About the Certificate Program
The East-West Spiritual Counseling Certificate from CIIS is a two-semester program that provides mental health professionals and pastoral counselors with the foundational background and skills in East-West spiritual counseling. The certificate program enables therapists to broaden the scope of their practice to include the central role of spiritual and religious experiences and beliefs. Students are required to complete 18 units, including six units of core courses, six units of group supervision and case presentation, and six units of directed electives. This advanced certificate requires a master’s degree.

Learning Goals and Objectives
After completing this program, students will have

• gained an understanding of the relationship between one’s spiritual "container" and psychological health
• learned the importance of bringing to consciousness the underlying spiritual assumptions that hold them
• acquired specific tools for facilitating that process
• developed a working knowledge of Eastern and Western spiritual teachings, which can be transformative to someone seeking spiritual counseling, regardless of their spiritual orientation
• developed the fundamental basis of their spiritual counseling practice

Who Should Apply
CIIS developed the East-West Spiritual Counseling Certificate program in response to the emerging interest in spiritual counseling among mental health professionals and pastoral counselors, including those already enrolled in the Institute’s East-West Psychology doctoral program.

The certificate program is ideal for mental health professionals interested in exploring how their clients’ spirituality and worldview can profoundly affect their mental health. It is also geared to those mental health professionals who are committed to a spiritual path and want to integrate aspects of spiritual counseling into their counseling work.

The program is also intended for pastoral counselors who are seeking to understand and enrich their own beliefs with Eastern spiritual teachings. Some pastoral counselors may also be seeking a container in which to understand and process the effects of their own changing spirituality in their work with their clients. Buddhist pastoral counselors, too, will find this certificate program relevant as they seek training in a spiritual counseling program that is attuned to their particular religious perspective.

Curriculum Requirements
The certificate requires 18 units spread over two consecutive semesters.

Students in CIIS’s East-West Psychology doctoral program can cover the course work over four semesters as they weave the Certificate requirements with those of the doctoral degree. By enrolling in the Spiritual Counseling Certificate, a doctoral student can fulfill most of the specialization units requirement.

Course of Study

Fall Semester
1. East-West Spiritual Counseling (3 units)
2. Case Presentation and Group Supervision (3 units)
3. Spiritual Counseling Elective (3 units)

• EWP 7311 Jungian Psychology and East West Spirituality
• EWP 7510 The Psychology of Advaita Vedanta
• EWP 6235 Integral Approaches to Dreams

Spring Semester
1. Psychology of Spiritual Guidance (3 Units)
2. Advanced Seminar: Spiritual Counseling and Case Presentation (3 units)
3. Spiritual Counseling Elective (3 units)

• EWP 6556 Contemplative Psychology
• EWP new Re-visioning Christian Narratives: Images that Help and Heal

Admission
The intention of this program is to provide mental health professionals and pastoral counselors with the foundational background and skills in East-West spiritual counseling, thereby enabling them to broaden the scope of their practice. Licensure as a mental health professional or training and experience in pastoral counseling is thus a prerequisite for admission. Applicants who are not yet licensed but have training and experience in mental health or pastoral counseling will be considered on a case-by-case basis. A personal interview with East-West Psychology core faculty members is part of the application process. Admission in the Certificate is for fall semester only.

Financial Aid
For students beginning the certificate program in fall 2007, financial aid will only be available to current CIIS students who have qualified for aid. If you have questions about financial aid, please call 415.575.6122 or e-mail finaid@ciis.edu.