experiences and to be attentive to God during direction sessions.” 

As persons entrusted with the welfare of the people we serve, spiritual companions have a responsibility to obtain supervision, either the individual or group variety, or both! In fact, all those directors who see directees on behalf of the Spiritual Life Center are required to receive some type of supervision, whether through the Center or from another source. (The Center offers both individual and peer group supervision.) Other directors are welcome to make use of our supervisory programs. Peer supervision is offered free of charge to directors who see directees on behalf of the Center--we ask for a donation from others.

During a Peer Group Supervision session, you will be a member of a group of 6 to 8 other directors. Your group will be led by a trained supervisor. It meets on a monthly basis. Some groups meet online, others meet in person. Directors take turns presenting a situation or case to the group, one presentation per session. The case is then discussed as members notice the areas of joy, inner freedom, gratitude, peace, joy, movement of the Spirit, and areas of both darkness and light that are experienced by the director. Everyone learns valuable lessons from the experience. 

If you have questions, contact Nancy Janiszewski at NJaniszewski@spiritlifectr.org . We look forward to having you with us as you continue to grow as a spiritual director.

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Individual supervision

The Spiritual Life Center has a number of trained supervisors who work with individual supervisees. We are happy to connect any spiritual companion with one of these persons. You do not need to be a member of our community. To initiate the process, please click on the link below.

New to peer groups

If you are new to SLC or changing groups, click the link below. A staff member will help you find a group with openings. Thereafter, return to this page and click on the Returning to a Group button in the next section below.

Returning to a Group

Click the button below if you want to rejoin a group you were in last year or to join a group already assigned to you by the staff.

Supervisor Training

.Formation training in supervision is held periodically at the Spiritual Life Center. For more information about the next round of training please contact Nancy Benben Nbenben@spiritlifectr.org

Supervision Training Leadership Team
Andree Grafstein, MA, CAGS

Judy Pluta, MA

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