Art of Spiritual Companioning

2024 Art of Spiritual Companioning

(DD8202W / DD9204W)

Overview and duration

Embark on the journey inward and discover the art of spiritual companioning.

Are you seeking to deepen your spirituality? Do you have a passion for accompanying others on their spiritual journeys?

Join an immersion in the ancient Christian path of spiritual direction with a contemporary, inclusive, ecumenical and inter-faith flair. Explore your inner life, become aware of thoughts, embodied felt-sense, patterns of being and connectivity with the Source of life and learn how to companion others.

If you’re curious, sense a prompt or call toward becoming a Spiritual Companion, apply now. Interstate applicants welcome.

You can undertake the course through the University of Divinity for academic credit, and /or to receive a WellSpring graduation certificate, recognised by the Australian Ecumenical Council for Spiritual Direction (AECSD).

Duration: Three Core Years and a fourth, Professional Graduate Year.

Course requirements / recommendations

Prerequisites

Be receiving spiritual companioning / direction for at least 6 months.
Eye for awareness, self-reflective scent, listening ear, compassionate touch and taste for discernment.
For the academic program, a graduate degree.

Strongly recommended

Completion of Art of Contemplative Practice 1

Application required - Closing date 30 November 2023

Discern a sense of call
Fill in an application form
Provide referees
Attend interview
If offered a place in the program, enrol through the University of Divinity.

Course dates

Limited spaces - applications close 30 November 2023. Apply here.

Full year, 2024

Core Years 1-3:

Intensives / In person (dates are inclusive) - WellSpring Centre, Ashburton, Melbourne

14-16 Mar 2024
18-20 Jul 2024
24-26 Oct 2024 (Third Year students) or 25-26 Oct 2024 (First Year students)

Online

Starting 25 Mar 2024 - Monday or Tuesday - 20x online weekly sessions with breaks in line with semester breaks

Professional Graduate Year:

Online

Starting 25 Mar 2024 - Monday 7:30-9:00pm - 16x online weekly sessions with breaks in line with semester breaks
Membership activities with WellSpring community

Next intake: 2025

Course details, learning outcomes, assessments, structure & recommended reading

Additional course information

The unit will be taught over two semesters, including in-person intensives, weekly sessions online, peer group supervision and 1:1 supervision.

Modes of learning/practise include seeing people for spiritual companioning; writing reflections, journals, book reviews, and verbatim reports. In the third year, students undertake a major research project on a topic they are passionate about. The fourth graduate year will include membership activities with the WellSpring Centre community.

Our 2024 ecumenical Formation Team (Joan Wright Howie, Tim Mc Cowan, Jennifer Guild, Leslie Hanger, Andrew Woff, Andrea Long) are expert practitioners and seasoned spiritual companions. They work with supervisors and other professionals who are experienced spiritual companions, and together they bring a creative and balanced approach to this ministry.

Numbers are limited at all levels to allow maximum participation.

Your learning:

Holistic & Inclusive: A fusion of skills, knowledge, academic wisdom, art, theological reflection, creativity and contemplative awareness.
Grow in Grace: The curriculum facilitates seven graces - grounded contextual issues, gutsy human dynamics, listening, contemplative heart, practising presence, discernment and illumination.
Contemplative Practices: Embrace silence, meditation, and mindfulness. Deepen connection with yourself, with others and within the Divine.
Transformative Learning: You’ll read books, engage in discussions, enjoy experiential learning, practice in small groups, write journals, craft essays and reflect through 1:1 supervision. Forge profound connections within a community of like-minded companions.
Recognition: Choose to engage as a Certificate or Academic student. Both streams are awarded a certificate that recognises you as a spiritual director through the Australian Ecumenical Council of Spiritual Direction. The course can be taken for academic credit through Whitley College, a college of the University of Divinity.
A Flourishing Future: Contribute to a world where people live out their unique part in God’s great dream of the reconciling of all creation. Join the Divine transformative movement toward healing, peace, justice and freedom for all.

Upon successful completion of this program, it is expected that students will:

Be recognised as a spiritual director through the Australian Ecumenical Council of Spiritual Direction.
Receive academic credit through Whitley College, a college of the University of Divinity.
Contribute to a world where people live out their unique part in God’s great dream of the reconciling of all creation, and join the Divine transformative movement toward healing, peace, justice and freedom for all.

Cost (per year)

This course is offered through Whitley College. Government fee help is available to qualifying Australian citizens.

For academic credit, costs are as per the University of Divinity fees schedule.

The Professional Graduate (4th) Year is administered by WellSpring Centre.

There is a reduced cost for WellSpring Audit/Certificate only participants**. Please apply here: Application for Audit WellSpring

Useful links for additional information:

**NB: If you choose to complete the unit as an Audit/Certificate participant, no academic credit can be claimed for the unit, either at the time of enrolling, or retrospectively.

Enrolment process

Application required - Closing date 30 November 2023

Discern a sense of call and complete an application form
Provide referees, attend and interview, and if offered a place in the program, enrol through the University of Divinity.

For more information

Please contact us at WellSpring

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