Spiritual Care Training

Listening and presence skills form the foundation for establishing and nurturing the counseling relationship. Intentional listening skills encourage the counselee to share their story openly. Understanding their story allows for optimal care and treatment.

Listening encompasses both verbal and nonverbal skills. Perception is a nonverbal listening skill that enables a counselor to detect subtle cues during the conversation, ensuring that the counselee’s story is fully heard. Research suggests that words account for approximately 7% of the message, tone of voice accounts for about 38%, and facial expressions contribute around 55% of the message people receive from others. There are several additional listening skills that help ensure the depth and essence of the story are understood.

While listening skills facilitate the complete understanding of a story, assessing the story is crucial for developing an effective care plan. Assessment tools can be tailored to each individual, aligning with their unique strengths. A variety of assessment tools will be provided for each provider to find the one that suits them best.

No one, including counselors, possesses all the answers. There will be circumstances where a care provider or counselor may not have an immediate response. It is essential for care providers to recognize their limitations and not extend beyond their expertise. This class emphasizes the importance of self-supervision when faced with uncertainty and highlights the significance of ethics, including nonmaleficence and beneficence.

After a person’s issue has been presented, it is essential to identify the root problem in order to develop an effective care plan. This plan will be created collaboratively with each individual. Utilizing reflective listening skills is crucial to ensure that the person’s story is heard and assessed accurately. The initial care plan may evolve as deeper issues are revealed during counseling sessions. Counselors can enhance their listening and assessment skills through experience.

Life can present unexpected challenges that disrupt an otherwise peaceful environment, often provoking uncertainty, fear, and confusion. Providing spiritual care to others can be emotionally draining, which underscores the importance of regular self-care. Caregivers need to establish boundaries and develop self-care habits. This course teaches the significance of self-care practices to ensure that counselors maintain their physical and psychological health, thereby minimizing stress.

Each person is uniquely created, which necessitates a diverse set of helping skills tailored to individual needs. This course emphasizes the importance of integrating helping skills with effective communication and relationship-building techniques that foster engagement between the caregiver and the care receiver.

Mental health encompasses a wide range of conditions and can be complex. Mental disorders and illnesses are diagnosable conditions that disrupt an individual’s ability to work, perform daily activities, and maintain healthy personal relationships. While caregivers may not be equipped to treat all mental health diagnosis, they can offer support through biblical counseling, which aims to enhance their spiritual growth and discipline. This course will educate participants about common mental health diagnoses and how to provide biblical counseling that supports individuals in living fully in Christ.

Grief is a response to the loss of someone or something significant. This course is designed to educate you or your group on grief counseling for both adults and children. It will help you identify whether someone is experiencing grief and may require assistance. The course will cover the stages of grief and explore potential pathways to healing.

Life can sometimes feel overwhelming, leading to a range of emotions. This course will explore the different aspects of depression, from feelings of despair to major depression, and provide guidance on how to offer effective counseling for each condition. The class will cover training on recognizing thought patterns, as well as methods for assessment and treatment.

This course provides insight into what individuals experience during trauma and crisis situations. Participants will learn about the four phases of a crisis: impact, withdrawal, adjustment, and reconstruction. The course will cover how to assess and provide treatment at each of these stages.

Suicide is a serious issue that requires immediate attention. This class educates participants about suicide and suicidal ideations, including how to identify each and respond appropriately. Additionally, the course will offer guidance on supporting loved ones who have lost someone to suicide, as well as those who have loved ones suffering from suicidal thoughts.

Death is an inevitable part of life, yet many people feel unprepared for it. This course will teach the differences between death, dying, and palliative care, and how to navigate these experiences. Participants will learn how to support individuals and families dealing with anticipatory grief while navigating the palliative care journey.

This course focuses on different care settings and how to conduct meaningful and healing visits. The ministry of presence and active listening allows patients to share their deepest thoughts and concerns. Often, patients feel more comfortable expressing their feelings to a skilled professional rather than a family member. Addressing these fears and concerns can be incredibly healing and necessary.

This class examines the emotional complexities surrounding divorce and singlehood. Feelings associated with these experiences can lead to unhealthy patterns of living. The course will compare unhealthy and healthy responses to these feelings and discuss effective ways to address them.

Addiction is a complex issue. This class will define addiction as currently understood and explore it as a disease often rooted in deeper problems. It is crucial to focus on what causes unhealthy behaviors and coping mechanisms, rather than merely addressing the symptoms.

All courses can be tailored to meet specific needs and interests.