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Institute and Certificate in Spiritual Direction FAQ

Soul Shepherding Retreats

Who are Soul Shepherding Retreats for?

Soul Shepherding Retreats are for anyone who wants to grow deeper with Jesus. This includes (but isn’t limited to): pastors, missionaries, ministry spouses, counselors, spiritual directors, business leaders, and parents.

  • Apply → First-time participants. (No payment until you’re accepted and ready to register.)

  • Register → For those already accepted and ready to commit to a particular retreat

No. Many people start with just one retreat. You’re welcome to attend as few or as many as you’d like, and you can attend them in any order you choose. You can also repeat the retreats.

Every retreat is available online via Zoom. See the bottom of this FAQ section for more information about attending online!

We offer partial scholarships for pastors and missionaries. Payment plans are also available. You can contact Mark Hughes at mark@soulshepherding.org to learn more.

Yes! We provide customized retreats, organizational support, consultations, and coaching for groups and organizations of various sizes. You can contact Amy Dalke at amy@soulshepherding.org to learn more.

There are four ways you can enjoy a cohort experience with us:

  1. Retreats: Our retreats are offered in different locations (e.g., Malibu, Scottsdale, Dallas, and St. Simons Island). If you participate in all 4 retreats at the same location, there will be returning retreatants sharing in a cohort experience, along with first time retreatants.
  2. Certificate in Spiritual Direction (CSD): In this two-year program you are in a cohort with other spiritual direction students for your online classes. The retreats you attend during your training will have a combination of CSD students and others.
  3. Certificate in Coaching (CC): In this one year program you are in a cohort with other coaching students for classes and supervision. The retreats you attend during your training will have a combination of CC students and others.
  4. Supervision Groups: Within CSD and CC, you’ll be in a small online group for encouragement and supervised ministry experience.

No! For your very first retreat you’ll complete a one time application and include a personal reference. From there, we will walk you through the process step by step!

Retreats generally average about 40-60 participants, including some who choose to attend online. Participants have come from all over the world including almost all 50 states and more than 25 countries (UK, Mexico, Africa, Philippines, Indonesia, Canada, Columbia, China, New Zealand and more).

Drs. Bill and Kristi Gaultiere (therapists, pastors, and spiritual directors) developed the Soul Shepherding Retreats, Certificate in Spiritual Direction, and Certificate in Coaching to integrate Jesus-centered psychology and spiritual formation. They were personally mentored by Dallas and Jane Willard for a number of years and their teachings are throughout. Each retreat teaching session includes a Bible study on the associated topic. The retreats are five days long, rather than three days, to facilitate an immersion in God’s loving presence with an authentic community of fellow leaders. The Soul Shepherding approach emphasizes intimacy with Jesus, empathy, authenticity, and leading others out of the overflow of God’s grace in your own life.

For each retreat you will receive a retreat manual (your choice of digital or physical) that includes introductions and outlines for each session, space for note-taking, Bible studies, and guided spiritual experiences. 

If this is your first retreat, your first step is to complete the application and provide one reference. Have the person providing your reference use this link: Reference Form.  

After we review your application and reference, you will receive an email notification from us regarding your acceptance status. If you are accepted, you will be required to make a $250 deposit to secure your spot. If you want to apply for both the Institute Retreats and Certificate in Spiritual Direction program, please click here.

If you’ve already applied (and have been accepted) for the retreats or the Certificate in Spiritual Direction program, click here to register for a retreat today. Retreats often fill up so don’t delay registering!

We understand that unexpected circumstances can affect your plans to attend a retreat. Our cancellation policy is designed to be considerate of your needs while also respecting the costs incurred by Soul Shepherding.

  • 45 or more days before the retreat begins: You may cancel your registration and apply your payment as a credit toward another Soul Shepherding Retreat taking place within the next 12 months. Please email our team as soon as possible to arrange this.
  • 0–44 days before the retreat begins: Refunds and retreat credits are not available. Your payment will be retained by Soul Shepherding and treated as a tax-deductible donation in support of our ministry.

All of our retreats are available to attend over Zoom. In order to participate, you will need to have a reliable cell or WIFI connection. When you register, you can indicate your desire to participate over Zoom. If you are in a different time zone from the retreat location, you can use this Time Zone Calculator to help you determine what time you should log in for each teaching and group session. (A retreat schedule will be provided to you once you register.) 

All the teaching sessions during the retreat are recorded and our Retreat Administrator will make those recordings available if you are unable to attend one “live.” The recordings are only made available for the sessions you missed and are not viewable after the retreat has concluded. Soul Shepherding group sessions are not recorded for confidentiality reasons.

Participating at a retreat online can be just as engaging and meaningful as an in-person retreat if you do some prep ahead of time. We put together this document that walks you through how to plan for an engaging online retreat experience.

We do not offer reduced fees for our retreats. Although we encourage in-person attendance, we believe we are able to offer an online experience that does not diminish the participant’s experience. Feedback from our online participants has revealed they often feel as much a part of the retreat as those physically present. Additionally, we provide an online facilitator who leads group discussions with all online participants.

Certificate in Spiritual Direction (CSD) Program 

The CSD program is designed to accompany the Institute retreats for those who sense a call to become trained as a spiritual director. It is an optional 24 month program of additional training with a cohort of other like-minded people.

CSD is an online course completed with a cohort over 24 months. It includes:

    • 4 Institute retreats
    • 12 online classes (one every other month)
    • 10 group supervision sessions and 1 individual supervision session
    • Receiving a minimum of 12 spiritual direction sessions (one every other month) from one of Soul Shepherding’s Sr. Spiritual Directors 
    • Enriching reading assignments with short reflection papers on what you’re learning
    • 20 spiritual direction sessions you lead with a friend or someone you’re ministering to — using practical tools that we give you

If you have never applied for the Institute, you will need to complete our application. You will also need to provide two references. (Have the people providing your references use this link: Reference Form.) Once you are accepted, you can confirm your participation by completing the enrollment form and making your first payment online or by mail to Soul Shepherding, 4000 Barranca Parkway, Suite 250 Irvine, CA 92604.

The cost of this program is $419/month for 24 months. This covers online classes, supervision groups and more. (The Institute retreats are included in this price).

Curriculum books and individual spiritual direction sessions are not included in the $419/month payment. Discounts for spiritual direction are available to students who meet with one of Soul Shepherding’s certified Sr. Spiritual Directors. A full breakdown of these program costs can be found at this link.

Soul Shepherding can offer partial scholarships for pastors and missionaries who are unable to pay the full tuition. These are provided on a case-by-case basis. If you are in need of financial assistance, please contact mark@soulshepherding.org.

Soul Shepherding’s CSD program is a cost effective way to receive spiritual direction training without the added time commitment and expense that often comes with seminary based programs (usually requiring a Masters degree). The CSD Program exceeds the certification requirements of the Christ-centered Spiritual Direction Association (CSDA). You can find out more about those requirements at their website: Grafted Life Training Minimums

On a select basis, Soul Shepherding invites qualifying graduates to apply to join our staff of certified Spiritual Directors. As a certified Spiritual Director with Soul Shepherding you will have your profile listed on our website and receive referrals.

If you are interested in becoming a Sabbatical coach or receiving an Enneagram tag, please email Robyn Jungeblut at robyn@soulshepherding.org.

If you have further questions about our retreats and the CSD program, we would be happy to meet with you.  You can schedule a free Zoom call here or you can email Dave Rimoldi at dave@soulshepherding.org. We are here to serve and help you get started.

Soul Shepherding