Course Catalogue 2026-2027

This course offers a close and critical examination of the life and theology of the 20th century German Lutheran theologian and churchman Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The goal of the course is to understand Bonhoeffer's writings and life within the context of his resistance to Nazi ideology and its accompanying theological milieu, as well as to imagine ways in which his work might be received and engaged in our contemporary context.

This course offers a close and critical examination of the life and theology of the 20th century German Lutheran theologian and churchman Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The goal of the course is to understand Bonhoeffer's writings and life within the context of his resistance to Nazi ideology and its accompanying theological milieu, as well as to imagine ways in which his work might be received and engaged in our contemporary context.

This course examines professional ethics in psychospiritual therapy, spiritual care, and related helping professions within Canadian clinical and institutional contexts. Emphasis is placed on ethical accountability, professional identity formation, and the responsible exercise of power in relationships of care. Students engage with ethical foundations; professional standards and codes of ethics; informed consent; confidentiality; boundaries; scope of practice; cultural and religious diversity; and professional responsibility. Particular attention is given to accountability within regulated mental health practice (College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario - CRPO) and professional spiritual care practice (Canadian Association for Spiritual Care - CASC). Through reflective practice and applied case analysis, students develop ethically grounded professional judgment and learn to respond responsibly to complex situations involving vulnerability, meaning making, and relational power.

This course will examine professional ethics in the helping professions (esp. spiritual care, psycho-spiritual therapy and social service) in order to further equip students for competence in their chosen field. We will consider the philosophical/theological moorings for professional ethics and the need for congruence in belief, thought, word and deed. Students will examine their own belief systems in relation to ethical practice and construct means by which to embed ethical practice within theses systems. They will deepen their understanding of the intrinsic link between ethical practice and self awareness and assess areas of growth in this regard. Professional codes of ethics (Professional Practice Standards CRPO, CASC Code of Ethics, etc.) will be assessed as the minimum standard for the profession. These codes as well as best practices in the field will be practiced in class. Attention to ethical practice in contexts of diversity is central to course.

This course provides spiritual caregivers with an overview of essential models of psychotherapy using Peter VanKatwyk's (2003) Therapeutic Strategies Map as an orienting framework. Insights from psychotherapeutic theory, sensitively and responsibly applied, enhance the practice of spiritual care. The overview provides a foundation for students who wish to study a particular model in depth and who wish to integrate these concepts into their practice through a supervised learning process. Knowledge of psychotherapeutic theories will also assist spiritual and pastoral providers in making necessary referrals when client needs are outside their scope of practice.

This course provides spiritual caregivers with an overview of essential models of psychotherapy using Peter VanKatwyk's (2003) Therapeutic Strategies Map as an orienting framework. Insights from psychotherapeutic theory, sensitively and responsibly applied, enhance the practice of spiritual care. The overview provides a foundation for students who wish to study a particular model in depth and who wish to integrate these concepts into their practice through a supervised learning process. Knowledge of psychotherapeutic theories will also assist spiritual and pastoral providers in making necessary referrals when client needs are outside their scope of practice.

This course provides spiritual caregivers with an overview of essential models of psychotherapy using Peter VanKatwyk's (2003) Therapeutic Strategies Map as an orienting framework. Insights from psychotherapeutic theory, sensitively and responsibly applied, enhance the practice of spiritual care. The overview provides a foundation for students who wish to study a particular model in depth and who wish to integrate these concepts into their practice through a supervised learning process. Knowledge of psychotherapeutic theories will also assist spiritual and pastoral providers in making necessary referrals when client needs are outside their scope of practice.

This course will introduce central theoretical concepts in psychoanalytic psychotherapy and their importance in effective clinical work. An underlying premise of the course is that therapeutic action occurs within the relationship between therapist and patient, two individuals who struggle together to reclaim and deepen their shared humanity. While theory is essential to the task of providing responsible clinical care, it is understood that it always follows deeply attentive, empathic observation, not only of the patient, but of the psychodynamic processes that occur between the therapist and patient. Theory helps to "hold" and "contain" the therapist as she enters the unique, often strange and at times disturbing inner world of the person who seeks her help. Theory must always be held lightly while it is actively operative in the mind of the therapist as he navigates his way through the world that emerges within the analytic setting. A solid grounding in psychodynamic theory helps the therapist maintain a calm receptivity to the patient in the midst of unknowing, which most often characterizes the immediacy of clinical work. It also helps the therapist cultivate and sustain a reflective use of herself that establishes a safe and supportive professional framework that holds and protects both parties in the clinical dyad.

Experiences of worry and anxiety are a normal part of living, and they can be helpful and adaptive in moderate amounts. But intense worry and anxiety tends to interfere with our ability to cope by creating a negative and paralyzing perception of reality. Anxious thoughts and beliefs can negatively affect our relationships, our ability to work and play, and our spiritual self. Excessive anxiety can be life-limiting until we discover healthy ways of working with these intense thoughts and emotions. This course offers helping professionals an understanding of the therapeutic principles of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and how these therapies engage worry and anxiety. Students are required to enter this course with a foundational understanding of CBT. Spiritual and theological understandings of worry and anxiety will be discussed with a view toward applying DBT and ACT principles with spiritually-oriented clients.

Reconciliation in the Church today; a practical "case approach" to the ministry of sacramental reconciliation; art of the confessor.

This entry-level-to-practice, interdisciplinary course will examine the phenomenology of trauma as it impinges on human beings (individuals, families, cultural groups) from a bio-psycho-social-spiritual model of care. Special consideration given to contemporary, evidence-based treatments from a range social science disciplines, as well a credible intervention practices from religious and spiritual traditions- such as mindfulness, hoping-building, meaning-making, and forgiveness protocols- and their potential roles in healing of both direct and vicarious forms of trauma. The following major areas will be explored: 1) Trauma in Childhood, Adolescence, and the Family; 2) Trauma and Disrupted Attachment Relationships; 3) Trauma as Health Crisis {Physical and Mental); 4} Trauma and Women; 5) Trauma as Socio-Historical Events, such as: a) Natural Disasters, b) Terrorism and War Conflicts; c) Cultural Genocide, Religious Persecution and Refugees, d) Cultural Oppression and Victimization of First Nations Peoples; 6) Trauma and Resiliency. Throughout the course will be the pervasive themes of the self-care of the clinician, and the fostering of client resource through spiritual, family and community resources, leading to healing and posttraumatic growth

This course explores psychospiritual work with dreams from a Jungian (analytical) psychological perspective. Because Jungian psychology is adaptable with any number of religious traditions, an introduction to the role of dreams within Buddhism, Christianity and Islam will be a part of the course. Working with dreams will help students to learn to work with a methodology that has been developed by Jungian psychologists. To supplement work with dreams, an understanding of key Jungian concepts to be presented include the SELF as a God-image, archetypal energy, the personal and collective unconscious, and the journey of individuation as a spiritual process. The goal of this course is to help students to be better prepared to work with the dreams of clients/congregants for whom they care at a depth level and particularly during times of heightened stress or end of life.