The Certificate in Spirituality and Trauma

Trauma, loss, and violence leave no person unaffected.  Now, no less than in the past, human experiences associated with these events stretch the individual’s capacity to manage their aftermath.  Spiritual and religious beliefs play important roles both in facilitating recovery from or in prolonging the effects of these events.  Furthermore, to understand trauma, loss, and violence from a holistic viewpoint is crucial both with regard to healing and prevention.  The Certificate in Spirituality and Trauma intends to create a community of scholars, students, and graduates who have expertise in the integration of spirituality and religion with the social sciences.

Through the integration of pastoral, psychological, and social science methods, the 18 credit hour Certificate seeks to develop strategies for ensuring that religion/spirituality provide healing from trauma, loss and violence. At its core, the program desires to deepen the collective understanding of the role of religion and spirituality in the full range of human experience and to recognize religiously motivated paths that produce healing or prolong trauma, loss and violence's ill effects. The Certificate aims to reduce misconceptions and enhance knowledge based on science, clinical wisdom, and understanding of religious and spiritual diversity in the recovery process.

The program will have two concentrations. One concentration, the clinical sequence (18 credits), will be for credentialed mental health practitioners (e.g., persons certified or licensed as professional counselors, psychologists, social workers, pastoral counselors, psychiatric nurses) who wish to deepen their skills by presenting trauma cases in a small group supervisory format.  The second concentration, the general sequence (18 credits), will be a general concentration for participants from the mental health, pastoral counseling, pastoral care and ministry, education, health care, social work, and related helping professions that will enhance and enrich their work through the knowledge base afforded in the courses.

Loyola College’s Department of Pastoral Counseling with its thirty-year history of training an ecumenical, ethnically diverse (currently over 25%), and international graduate student body is well-situated to accomplish its learning goals on so sensitive a topic and one crucial to our common well-being. There is no foreseeable end to the need for understanding and expertise in this area.

Course Listing and Descriptions

Inventory Listing and Certificate Application (including required materials). Admissions related questions should be directed to Brenda Helsing, Admissions Coordinator, 410-617-7614 or bhelsing@loyola.edu. You may also apply by clicking here.

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