Spiritual Counseling Certification

The ISCC program core curriculum classes meet roughly every other Saturday from 11 AM - 5 PM ET. There are three full weekend classes, at the start, in the middle, and at the end of the program. You can find the class dates for the upcoming cohort here: ISCC Class Dates

In addition, each student is required to take (only) one Concentration at the end of the 9.5-month core curriculum. The dates are listed on the same page as above.

The program begins with an in person 2 night intensive at STony Point Center in Stony Point, NY. The remainder of the ISCC classes are offered via Zoom video conference in real-time. Classes are recorded in the rare case that a student needs to miss a class.

Yes, the very first weekend from late Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon takes place at an in-person intensive. This helps to build a strong connection in the cohort that is vital to the shared knowledge and learning for everyone’s growth and benefit.

One Spirit has been offering live-streaming classes since before Zoom even existed. Over ten years and countless class hours, our teams have cultivated practices and techniques to keep the technology in the background, so our experiential learning is front and center. Our dedicated media team runs all the technological components of the classes so our presenters, staff, and students can focus on the deep work offered and engage with each other. Engaging in real-time allows you to be intimately involved in each class and participate in breakout groups with your fellow students and practicum sessions to gain real experience. You'll also have large group discussions with the entire class and interact with the co-facilitators.

To help create this sense of strong connection, we start the program with a short in person intensive. And we see the squares of videos on Zoom not as boxes or walls but as windows, allowing us to meet our neighbors from around the world in thoughtful and intimate ways. We've learned that the presence felt in physical space and the inner work needed to create that space is also possible on Zoom. Spiritual companionship regularly occurs over Zoom, and extends possibilities for companionship internationally. Our students find the training to be a rich and a life-enhancing experience. They develop a strong sense of spiritual community with their classmates and colleagues over the course of the program.

The ISCC program is designed as a professional training program that can be successfully completed while maintaining a full-time job. However, to thrive in this program, a clear commitment of time and intention is required. We find that those who get the full benefit of the training are those who have created space in their life to be fully engaged and participate at all levels.

The time commitment of the 9.5-month Core Curriculum can vary significantly from student to student, depending on their level of engagement with the materials. The monthly average amount of time commitment is 35-45 hours. This includes 12 hours per month class time, eLearning modules with an average of 6-10 hours per month, study group which meets once or twice a month for at least one hour, monthly supervision sessions, pro-bono companioning, and receiving personal interspiritual companioning. A minimum of three credits of elective classes are also required. At the end of the core curriculum, students must also participate in a Concentration described below.

We engage in in-class practicum sessions with your fellow students. These sessions are conducted in small groups with an experienced Supervisor. While the practical experience of offering companioning is vital to growing the skills needed, watching these sessions also offers great benefit for the students to witness different styles and approaches to companioning. These are safe spaces to explore the themes learned from the eLearning modules and try out the skills presented.

A Concentration Track allows for deeper development of Interspiritual Companioning/Counseling skills in a chosen area. They are offered at the completion of the 9.5-month Core Curriculum. Each concentration track consists of six live class sessions and corresponding eLearning modules. Students are required to choose (only) one concentration.

Yes, though students are discouraged from missing class as it inhibits the sense of community and sharing of perspectives that’s so important to the program. Students are disallowed to miss more than 4 classes.

All students are assigned a Supervisor who provides support and feedback throughout the program. Supervisors also provide guidance around the preparation for interspiritual companioning and supervision for your pro-bono companioning sessions. Study group members provide peer support as well.

You are also required to receive private personal spiritual companioning with an approved provider from our curated list. This is not only beneficial for the experience of personally being companioned, but it is another area of support for your explorations in the ISCC program.

Your study group is your small group within the larger community. Participation is required and can be in-person (in those instances where there are several students in geographical proximity to each other), by conference call, or on an online platform such as Zoom or Skype. It's a place to further delve into the topics being explored and try out techniques and tools being developed during the course of the program.

In addition to the types of support listed previously, each ISCC cohort has a private, interactive class website. The class website is also the place where students come together to access the eLearning modules and handouts, and to build community with one another.

As an opportunity to have practical, real experience and develop your skills as an Interspiritual Companion/Counselor, students work with two volunteers as companions to receive interspiritual companioning/counseling. The volunteers are paired with the students by our Companioning Coordinators. Between your two pro bono companions, you'll have a minimum of 10 sessions during the 9.5-month core curriculum.

You will also have private supervision with your Supervisor concerning these pro-bono sessions once they begin. The schedule and frequency for these are worked out between the student and the Supervisor and these sessions are included in the program tuition.

Students are required to participate in receiving private interspiritual companioning and counseling with someone from our approved list of practitioners. These professionals have agreed to offer their services on a sliding scale to our students. We encourage students to consult with more than one to find someone they are comfortable working with and whose fees are affordable for them. You'll need to have a minimum of eight sessions during the 9.5 months of the core curriculum.

If you're already working with a spiritual director, the co-facilitators will ask to meet them, if they don't already know them. We do that to ensure they align with and understand the program and can support you as needed during the program.

No. We offer certificates of completion upon graduation. We are a professional training program rather than an academic institution.

In order to successfully participate in this program you will need: a personal (not shared) email address, a computer with high speed internet access (to download the handouts, homework and view video recordings and to use Zoom), and Microsoft Word, Google Docs or equivalent software. All homework assignments are submitted online through the class portal Wisdom Web. For specific computer or device system requirements please go here: System Requirements. For the fullest experience as a companion learner, you will also need a webcam and headset with microphone.

In general, you should have a working knowledge of using computers to:

• Author documents in a word processor.

• Browse and search for files on your computer or tablet.

• Convert or Save documents to PDF.

• Download and install apps on your computer or tablet.

• Set, remember and use passwords and reset them if necessary.

• Keep your operating system, browser and other software up to date.

• Search the Internet for solutions when you need to learn how to do something.

• Get technical support in your local community if something doesn't work.

Class size varies, with approximately 40-55 students enrolled each year.

During each year of study, One Spirit offers a variety of elective classes (listed as Workshops on the website - Live or Streaming) that allow students to self-direct a portion of their education and focus on areas that are of interest or on subjects that support their call to serve. Electives supplement the core curriculum and allow for deeper exploration. All students are required to take a minimum of three elective credits in each year of study with eight hour of class time equaling one credit. These electives are generally held for either one weekend day, a full weekend, or two hours over multiple weekday evenings. The electives are included in your tuition. Our elective classes are also open to the public. All are offered via Zoom video conference and video recording.

ISCC is co-facilitated by Rev. Dr. Khadijah Matin, Rev. Dr. Ed O'Malley, and Rev. Nathan Brisby along with the ISCC supervisors. The eLearning modules offer a wide and diverse range of voices speaking on the many topics explored in the curriculum.

Bear in mind, that your financial status has no bearing on your acceptance into the ISCC program. Beginning in the late Fall of 2021, One Spirit took the very bold step of creating the Fair Share Tuition System. This honor-based plan transparently shares the cost of educating a student in our program and gives people the opportunity to pay what they can afford. No forms, applications, or questions are asked. Upon acceptance, students will be asked to self-assess a level of tuition (which includes program tuition, supervision, 4-credits to use for elective workshops, and one required concentration track) that has meaningful value to them based on all that is included and choose the tuition option which best reflects that. Your Tuition Payment Agreement (sent with your registration materials after you are accepted into our program) will give you in-depth information about this and also offer you different payment plans. Not included in tuition are personal interspiritual companioning sessions, fees are paid directly to the provider.