Certificate in Spiritual Direction
Learn how to guide others deeper with Jesus in emotional health and loving relationships with Soul Shepherding’s Spiritual Direction Certificate program. You’ll gain practical skills and experience to be a compassionate spiritual director and strengthen your ministry impact.
Everyone longs to go deeper with Jesus in emotional health and loving relationships. But many are derailed by stress overload, discouragement, or spiritual dryness. And their efforts to be healthier and more loving get hijacked by unconscious self-defeating patterns.
They need the compassionate listening, care, and guidance of a spiritual director trained in Jesus-centered psychology and spirituality.
You can be that spiritual director, assisting the Spirit of Jesus to minister God’s empathy, grace, and wisdom to people who are struggling or stuck in their spiritual journey. Plus you can earn side income from this ministry or qualify for a better job.
Drs. Bill and Kristi Gaultiere have trained thousands of people like you in their Jesus-centered psychology and spirituality. Their integrative approach is the foundation of the Certificate in Spiritual Direction program offered by the Soul Shepherding Institute.
You can learn how to guide others to go deeper with Jesus in emotional health and loving leadership!
About the Spiritual Direction Training Program
Like many people, you may be asking how you can become a spiritual director. This spiritual direction training program is our answer. In this two-year journey with a community of mentors and friends, you will be equipped to begin a professional practice as a spiritual director or to bring excellent spiritual direction skills into your church, mission, nonprofit ministry, or other job.
Our students include pastors, missionaries, counselors, church workers, ministry spouses, coaches, business leaders, and other leaders.
People choose this program for:
- Jesus-centered psychology
- Focus on empathy in spiritual direction
- Integrating spiritual, emotional, and relational health
- Learning new spiritual disciplines like contemplative prayer
- Immersive retreats with other leaders like you
- Live supervision for encouragement and honing your skills
- Exceeds the spiritual direction training guidelines of the ESDA
- Flexibility of 100% online or hybrid with residential retreats
Is this program right for me?
If you’re on the fence about becoming a spiritual director, or if you’re trying to discern which spiritual direction certificate program is a good fit for you, we’d love to help! Join us for a free online Open House event on January 16th at 5pm Pacific Time to support you in your discernment process.
What You Can Expect to Learn and Experience
- Discover the Heart of Spiritual Direction: Understand Soul Shepherding's approach and how it integrates Jesus-centered psychology with spiritual direction.
- Meet Our Founders: Learn directly from Drs. Bill and Kristi Gaultiere about their passion for training spiritual directors and the unique aspects of our program.
- Hear Inspiring Stories: Listen to testimonies from our graduates who have been equipped to serve the Lord as spiritual directors.
- Gain Practical Insights: Explore the tools and techniques that will help you support others in their spiritual journey, especially those who feel stuck in their prayer life or are struggling to sense God's presence.
- Get Your Questions Answered: Participate in a live Q&A session to address any questions you have about the program or the application process.
Partners & Beneficiaries of the Spiritual Direction Program
Jacksonville, FL
Singapore
Global Community
Lenexa, KS
Anaheim, CA
International Church
Stafford, TX
Arlington, TX
Lawrence, KS
Gainesville, GA
Marion, Indiana
Colorado Springs, CO
Orange, CA
Federal Way, WA
Global Churches
Auburn, CA
Tyler, TX
Pasadena, CA
Courses in the Spiritual Direction Program
The top value in the Soul Shepherding Institute’s two-year Certificate in Spiritual Direction is intimacy with Jesus. Dr’s Bill and Kristi Gaultiere and each of the faculty they’ve mentored approach every class, group, and individual conversation with a heart to assist Jesus in his ministry to you personally. That’s because your most fruitful and joyful ministry to others overflows from your own relationship with God and soul care practices.
You will learn spiritual direction skills and soul care practices to apply to your life, relationships, and work or ministry. The learning is conversational, experiential, and practical.
The spiritual direction courses include these topics:
- Looking to Jesus as Spiritual Director
- Empathy in spiritual direction
- Stages of emotional and spiritual growth
- Spiritual disciplines and contemplative prayer
- The Enneagram
- Healing prayer
- Sabbaticals
- Spiritual direction traditions
- Guidance to practice spiritual direction
- Supervision in small groups
How Much Time is Required?
The time to earn your certificate in spiritual direction from Soul Shepherding is flexible. In addition to the four 5-day retreats, some students can complete the program requirements in about five hours a month over the course of two years.
Other students choose to spend more time because they love what they’re learning and have time for additional learning through reading, soul care groups, supervision or practice spiritual direction sessions.
Schedule
Starts March 1st each year (late registration is open until May 31st).
In addition to the online program, all four Soul Shepherding Institute retreats need to be completed to earn a certificate.
Cost
$369* per month for 24 months (this includes fees for the required 4 Institute retreats).
A $100 non-refundable enrollment fee will be collected if you are accepted to the program.
*Additional costs for spiritual direction sessions, books, late registration, premium retreat center room, and private room on retreat.
** Pastors and missionaries can apply for partial scholarship assistance
Additional Questions? Talk to Us!
Check out our FAQ or connect with us now!
Can You Make a Living as a Spiritual Director?
A certificate in spiritual direction can help you start a private practice as a spiritual director to work flexible hours, from home or an office, part-time or full-time. Others use their certificate to improve their skills in a job with a church, mission organization, nonprofit, or business.
How to Be Certified as a Spiritual Director
Earning a certificate in spiritual direction indicates that you’ve completed a course of training in the ministry of offering spiritual direction to people. Certificate programs vary in curriculum, length, courses, and requirements. The Certificate in Spiritual Direction program offered through the Soul Shepherding Institute exceeds the training standard guidelines of the ESDA.
After graduation Soul Shepherding invites qualifying graduates, on a select “as needed” basis, to apply to be certified as a Spiritual Director in your work with Soul Shepherding. Spiritual direction certification (or getting certified as a spiritual director) for ongoing work is a higher standard than earning a certificate. Spiritual direction certification from Soul Shepherding includes complying with our policies and Statement of Faith, receiving ongoing supervision, and demonstrating excellent and ethical care of others.
Certificate in Spiritual Direction
Additional Questions? Talk to Us!
Check out our FAQ or connect with us now!
