TCA - IFS Training for Spiritual Directors
A One-Year IFS Training Intensive for Christ-Centered, Compassion-Based Spiritual Directors.
Working alongside Dr. Frank Rogers, Jr. and the Center for Engaged Compassion, we introduce our TCA-School of Spiritual Direction (TCA-SSD) IFS Training for Spiritual Directors.
If you are a fully-trained spiritual director* who would like to explore the rich benefits of bringing IFS into your personal life and, ultimately, into your spiritual direction work, our 5-module cohort might be your next step.
It’s our belief – here at TCA – that while Christ-centered spiritual directors should never pretend to be therapists, it is important for us to pay closer attention to how God desires to interact, not only with our thoughts, but also with our emotions and our bodies as well. In truth, it’s these often ignored parts of us that are so often excluded when we pursue a greater inner freedom in Christ.
Interestingly, cutting-edge brain science (see diagram on left) shows us that there is healing potential in all three parts of our brain, but sadly, most therapies (and, might we add – in most Christian counseling and spiritual direction training) we tend to only interact with the Top Zone of our brain. But notice how therapies that utilize IFS, Somatics and Breath Work reach the deeper parts of the brain and, as a result, allow a deeper healing into our broken lives. This is one of the many reasons, here at TCA, we bring tools such as IFS, etc. into our Christ-centered approach to spiritual direction training.
So, what exactly is a Christ-Centered, Compassion-Based Spiritual Director?
As we see it, the primary goal of a Christ-Centered, Compassion-Based Spiritual Director is to come alongside a person, serving them as a compassionate, curious, and safe companion as they venture back home to their truest self. This journey will be Christ-centered and Spirit-led, and will include the use of IFS parts work, where the person is encouraged to bring all of their many parts into a fully integrated and ordered place of freedom where the Eight C’s of Christ (see diagram on the left) are operating from within.
Five all-day training modules – Nine months – One comprehensive introduction to IFS and hands-on encouragement in bringing IFS tools into your own life, and ultimately, into your spiritual direction practice. All work is on-line and done in a small-group, interactive, cohort setting.
