Apprenticing is how non secular path coaching happened for hundreds of years. This historical mode is once more standard, solely now it’s transportable and extremely personalised, because of ease of on-line conferencing. I’ve been coaching apprentices since 2019 within the Apprentice Training Program of the Phoenix Center for Spiritual Direction, utilizing a curriculum I created that focuses on the fundamental expertise wanted to do non secular path. Due to its reputation, I’ve added two mentor/trainers to reply to the necessity.
What an Apprentice Is
A non secular path apprentice research with an skilled director who can be trainer. Very similar to apprentices in different service jobs, they be taught each from instruction in addition to supervised apply within the subject.
Who is an efficient candidate for Apprenticing?
Anybody who feels a powerful pull to develop into a non secular director and who has really been in non secular path for awhile ought to take into account coaching of any variety, together with apprenticing. Within the Apprentice Training Program of the Phoenix Center for Spiritual Direction we search for contributors who’ve already executed a number of non secular formation work (since we’re much less targeted on formation and extra on expertise). Good candidates embody anybody who has a background (self taught or in any other case) in non secular formation, retreats or non secular schooling. Apprentices embody lay folks, clergy, chaplains, life coaches, govt coaches, seminary college students, seminary professors, psychological well being professionals and other people with medical backgrounds, simply to call just a few. Non secular directors-in-training come from a myriad of spiritual and non secular traditions: Christian, Jewish, Sufi, Buddhist, hybrids of two or extra traditions and “non secular however not non secular.” In case you are inquisitive about your readiness for apprenticing on this space, speak along with your non secular director and analysis the probabilities.
Advantages from Apprenticing
Whereas there are various methods to coach as a non secular path–most of which contain working inside a cohort–for some folks flexibility is a precedence. They merely can’t take day off to indicate up at these applications. In my program , apprentices and mentors decide after we meet–and it might be mornings, evenings and even weekends. The mentor or apprentice can simply reschedule courses when life interrupts their plans. Studying in this system can go on the tempo that works finest for the apprentice–as fast as 9 months or so long as just a few years.
Apprentices additionally profit financially as a result of there may be little to no overhead prices to the trainers, so these applications are normally extra reasonably priced than conventional applications.
What I hear from the graduates of my apprentice program is that they particularly recognize the one-on-one consideration and the power trainers should dive deep with them in areas the place they want a bit extra instruction.
The way to Discover a Mentor
There are just a few apprentice applications on the market, so do an web search and discover them. Use the contact varieties on the web sites to achieve the administrators after which interview the one that can be coaching you and ask a number of questions. Discover out what they imply by phrases like practicum (sensible expertise doing non secular path) and the way it’s executed. In my program, apprentices discover directees (shoppers) who’re keen to be video recorded just a few occasions so the coach will get to see how the apprentice interacts with the directee. Make sure that supervision is a part of this system. Supervision is the dialogue of a case research primarily based on one thing that occurred throughout a session that the apprentice wants to grasp extra absolutely. Normally it facilities across the apprentices emotional reactions to content material introduced up in non secular path. Don’t pay cash for a program that doesn’t provide or require supervision of your practicum experiences!
Outcomes from Apprenticing
Apprentice program graduates obtain the identical Certificates of Completion that individuals in conventional applications obtain. There isn’t any normal certification or evaluations for non secular administrators. However folks on the lookout for a non secular director regularly search for ones with coaching.
I welcome e mail inquiries concerning the Apprentice Training Program of the Phoenix Center for Spiritual Direction both on the contact part of the webpage or at teresa@teresablythe.net. Right here’s hoping you discover simply the suitable program in your wants!
