Online Certification for Spiritual Directors

At A Glance

9 Months
12 Semester credit hours
$499 Cost per semester credit hour*

Accreditation

ATS (Association of Theological Schools), NWCCU

Format

Hybrid (online courses with a BridgeWeek intensive in Portland in September)

Tuition Cost For Entire Program

$5,988* (plus $1,750 for BridgeWeek intensive)

Courses Per Semester

2 (eight weeks each)

Weekly Workload

16 hours

Application Deadlines

Rolling application deadline; apply now

* All stated financial information is subject to change. Does not include costs associated with personal spiritual direction or supervision.

Create a Space for Spiritual Transformation

If you feel called to guide others on their spiritual journeys, our spiritual direction certification program will empower you as a generous listener, a contemplative presence and a compassionate soul companion.

Through a series of robust learning experiences, you’ll cultivate your God-given talents and gain insights about your own spiritual walk. By the time you graduate, you’ll be fully equipped to facilitate sacred spaces for all who long to be seen, heard and loved.

What will I experience?

Rooted in historical, theological and psychological exploration, this cohort-based program illuminates the significance of hosting spiritual conversations. You’ll weave personal experience with course teachings as you look through diverse metaphorical lenses and contemplative practices.

The practical implementation of core principles fosters director-directee relationships through evocative and contemplative methods. The journey deepens with a focus on the interiority of both directors and directees, allowing you to develop competencies through thematic studies and personal reflection.

You’ll continue honing your spiritual direction skills through peer and supervisor guidance and contemplative feedback. Personal and communal reflection will allow you to synthesize contextual and vocational considerations, preparing you for final certification.

After four eight-week courses, you’ll craft a summative reflective project that will be evaluated by experienced instructors and supervisors. Approval by course leaders paves the way for you to emerge as a certified spiritual director.

Pursue This Certification If ...

  • You want to practice spiritual direction vocationally
  • You want to increase the professional value of your calling in spiritual direction

Outcomes

Students will be equipped to: 

Prerequisites & Details

This certification is open to students who have completed spiritual formation education either at an ATS-accredited institution or a spiritual formation training program. If you qualify, you can apply now!

If you do not meet these requirements, you can apply for our Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation degree, which would allow you to continue into the Spiritual Direction Certification following completion.

Within this certification, you will:

Curriculum

Students explore the foundations of spiritual direction, assimilating the history, theology and psychology behind attentive soul companionship. Students are required to begin meeting with a certified spiritual director at their own expense.

Students put foundational contemplative and listening skills into action by establishing several director and directee relationships for training purposes. Students are required to continue to meet with a certified spiritual director and instructor-assigned supervisor at their own expense.
Students continue to refine their spiritual direction skills within the director and directee relationship and explore the interior aspects of direction through thematic studies and personal reflection. Students are required to continue meeting with a certified spiritual director and instructor-assigned supervisor at their own expense.
Students begin developing the structures necessary to integrate spiritual direction into their profession and continue to hone their spiritual-direction skills with their directees. Students receive final certification through a combination of a summative assessment process facilitated by the course instructor and the recommendation of the student’s supervisor. Students are required to continue meeting with a certified spiritual director and instructor-assigned supervisor at their own expense.

Admission Requirements

Students must have completed one of the following spiritual formation training pathways to be admitted to the Certification for Spiritual Directors program:

They must also submit the following:

Questions?

Haley Holman

Haley Holman

Admissions Counselor, Portland Seminary

George Fox University is required to make cost of attendance (COA) information publicly available on this website.