The Practicum component of Wisdom’s Way and Tacheria Interfaith Schools provides students with a real-world opportunity for learning through practice in the skills and accepted practices of Spiritual Direction/Spiritual Companionship. Our team of skilled spiritual directors, along with a cohort of peers, create the opportunity for students to integrate learned concepts and techniques by participating in actual companion:client relationships. This is the supportive structure for thoughtful and respectful learning. The Practicum is especially suited to those who desire support opening their own practice of Spiritual Direction or who desire to have a chance to practice their skills with insightful and constructive feedback.
Students of Wisdom’s Way and Tacheria Schools of Spirituality’s two-year programs are eligible for this Practicum and can attend concurrently with their course, or once graduated, any Alumni of this or another experiential/interactive course in Interfaith Spirituality are eligible to apply.*
The Practicum is held online via ZOOM and takes approximately one year to complete from January to January. Students from Tacheria or Wisdom’s Way receive a Certificate of Completion in Spiritual Direction Practice at the time of either: graduation from the full Interfaith Spirituality Course or completion of the four requirements listed below (whichever comes last).
* Applicants from Courses other than Tacheria / Wisdom’s Way must schedule an interview and provide documentation of meeting Tacheria & Wisdom’s Way’s Standards of Completion (equivalent hours of interfaith study and hours of practice in Sacred Listening – approximately 45-50 hours of in-class study and 15-20 hours of sacred listening exchanges with peers). To apply, contact Karen Gatlin.
Practicum Staff: Karen Gatlin, Inge Detweiler, Frannie Walsh (see info, below).
Printable Practicum Component Descriptions
To Summarize, these four are the basic core components of the Practicum requirements:
- Attend five (5) classes in Spiritual Companionship – 5 two-hour classes in Spiritual Companionship (January – May of either year of attendance OR the year following completion of Interfaith Spirituality Course).
- 20 hours of offering Spiritual Companionship to a maximum of 3 individuals for no cost as part of a student practicum and learning program
- Attendance at either six Individual Spiritual Direction Supervision Sessions (1:1 with a certified spiritual direction supervisor, cost paid by student) or six Peer Supervision Sessions (no additional cost)
- Present at least 3 reflection papers with feedback from Supervisor or Peer Supervision Group. An ongoing reflection journal is also suggested throughout the Student Practicum.
Cost: $500 tuition covers both educational component and Peer Supervision
Schedule: The two-hour Class is typically held the 4th Sunday of the month from 5:00-7:00 PM (Arizona time zone – Summer/Daylight Savings time Arizona is on Pacific Time; Winter/Mountain Standard time.)
To Register:
About Karen Gatlin Facilitator of Practicum Education (she/her/ella) . . .
Karen’s passion: Fostering shared experiences of the Sacred.
Karen Gatlin is a retired ordained minister of the United Church of Christ and the former Director of Wisdom’s Way Interfaith School of Spirituality. Karen has been on a spiritually eclectic path most of her life with periods of immersion in recovery spirituality, the mystical teachings of Jesus, Buddha, Judaism and others. She is inspired by personal experiences, challenges, embodied practices, yoga and meditation, the transformative and healing power of time spent in nature, the feminine, creativity, music, and energy practice. Karen loves introducing people of all ages to spiritual practices and alternatives to traditional paths. Karen has focused on interfaith spiritual companionship since 2014 (studying at The Chaplaincy Institute, Berkeley and Tacheria Interfaith School, Tucson). In 1997, she took a week-long intensive on youth spiritual companionship at Pacific School of Religion and Karen says it changed her way of sharing faith and spirituality with young people. Karen’s purpose in life is to, “experience the sacred, give and receive soul support and to be a trustworthy companion for the journey.” Karen and her partner, John, reside in Oro Valley, AZ.
About Rev. Inge Detweiler, Facilitator of Practicum Peer Supervision
Inge Detweiler is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ, a former student of Tacheria Interfaith Spirituality School, Tucson, and the current pastor of Borderlands Unitarian Universalist Church, Green Valley, AZ. She has participated in Teresa Blythe’s apprenticeship program (Teresa Blythe is a guest speaker for our Practicum Program and is an author, spiritual director and spiritual direction supervisor).
About Frannie Walsh, Spiritual Companion and Communicator of the Practicum (she/her) . . .
Frannie’s Passion: Being inspired, creativity and learning.
Fran Walsh has a Masters in Holistic Health Counseling and Education. She completed spiritual direction training with Center for Spiritual Guidance, St. Paul, Minnesota, and is a 2017 graduate of Wisdom’s Way Interfaith School, Phoenix. She has been a spiritual seeker all of her adult life and has gathered knowledge on psychology, spirituality and holistic health. Frannie has been trained in Reiki and Yoga Nidra. She has done intensive training with Bentino Massaro’s work on empowerment and has interned in Integral Breathwork with Carol Lampman. She says, “for me, breathwork has been an integrating of my past gathered knowledge – moving me from knowledge into experience.” Frannie and her partner, Delos, live in Scottsdale, AZ.