Jungian Spiritual Direction Training Program
Our Mission
To equip Catholic and Christian spiritual directors to utilize principles of Jungian psychology in deepening their ministry of spiritual accompaniment.
What is Jungian Spiritual Direction?
Jungian Spiritual direction is a practice where both director and directee attune to God’s call through the in-depth work of supporting the directee’s unique process of individuation. Both director and directee are changed by this process. We believe that attending to the process of each person's growth toward wholeness is an exemplary means of entering more fully into divine relationship.
The Training Program
An in-depth continuing education program for practicing spiritual directors initiated by Marist Brother Don Bisson and developed in collaboration with spiritual directors trained in Jungian psychology. This training model seeks to heal the psychological and spiritual splits in modern culture and religion, bringing participants to deeper healing and emergence of each one’s true Self. The program is designed to engage Christian and Jungian spiritualities in dialogue.
Who We Are
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We are Spiritual Directors formed in the traditions of Ignatius of Loyola and Vincent de Paul who utilize the theories and perspective of Swiss psychologist Carl G. Jung in our ministry of spiritual accompaniment.
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We honor the world’s many religious traditions and recognize that countless symbols from a broad array of spiritual worldviews represent sacred material and inform spiritual growth for people from all walks of life.
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We draw on Biblical scripture and the inspiration of the prophets, mystics, and Christ consciousness as our primary orienting symbol-system.
Who We Serve
We serve people formed as Spiritual Directors, who have an active spiritual direction practice, and who wish to expand their skillfulness and spiritual worldview.
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While people from any religious background are welcome to apply, participants should understand that our primary aim is to inform the Christian director’s perspective.
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Spiritual Directors formed in Catholic or Christian traditions will benefit from exposure to the Jungian framework, as it will support their ministry with directees from a broad range of spiritual and religious identities.
Training Calendar – The timeline
The Jungian Spiritual Direction Training program is a two-year training program. The program begins in the fall of 2025 and concludes in the Spring of 2027. There will be 4 one-week sessions over a two-year period. This will be followed by monthly meetings with small group cohorts to support both academic readings and the experiential process of material. Training consists of both academic and experiential content including small group mentoring following an individual’s own directed process.
Curriculum
We provide a two-year training curriculum consisting of both virtual and in-person learning. The learning is a small group process with mentoring by one of our program’s co-facilitators.
Training will include assigned readings, viewings, or listening to help support you in your learning objectives. You will also provide reflective journal prompts to provide personal integration of the material and engage in more experiential content such as movement, ritual, dream work, and creative expression.
Key Learning Objectives
Our aim is to help you advance your Spiritual Direction practice with the following learning aims:
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Identify core Jungian concepts and how they apply to Spiritual Direction
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Recognize contemporary spiritual diseases and how you can engage them
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Work with symbolic content to help deepen understanding and meaning
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Develop an ongoing personal, cultural, and universal relatability to the Shadow
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Cultivate bodily awareness to the Self, God, and more
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Expand your framework for working with Dream material
Program Components
Certification in Spiritual Direction
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2-year training curriculum
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4 one-week intensives
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Virtual and In-person learning
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Assigned reading, and viewing or listening to recorded material to support learning objectives
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Reflective journal prompts for personal integration of material
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Experiential content - movement, ritual, dream work, creative expression
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Small group process
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Mentoring by one of the program’s co-facilitators
01.
Year One
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History of Philosophy, Religion, Psychology
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Religious experience and the numinous
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Creating hybrid of Christian and Jungian Spiritual Direction
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Ego as Complex, Strengthening Ego; the Self; Ego-Self axis
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Jungian Vocabulary, Core Concepts part 1
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Introduction to Focusing
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Jung Vocabulary, Core Concepts part 2
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Introduction to Active Imagination
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Personal Shadow work and the importance for Spiritual Directors
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Year Two
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Psychological Development stages and personality types
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Process of Individuation and conversion
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Personal and collective unconscious implications for spiritual directors
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Working with complexes and projections/ Shadow work for spiritual direction
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Shadow work-case presentations
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Using Archetypes/ Symbols and Myths in Spiritual direction
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The transcendent Function and working with God imagery
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Clinical applications and the body imagery and shadow
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Trauma and Shame interruption and invitation
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Self-relationship work
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Included applications with Somatic Body work including Focusing and Qi Gong, Sandtray and Active Imaginative exercises
