With trusted friends and colleagues I am very proud to have developed and founded the Spiritual Companions Trust.
The Spiritual Companions Trust is an educational charity that develops resources and delivers programmes at the interface of health, wellbeing and spirituality.
We celebrate diversity and welcome people from all spiritual traditions and none at all.
Our emblem is a feather on water. Our work requires care and sensitive awareness — a light touch.
We are dedicated to supporting people in a  person-centred and holistic approach to spirituality and we deliver this through:
Courses
Community
One-to-one and small groups
Organisational Trainings and Consultancy
Continuing professional Development (CPD) trainings.
All Spiritual Companions adhere to the Spiritual Companions Guidelines. We are not aligned with any particular faith and our members tend to belong to that section of society which may label itself as ‘spiritual but not necessarily religious’ . We welcome people from all faiths and none.
History
Spiritual Companions evolved from a series of experimental courses run by William Bloom in the 1990s. These courses were titled the Open Mystery School and were based in St. James’s Church, Piccadilly. Their purpose was to understand the core practices at the heart of all spiritual approaches, but free of their particular beliefs, myths and symbolism.
A group of two hundred interested people then responded to drafts around how the essence of spiritual practice might be described, which resulted in the Spiritual Companions Guidelines.
In 2006 Spiritual Companions Educator, Kate Bird, and William Bloom wrote a 10 Session course ‘Introduction to Contemporary Spirituality.’ This course was trialled in twelve adult education centres.
The first Spiritual Companions course was run in 2006. In 2009 the Mangreen Centre near Norwich also began to deliver Spiritual Companions courses. At the time of writing nine SC educators are delivering SC courses across the United Kingdom.
Originally Spiritual Companions was a project under the umbrella of the Foundation for Holistic Spirituality cic. In February 2014 the Spiritual Companions Trust acquired its own legal status as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
This page contains practical information for joining the course.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
There are no formal academic entry requirements other than being 18 or older.
There is an application form, which requires you to give some life history and describe your motivation.
Our main concern is that learners demonstrate the potential to develop emotional literacy, a welcoming attitude to diversity and mature self-management.
APPLICATION
If you want to apply to be on this course, please send us the following information:
(It is completely confidential and only intended to help us support you better.)
Name:
Address:
Telephone number:
Email address:
Let us have a few sentences in answer to the following questions
1. What do you hope to gain from this course?
2. What set you on the path of personal/spiritual development?
3. Who and what are your significant influences, teachers, books, events and experiences?
4. Having completed the course and gained accreditation how might you take this approach forward in your personal and work life?
5. Please describe any significant events in your physical and mental healthcare history. (We keep this information strictly confidential and need it only so that we can better support you.)
5. Are your home circumstances supportive to your doing this course? If they are challenging, please tell us.
6. We also need a recent CV including your date of birth.
Email this information, preferably as a Word document, to docfeena@gmail.com
FEES
The fee for the course is 3000chf (Swiss francs) or EARLY BIRD 2600chf if paid by 30th June 2019.
Staggered payments are also available of 700chf for each of the five sessions.
Feena May, support tutor, will organise all payments with you.
Any questions: docfeena@gmail.com
ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION
Assessment is via a portfolio that contains reflective notes, a diary of insights and observations, and mini-essays.
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND INTERNET
We ask all students to have access to the Internet as the portfolio is web-based and some small group sessions may happen via Skype.
TIMING AND STRUCTURE
Students are organised into small peer support groups, who meet several times during the course either in person or by conference call/Skype.
Students are also required to support their learning between modules with time spent: reading, doing spiritual practice, companioning others and reflective writing assignments.
VENUE
Maison Internationale des Associations
Rue des Savoises 15, 1205 Genève Website
OFQUAL SPEC AND POLICIES
For the full Ofqual Spec and relevant policy documents including DTP, refunds and inclusivity please visit the Downloads and Policies page on the Spiritual Companions website.
DIPLOMA IN PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITY & WELLNESS (Crossfields Institute Level 3 Diploma in Practical Spirituality and Wellness – Qual No: 601/8673/2 Sector Subject Area: Health and Social Care) The first UK qualification integrating spirituality and healthcare to be on the Ofqual Register
Explore and deepen your spirituality Discover the health benefits Help others
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I am currently supporting other educators deliver the course. I will post information as soon as a course led by me is scheduled. For links to their courses visit: spiritual companions.org
The qualification has Four Modules with these learning outcomes
1: Person Centred Spiritual Practice
Know the common features of spiritual experiences and spiritual practices across the globe
Develop their own understanding of spirituality and spiritual practice
Build and create their own daily spiritual wellbeing practice and practice core skills of meditation
2: Reflective Practice and Self-Awareness in the Context of Spiritual Development
Understand the elements, benefits and importance of reflective practice and self-awareness in the context of spiritual development
Build skills to implement a regular practice of reflection and self-management
Engage in reflective conversations with others about own developmental process.
Investigate how well their lifestyle and behaviours align with the Spiritual Companions Guidelines
3: Science and Context
Review the historical and cultural relationship between spirituality and medicine
Understand the evidence base for the health benefits of spirituality and the key elements of spirituality and faith that can benefit physical and mental health
Ability to define the benefits of spirituality for their own health and wellbeing and to facilitate this discussion with future clients.
4: Spiritual Care in Practice
Leading to the practice of being a Spiritual Health Coach/Mentor, this module builds skills enabling participants to:
Prepare a safe and sacred space
Lead an individual or small group into meditation
Demonstrate whole body listening for a sustained period with an individual and a group
Develop the communication skills of spiritual companioning
Explain the progression of and care for stages of spiritual emergency
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Our Definition of Spirituality
We always encourage people to develop their own definition of spirituality. That said, we find that the following definition is appropriate and helpful in most educational and healthcare environments.
Spirituality is everyone’s natural connection with the wonder and energy of life – and the instinct to explore that experience and its meaning.
Spirituality affirms that human development is about the growth of compassion and awareness, heart and mind.
Approach
Our approach is person-centred and holistic.
Our first enquiry is always: ‘What works best for you?’
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Relevance
There is an increasing need for spiritually competent people, whose approach is holistic, highly inclusive and who celebrate diversity. This is particularly relevant in the fields of healthcare, education and organisational wellbeing. This is based on two important developments:
The growing evidence base for the beneficial links between spirituality and health.
A general social tendency away from membership of a single religious faith to a more general spiritual approach.
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Lead Tutor: WilliamBloom
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APPLICATION FORM AND FURTHER INFORMATION
For the full Ofqual Spec and relevant policy documents including DTP, refunds and inclusivity please visit the Downloads and Policies page on the Spiritual Companions website.
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To learn more about Spiritual Companions and other centres delivering the course: spiritual companions.org
Develop and deepen your spirituality in a friendly group of like-minded open-hearted peers.
Learn about its health benefits and how to support others in them.
Achieve a national recognised qualification that will enhance your CV and work life.
Professional Benefits
Gain a professional qualification to be a Spiritual Health Coach/Mentor, and give person-centred and holistic spiritual support.
Become part of a professional network with peer support, insurance scheme and ongoing CPD.
Set up an independent practice.
Work professionally or as a volunteer in multi-disciplinary teams e.g.: hospices, hospitals, schools, colleges, prisons, etc.
Integrate spiritual health into your current career.
Acquire practical strategies and concepts that can immediately be shared with others.
‘Spirituality emphasises the healing of the person, not just the disease. It views life as a journey, where good and bad experiences can help you to learn, develop and mature.’ Royal College of Psychiatrists
This page contains the Spiritual Companions Guidelines and below that the Spiritual Companions Agreement
SPIRITUAL COMPANIONS GUIDELINES
These guidelines were written after a lengthy consultation process involving feedback, editing and opinions from 200 interested and independent men and women.
Connection
Regularly connect with and experience the wonder and energy of existence.
Core Skills
Are grounded and centred in our bodies; embodied and in hara
Can pause, still at will and become mindfully present
Awareness of the subtle sensations of connection
Witness with compassion, in silence when appropriate
Reflection
Self-reflect and manage our behaviour, health and development with compassion, love and wisdom
Are emotionally literate and transparent about our own processes
Are in ongoing relationships and groups of peer support, actively seeking and welcoming feedback from others
Understand that there are psychological challenges that occur as the everyday self emerges into spiritual consciousness
Can take responsibility, apologise, forgive and receive forgiveness
Appreciate that all life is in a continual process of emergence and are comfortable with unknowing
Possess an appropriate sense of humour
Service
Enable safe and sacred space
Provide a non-intrusive, welcoming, healing and holding presence
Listen with care and enable people to clarify and own their own psycho-spiritual development
Can assert clear boundaries and intervene, when appropriate, to stop abuse
Celebrate diversity and welcome the fact that there are many different paths of spiritual development
Are engaged citizens, actively dedicated to social and ecological health and honouring the spirit in all beings
Are aware of local resources
Know our personal and professional limitations and are able to refer appropriately
SPIRITUAL COMPANIONS AGREEMENT
The Spiritual Companions Agreement describes the service offered by Spiritual Companions and defined by our insurance cover..
The Spiritual Companions Agreement
Listening
With compassion, discretion and respect I will reassure and support you through careful listening, seeking fully to understand your personal story and circumstances.
Your Spiritual Journey
We may talk about your spiritual development, exploring that you are on a life-long journey developing heart and mind, compassion and consciousness.
Spiritual Connection
We may explore together the ways in which you can best develop and deepen your connection with the wonder and energy of life.
Silence and Meditation
We may take some quiet time together; meditation can be healing, reassuring and supportive.
The concept of spiritual companionship, that is, pastoral care without the baggage of specific religious doctrine, is crucial in our culture, in our time. So many people who are uncomfortable with the narrow focus of institutional religions crave a spiritual life, a spiritual path. Spiritual Companions are well equipped to help those who are ‘not religious, just spiritual’ to open their awareness, understand their quest and develop a satisfying spiritual life. – Ramona K. Silipo, Spiritual Companion
With trusted friends and colleagues I am very proud to have developed and founded the Spiritual Companions Trust.
