Christian Spiritual Direction is the relationship between a director and directee that seeks to to enhance and guide the spiritual formation of the directee. It is based within the Christian tradition, Christ-centered, and focused on helping the directee form a solid relationship with God. It entails struggles beyond what mere Christian counseling faces but instead focuses interior spiritual battles involving temptation, virtue and vice, contemplation, meditation, prayer, phases of spiritual growth, submission to God’s will and unity with God. Register today and take the next step in providing comprehensive faith-based guidance in spiritual formation.
Spiritual Director Certification Course Requirements and Fees
In order to participate in the program and get your Spiritual Director Certification, you need to meet one of the following pre-requisites below.
- A registered nurse currently licensed to practice nursing.
- A licensed social worker.
- A licensed healthcare professional.
- A healthcare provider with at least an associate’s degree.
- A licensed counselor or psychologist.
- A professional with a bachelor’s degree or higher in psychology, human services, theology, pastoral ministry or other health-related fields.
- Working in a healthcare chaplain ministry under the direction of a pastoral chaplain or clergy.
- A licensed minister or any legal clerical representative of a religion.
- A crisis counselor.
- A certified addictions counselor.
- A professional currently certified in grief counseling, stress management consulting, or pastoral thanatology.
If you would like to find out if you meet the qualifications for this certification program. Then please fill out our qualification review form.
The program itself consists of five required CE courses, which will cost a total of $900 and include the courses below. After completing the courses there is a certification fee for the Christian Spiritual Director Certification of $220, plus shipping and handling, which includes the official certificate, ID card, and other related documents. The full list of courses includes:
- SC 690 – Introduction to Spiritual Direction
- SC 691 – Applications in Spiritual Health
- SC 692 – Cultivating The Interior Spiritual Life
- GC 630 – Counseling Ministry to the Bereaved
- SC 650 – Christian Morality
After passing the program, you can fill out our application for certification to become certified with AIHCP for a period of four years. With the certification, you can use the initials “C-CSD”, or “Certified Christian Spiritual Director”. They may also use the title “Christian Spiritual Director, Certified.”
Health Care Fellowship status is also available from AIHCP, which requires 250 hours of continued education over six years from the date of the application to the fellowship program. On completion of the program, you can add the “FAIHCP” or “Fellow in the American Institute of Healthcare Professionals in Christian Spiritual Direction” credentials to your title.
Renewing Your Spiritual Direction Certification
AIHCP’S Christian Spiritual Direction Certification extends four years, after which you will need to get recertified. Fortunately, AIHCP offers a recertification program to enable further use of the credentials after the initial certification period. The recertification fee is $220, plus shipping and handling, and you need to provide evidence of at least 50 contact hours of continuing education in the form of studies, lectures, and learning activities related to trauma-informed spiritual care. You must also show proof of at least 500 hours of practice with the spiritual trauma informed care counseling certification over the four-year certification period.
Spiritual Direction Certification Testimonials
The success of AIHCP is due to the many satisfied professionals who took our courses, gained new skills, and increased their value in the workplace. Check our testimonials page and see the many healthcare professionals who grew their practice or advanced in their fields, such as case management, grief counseling, and crisis intervention.
The Benefits of a Spiritual Direction Certification
Christian Spiritual Direction delves deeper than Christian Counseling and looks to help individuals cultivate a deeper relationship with God. This type of demand is different than counseling and requires a different level of training. A Christian Spiritual Direction certification illustrates that one has the training and understanding of spiritual formation and development for helping others find a closer relationship with God. Clergy and non-clergy alike can benefit from the knowledge contained in Spiritual Direction to become better guides in helping souls navigate the troubled waters of the spiritual world.
Learning new ways to incorporate trauma informed spiritual care goes beyond the certification program. AIHCP stays tuned in to the latest advancements with our Spiritual Counseling Healthcare blog, which offers news and insights that are beneficial for all professionals.
FAQs on AIHCP’s Spiritual Direction Certification
What are the benefits of a Christian Spiritual Direction certification?
AIHCP’s Christian Spiritual Direction helps clergy, Christian counselors, and others in pastoral care to effectively help others in spiritual formation and a closer relationship with God. Spiritual Direction is more than just counseling but helping one find deeper connection to God while facing internal and external struggles.
Do I have to take the program and its courses to achieve my certification?
Our model for certification is designed so that our certified members have accomplished the same educational achievements and have consistency in knowledge and skills attainment. Many have experience in many types of specialty practices, but they are varied. Our model focuses on core and solid, comprehensive knowledge and skills that have been determined to practice the specialty at a higher level of quality practice. However, there are instances where past education may be used to waive some of the courses required. View our FAQ page to learn more.
Do you offer a curriculum of continuing education courses for recertification?
Each of our certification programs offers continuing education curricula designed to meet the full requirements for recertification.
Do your continuing education courses have any board approvals?
Most of our continuing education courses do have some or many board approvals, though specific approval depends on the type of professional boards. You can see the full list on our healthcare CE approvals page.
Is the certification necessary for Christian Spiritual Direction?
It is not necessary to be certified in spiritual direction but it does advertise credibility and enhance one’s professional resume. Many priests, ministers and pastoral caregivers offer spiritual direction but as it becomes more in demand and needed in a spiritually challenging world, many will seek professionals who show credentials in this background beyond clergy.
What is the process for your Certification programs? How do I enter and complete a the case management certification program?
We have a dedicated page that provides a quick over-view of our certification process. It will provide you with good information about the process/phases of both the education courses and application for certification.