Interspiritual Companioning & Counseling

Interspiritual Companioning & Counseling

One Spirit’s Interspiritual Companioning & Counseling program is a 9-month program designed for those who feel called to support others with presence, wisdom, and care. Here, we don’t train fixers—we cultivate sacred listeners, spiritual allies, and companions on the journey of the soul.

Rooted in the belief that all authentic spiritual paths uplift universal values like compassion, love, and service, this program invites you to deepen your own spiritual grounding while learning how to hold space for others with profound presence and grace.

As a student, you’ll engage in transformational learning experiences that are both heart-centered and intellectually rigorous. You'll develop practical tools for interspiritual counseling and spiritual companioning, and become part of a community that honors diversity of belief while revealing the shared essence at the core of all traditions.

This is more than a program. It’s a movement—one that prepares you to be a trusted presence in a world hungry for connection, meaning, and healing.

The ISCC Program

One Spirit is widely recognized as a respected leader in the field of Interfaith Interspiritual Companioning & Counseling, with over 20 years of demonstrated excellence in spiritual and transformative education. Your certificate with us demonstrates the professional skills and ethical standards of the highest quality and places you at the forefront of the field.

Our program is at the forefront of the interspiritual and interfaith movement. It provides the best spiritual education for agents of change in our world.  It’s grounded in the understanding that there is a core spirituality that transcends differences in our beliefs, backgrounds, and life experiences. 

As you study to develop your skills as a Spiritual Counselor in our professional development program, you will participate in heart-centered, intellectually stimulating learning experiences that enhance your skills in Interspiritual Companioning and Counseling. 

An interspiritual focus gives you the opportunity to support clients of any background, making it the most open, inclusive, and loving approach. 

Who Is The ISCC Program For?

  • Those seeking to build a private practice in interspiritual companioning & counseling,

  • Work in complementary fields, such as:

    • social work

    • mental health

    • holistic wellness

    • education

    • health care

    • human resources 

  • Students in a variety of careers have found great value in professional development that enhances their ability to support others in ways that honor their full humanity and spiritual journey, including:

    • counselors

    • nonprofit professionals

    • community advocates

    • psychologists

    • teachers

    • art therapists

    • public servants

    • yoga and movement instructors

    • human resource specialists

    • energy workers

    • clergy

    • medical practitioners

    • and those who may be transitioning from other fields.

“The ISCC program gave me the confidence and skills to enter a whole new and amazing phase of my work with others. My time in the program helped bring a sense of grounding and clarity in my own gifts that I’d never thought possible.”  

- Jay Waxenerg
Training Program Director,
Center for Medicinal Mindfulness

The ISCC Curriculum

Through One Spirit’s Interspiritual Companioning and Counseling program, you will develop five foundational competencies:

  • Commitment to Personal Interspirituality

  • Embodiment of Sacred Presence and Service

  • Active Respect and Inclusion of Others

  • Cultivation of Personal Ethical Behavior

  • Facilitation of Spiritual Growth

In support of these 5 spiritual companioning & counseling competencies, you will engage in several other specific areas of study below.

Interspiritual Companioning & Counseling Certificate Requirements

Students are awarded a Certificate as an Interspiritual Companion and Counselor after the successful completion of the curriculum, concentration track, and final certificate review. Together, these components take one year to complete.

All Interspiritual Companioning & Counseling students will complete the curriculum, which consists of 

  • 23 live classes that are held every other Saturday. 

  • eLearning modules featuring video and audio presentations, reflective exercises, and homework assignments that prepare students for each live class.

  • 3 or more credits of electives to deepen areas of concentration and interest.

  • Monthly peer study group meetings.

  • Monthly supervision with a program supervisor.

  • Participation in individual interspiritual companioning sessions facilitated by a One Spirit-approved practitioner.

  • Developing, maintaining, and following a self-care plan.

  • Conducting interspiritual companioning or interspiritual counseling sessions with assigned pro-bono clients.

Essential Interspiritual Companioning and Spiritual Counseling Skills

Learn key concepts and practices that are fundamental to serving as a skilled Interspiritual Companion/Counselor. These practices will be integrated throughout ISCC, with the aim of promoting continual learning and skill development:

  • understanding interspirituality

  • maintaining a personal practice

  • sacred inquiry

  • listening

  • shadow work

  • cultural competency

  • self care

Supporting Your Practice

In addition, our program will help you apply your skills in various professional roles and provide guidance on establishing  a private practice and in doing group work.

Awareness and Engagement

Explore how to authentically engage your clients with a perspective of wholeness, self-awareness, and connection.  

Engagement only works with keen awareness of appropriate ethical boundaries and power dynamics in companioning and counseling relationships. You’ll learn to identify these boundaries and dynamics so that you can effectively manage them in your work.

Practical Client Tools 

Students will be introduced to a variety of tools and methods designed to assist those they companion. You will learn tools that will support your spiritual counseling clients to: 

  • connect with their inner wisdom, intuition, and authentic selves

  • inviting Divine guidance and assistance

  • deepening their experience of the Sacred

  • embracing their wholeness

Handling Common Issues in Interspiritual Companioning and Counseling

We want to ensure that you are able to handle the most common client scenarios with confidence. This will give you the skills you need to engage fully in these circumstances. These include:

  • life transitions

  • relationships as healing

  • grief and loss

  • forgiveness

  • work-related stress

  • seeking clarity about one’s purpose. 

Students will also engage in practices that can be used to companion others in supportive, culturally responsive ways when these issues emerge.

“The ISC Interspiritual Counseling Program at One Spirit Learning Alliance has added a whole new dimension to my life. It has literally transformed who I am and how I show up in the world. “

- Nancy Dominique Dessables
City University of New York Interfaith Council
Social Worker, Spiritual Counselor

The ISCC Experience

Real World Experience

What good is your knowledge if you can’t apply it? First, you’ll hone your interspiritual companioning and counseling skills through our informative classes, engaging interactive exercises, reflective group discussions, and class practicums. Then you’ll apply your new skills with pro bono clients under the skilled supervision of our faculty. You’ll graduate from our program with experience.

Skill Development

You’ll learn how to listen deeply, how to facilitate spiritual growth, and how to embody sacred presence and service for your clients.

Spiritual Growth

In order to help others grow, you’ll need to develop your own spirituality. Our program helps your spirit flourish with reflective exercises and discussions, peer group meetings, private companioning sessions, and one-on-one mentoring..

Self Care

We understand the risks of serving others, and our program will help prevent burnout. You’ll learn how to serve sustainably and effectively. Focus on taking care of yourself and prioritizing self-care. This essential practice keeps you energized and enables you to serve more people over time with greater compassion and effectiveness.

Community

One Spirit’s program developed an intercultural spiritual community where people of different cultures develop authentic relationships through shared experience and open communication. Our community exhibits openness, mutual respect, empathy, and a willingness to challenge assumptions. These traits will enable you to hold space for your clients better.

Currently, enrollment for the ISCC program is temporarily paused. Email us to find out more.