Trauma-Informed Spiritual Direction & Holistic Healing Program

Program Overview:

The Trauma-Informed Spiritual Direction & Holistic Healing Certification program offers a comprehensive training experience that integrates the components of the SIIMDA Soul Care approach that include trauma processing, holistic healing practices, neuroscience, body-oriented approaches, and spiritual formation along along with components of Gestalt Soul Care approaches . This program is designed for individuals called to Jesus’ healing ministry and who desire to foster spaces of safety and healing for individuals working through trauma, emotional pain, and spiritual wounding. The inclusion of holistic healing components brings a particular focus on addressing emotional wounds, finding freedom, and reconciling broken areas of the heart and soul.

OBJECTIVES

Participants will gain skills in trauma-informed spiritual care, deep listening, and discernment while integrating therapeutic and spiritual holistic healing practices like contemplative prayer, emotional processing, and healing through the presence of God.

Focused Objectives:

  • Establish Identity as a Trauma-Informed Spiritual Director

  • Develop Advanced Listening Skills

  • Cultivate Discernment and Wisdom

  • Understand Trauma and Trauma-Focused Approaches

  • Engage Experiential Practices for Healing and Integration

  • Learn and Apply Gestalt Theory and Practice

  • Integrate Body-Oriented Approaches

  • Facilitate Holistic Healing Practices

Program Features

  1. Expert Faculty:
    Led by experienced spiritual directors, trauma therapists, and Gestalt practitioners who bring a unique blend of trauma-informed care, spiritual formation, and Gestalt theory.

  2. Gestalt and Inner Healing Focus:
    Special emphasis on combining Gestalt theory’s experiential approach with inner healing prayer to create a powerful process of emotional and spiritual transformation.

  3. Practical Application:
    Includes role-playing, experiential workshops, group dialogues, retreats, and supervised practicum sessions that focus on integrating trauma-informed, spiritual, and Gestalt practices.

  4. Community and Support:
    Ongoing peer discussions, group supervision, and mentorship to foster growth and support participants in their own healing journeys.

  5. Program Duration:
    The program is a two-year program that consists of 4 semesters (12 weeks each). Each semester consists of 3 modules (4 weeks each) and a 4-day,  in-person, immersive experience (a total of 4). The program consists of a total of 146 hours.

  6. Format:
    Blended learning model (in-person and online sessions), including live webinars, in-person retreats, experiential practices, and independent study.

  7. Specializations:
    (These areas are specific specializations that students can choose, which will result in an additional certification)

    Sexual Addiction/Compulsivity

    Sexual Betrayal Trauma

    Sexual Abuse

    Spiritual Abuse/Trauma

    Gestalt Soul Care

  8. Eligible for Independent practice as a Spiritual Director

Certificate and Certification Requirements

  1. Completion of all core modules and readings.

  2. Participation in experiential practices, retreats, and peer supervision.

  3. Completion of 146 hours for total program including 10 hours of supervised practicum in trauma-informed spiritual direction and Gestalt practices.

  4. Final project or integrative paper demonstrating practical and theoretical understanding of the program.

  5. All students completing the program will receive a Certificate in Trauma-Informed Spiritual Direction. Students who complete the specialization in sexual addiction/Sexual Betrayal will also be Certified as a SIIMDA Soul Care Practitioner.

Click button to download an overview of the full curriculum:

Program Costs

  • Program Tuition Cost: $2,375 per semester (the program is two years consisting of four semesters).

  • Additional costs: learning materials, retreat participation, travel, lodging, and supervision.

  • Payment plans and limited financial aid are available. Please ask!

How to Apply

Who Should Attend

  • Individuals who are passionate about guiding others through emotional, spiritual, and holistic healing.

  • Spiritual Directors seeking to expand their skills in trauma-informed care, Gestalt theory/techniques, and holistic healing.

  • Therapists, counselors, clergy, chaplains, church leaders, and pastoral care providers called to cultivate healing spaces and guide others in God’s healing presence.

Ideal Candidates:

  • Feel called to provide trauma-informed spiritual companionship and holistic healing. This involves specifically focusing on one's own healing process as well as accompanying others in theirs.

  • Have experienced a validation of this call as others have come to them for spiritual counsel.

  • Have experienced their own spiritual formation/healing with a spiritual director, companion, or therapist.

  • Have evidence of their faith community’s support for their ministry of spiritual direction.

  • Have psychological strength—meaning their mental health is stable and they are able to engage in healthy processes with those they companion, doing no harm.  

Dates/Time Commitment

The Trauma-Informed Spiritual Direction & Holistic Healing Program (TISD) is a two-year program that consists of 4 semesters (12 weeks each). Each semester consists of 3 modules (4 weeks each) and a 4-day,  in-person, immersive experience. The program consists of a total of 146 hours.

  • Course begins September 2025

  • Hybrid Format: 4 In-person retreats + Bi-monthly 90-minute Zoom classes

  • In-Person Immersive Experiences Dates: Oct 8–11, 2025 | Jun 3–6, 2026 | Oct 21–24, 2026 | May 19–22, 2027

  • The In-person Immersive Experiences will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Online Session Dates:

Online sessions will meet twice per module on Thursday evenings from 7:00pm - 8:30pm Eastern Time 

Module One: Introduction to Spiritual Direction & Spiritual Practices

Sept 11, 2025
Sept 25, 2025

Module Two: Gestalt Through a Spiritually Integrated Lens

Oct 30, 2025
Nov 13, 2025

Module Three: Understanding Trauma & Neuroscience

Jan 15, 2026
Jan 29, 2026

Module Four: Presence and Listening Skills

Feb 12, 2026
Feb 26, 2026

Module Five: Creating Experiments and Cultivating Discernment & Attunement

March 26, 2026
April 9, 2026

Module Six: Benchmark Process

April 30, 2026
May 14, 2026

Module Seven: Group Process

Sept 17, 2026
Oct 1, 2026

Module Eight: Working with Abuse: Spiritual and Sexual

Nov 5, 2026
Dec 3, 2026

Module Nine: Understanding and Working with Addiction

Jan 14, 2027
Jan 28, 2027

Module Ten: Practicum and Specialization Modules I

Feb 18, 2027
March 4, 2027

Module Eleven: Practicum and Specialization Modules II

March 18, 2027
April 1, 2027

Module Twelve: Practicum and Specialization Modules III

April 27, 2027
May 6, 2027

Meet Your Instructors:

Dr. Dave Janvier, LPC

Alexandra MacCracken

Linda Lehman Thomas

Dave’s passion to bring Jesus’ healing ministry to those hurting has led him to integrate psychology and counseling modalities with theology and spiritual formation approaches for over two decades. He views himself as a spiritual companion to those who are in need of deep healing from devastating trauma, profound suffering and enslaving addictions. To effectively do this, Dave acquired further training and certifications in trauma therapy, sex therapy, gestalt therapy, spiritual direction/formation. His dissertation was a process of fine-tuning the SIIMDA Soul Care holistic model he developed.

Credentials:

  • Doctorate degree in Spiritual Direction and Formation

  • Master’s of Arts Degree in Professional Counseling

  • Licensed Professional Counselor

  • Certified Sex Therapist

  • Certified Clinical Trauma Professional

  • SIIMDA Soul Care Founder

  • Published an article in the American Psychological Association (APA) academic journal, Psychotherapy

  • Authored a book chapter in an APA edited book: “Handbook of Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapies.”

Alexandra is passionate about supporting people to embrace and love all aspects of their authentic self in accordance with the Two Great Commandments. In recovery for over 30 years, she first experienced powerful healing through the 12 Steps (where she discovered Jesus was her Higher Power), and then through spiritually-integrated Gestalt work. As a result of receiving this gift of healing, she experienced God’s Call to offer this gift to others. This led her to advance her Gestalt training and ultimately create a synthesis comprised of coaching principles, 12-Step wisdom, and the aesthetic sensibilities gained from a career in music performance. All of these blended elements have equipped her to offer a unique perspective and an in-depth approach for accessing and supporting inner healing and growth. Alexandra calls her model “Gestalt Soul Care.” 

Credentials:

  • Master’s Degree in Fine Arts

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Education

  • Instructor at University of Virginia

  • Artistic Director and Founder of Ensemble Gaudior

  • Graduate of Gestalt International Study Center

  • Certified ICF-ACC Coach

  • Extensive training in spiritually-integrated gestalt as a practitioner and trainer

  • Certified Gestalt Soul Care Mentor and Trainer

  • Presenter at International Conferences

Linda views her ministry as one of accompanying those who find themselves in pain and difficulty and who are seeking God’s healing presence—more specifically those who are in need of healing from trauma, grief, and harm caused by the church. Linda has extensive training and experience, not only an ordained minister and spiritual director, but as practitioner of spiritually integrated gestalt modalities. She has utilized her training and gifting for the healing work she has provided through Pathways Retreat Center in Goshen, IN, in which she co-founded.

Credentials:

  • Graduate of Goshen College

  • MDiv from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary

  • Ordained Minister by Mennonite Church USA

  • Spiritual Director

  • Certified as a TRE Trauma Provider

  • Extensive training in spiritually integrated gestalt as a practitioner and trainer