Art of Spiritual Companioning
2025 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, using the form below (under Enrolment process). Interstate applicants welcome. To find out more about this formation program, contact the WellSpring Program Director, Anne Pate, or watch the video below.
You can undertake the program through the University of Divinity for academic credit, and/ or to receive a WellSpring graduation certificate. WellSpring's Art of Spiritual Companioning formation program is recognised by the Australian Ecumenical Council for Spiritual Direction (AECSD).
The WellSpring Art of Spiritual Companioning formation program comprises the coursework for the Graduate Diploma in Spiritual Direction or Graduate Diploma in Spirituality awards offered in partnership with Whitley College. These qualifications can be built on toward a Master of Spiritual Direction or Master of Spirituality by taking additional University of Divinity units.
Students can also complete the Art of Spiritual Companioning as an audit student. The formation program requirements are the same as for students enrolled for academic credit, but do not lead to an academic award. Students who complete this pathway successfully will receive a certificate from WellSpring.
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
- Discern a sense of call
- Complete an application (form below)
- Provide referees
- Attend interview
- If offered a place in the program, enrol through the University of Divinity.
Course dates
Limited spaces. Entry by application (form below under Enrolment process).
Full year, 2025
Core Years 1-3:
Intensives / In person (dates are inclusive) - 9:00am-5:00pm - WellSpring Centre, Ashburton, Melbourne
- 27 – 29 March 2025
- 24 – 26 July 2025
- 24 – 25 October 2025
Online sessions (precise dates TBC)
- Semester 1: April 28 – June 30
- Semester 2: August 4 – October 13
Professional Graduate Year:
Online
- approximately 16x online weekly sessions with breaks in line with semester breaks
- Membership activities with WellSpring community
Next intake: 2026
Course details, learning outcomes, assessments, structure & recommended reading
- Art of Spiritual Companioning 1 - Whitley College
- Art of Spiritual Companioning 2 - Whitley College
- Art of Spiritual Companioning 3 - Whitley College
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 ecumenical Formation Team (Anne Pate, Tim McCowan, Jennifer Guild, Andrew Woff, and 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 use the 2025 Application for Audit form to apply.
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.
- Discern a sense of call and complete the 2025 ASC Application Form. If you have trouble accessing this link, please contact us and we can email you a copy.
- Provide referees, attend and interview, and if offered a place in the program, enrol through the University of Divinity.
For more information
Please contact the WellSpring Program Director
