Welcome to DASD/CASD: Contemplative Listening & Fundamentals of Spiritual Direction
Below you will find resources for both first year courses of the DASD/CASD program: Contemplative Listening and Fundamentals of Spiritual Direction. Our intention is that these courses take place in the context of a contemplative retreat. In support of our time together being a more contemplative experience, please review these guidelines for dialog/sharing in class & small groups and the protocols for online gatherings:
Guidelines for Sharing and Dialog in Class & Small Groups
Protocols for an Online Retreat or Online Class
Further down you will see a day-to-day listing of resources for each class. Please watch the videos below before the course begins so that we can devote our time together to addressing your questions about the video content, practicing skills and sensibilities, and learning from each other in community. Also for each day is a document with handouts that we ask you download and have ready for each day of class. Each document of handouts is available in two formats: PDF and Microsoft Word.
We look forward to sharing this journey with you!
DASD/CASD Staff, Faculty & Small Group Leaders
Contemplative Listening Course
Tuesday, January 11, 2022 - Saturday, January 15, 2022
Contemplative listening is the practice of paying attention to one’s soul, to God, and to the movement of God in the lives of others. In this course, students will learn the skills and sensibilities of contemplative listening, with a particular focus on its use in the context of spiritual direction. The class will explore how deep contemplative listening is not only a path of personal awakening, but also a unique way of tending others that differs from active listening, counseling and other forms of support. Students will practice contemplative listening with themselves and God, with individuals, and with groups, and will also explore its use as a means of discernment.
Below you will find the daily schedule and course syllabus, which includes books for the course, as well as your pre-class assignment and your post-class assignment.
Instructors: Daeseop Daniel Yi & Scott Quinn
Daily Schedule:
Class from 9am-12pm PST
Lunch/Break: 12pm-1:30pm PST
Small Group Practice: 1:30pm-3:30pm PST (Exception: Small Group time on the first day of class starts at 2:30pm PST. All others days, Small Groups begin at 1:30pm PST.)
Chapel: Tuesday, January 11 at 4pm PST.
Day 2: January 12
Day 2-5 (January 12-15): PowerPoint slides, Sensibilities & Skills
These are the PowerPoint slides used in the videos for Days 2-5. The slides and videos address sensibilities and skills.
Day 2 (January 12): Video - Overview, Introduction to Sensibilities & Skills
This video provides a course overview and an introduction to contemplative listening sensibilities and skills. This material will be covered during Day 2 of the course. Please watch the video beforehand and bring your questions to class. In the PDF with class handouts, you will find further information related to the material covered in this video. Sensibilities addressed in this video include: Attending, Silence, Compassion and Non-Judgment/Unconditional Positive Regard. Skills addressed in this video include: Noticing, Highlighting, Experiencing, Reflecting, and Nonverbal Prompts.
Day 2 (January 12): Video - Contemplative Listening for Small Groups
This video provides an overview of the contemplative listening process for small groups. This material will be covered during Day 2 of the course. Please watch the video beforehand and bring your questions to class. In the PDF with class handouts, you will find further information related to the material covered in this video.
Day 2 (January 12): PowerPoint Slides for Contemplative Listening for Small Groups
These are the PowerPoint slides used in the video for the Contemplative Listening Process for Small Groups.
Day 2 (January 12): Contemplative Listening Handouts PDF
Day 2 (January 12): Contemplative Listening Handouts MS Word
Day 3: January 13
This video explores additional skills related to contemplative listening: Mirroring, Clarifying/Paraphrasing, Offering, Inviting, and Savoring. This material will be covered during Day 3 of the course. Please watch the video beforehand and bring your questions to class. In the PDF with class handouts, you will find further information related to the material covered in this video.
Day 3 (January 13): Contemplative Listening Handouts PDF
Day 3 (January 13): Contemplative Listening Handouts MS Word
Day 4: January 14
Guest Instructor: Naisa Wong
This video provides explores additional skills related to contemplative listening: Bracketing and examples of what we avoid when offering contemplative listening. This material will be covered during Day 4 of the course. Please watch the video beforehand and bring your questions to class. In the PDF with class handouts, you will find further information related to the material covered in this video.
Day 4 (January 14): Contemplative Listening Handouts PDF
Day 4 (January 14): Contemplative Listening Handouts MS Word
Day 5: January 15
Day 5 (January 15): Video - Skills: Open-Ended Questions and One-On-One Contemplative Listening
This video provides explores additional skills related to contemplative listening: Open-Ended Questions and One-On-One Contemplative Listening. This material will be covered during Day 5 of the course. Please watch the video beforehand and bring your questions to class. In the PDF with class handouts, you will find further information related to the material covered in this video.
Day 5 (January 15): Contemplative Listening Handouts PDF
Day 5 (January 15): Contemplative Listening Handouts MS Word
Other Resources
John Mabry’s Article on Online Spiritual Direction
The Art of Asking Spiritual Questions by MaryKate Morse
Four Approaches to the Practice of Lectio Divina
PowerPoint Slides Used in Contemplative Listening Course
Student Self-Assessment Form for Small Group Practice
Contemplative Listening Sensibilities and Skills - gathered into one document
fundamentals of spiritual direction Course
Tuesday, January 18, 2022 - Saturday, January 22, 2022
Spiritual direction is companioning another person with contemplative listening sensibilities and skills so that they can attune to the movement of the Holy in their lives and live more authentically as their True Self. This course will explore the theory and practice of offering spiritual direction to individuals. Topics include the experience circle, shadow work in spiritual direction, safe and healthy relationships between spiritual director and directee, supervision, and social identity. Students will also practice offering one-on-one spiritual direction to other students in a supervised group setting.
Below you will find the daily schedule and your post-class assignment.
Convener: Ellen Rankin
Instructors: Ellen Rankin, Susan Phillips, Ruth T. West, Daeseop Daniel Yi & Scott Quinn
Daily Schedule:
Class from 9am-10:20am PST
Small Group Practice: 10:30am-12:30pm/12:45pm PST
Lunch/Break: 12:30pm-2pm PST
Integration of Class Materials & Practice: 2pm-3:30pm PST
Chapel: Saturday, January 21 at 4pm PST
Post-Class Assignment for Fundamentals of Spiritual Direction
Day 1: January 18
Overview: Today’s class will explore what spiritual direction is, how it relates to contemplative listening, how it differs from other forms of ministry, and directive/non-directive movements in spiritual direction. We will also explore how to conduct a first session with a directee.
Instructor: Scott Quinn
Day 1 (January 18): Video - What is Spiritual Direction?
PowerPoint slides for “What is Spiritual Direction?” video
Day 1 (January 18): Fundamentals Handouts PDF
Day 1 (January 18): Fundamentals Handouts MS Word
Day 2: January 19
Overview: Spiritual direction is an art, calling, charism, practice, ministry, and, in some senses, a profession. Today we will explore practical, ethically-informed ways to maintain the health and safety of the relationship between director and directee. We will attend to power dynamics, transference potential, and when recommending additional help is wise or necessary.
Instructor: Susan Phillips
Day 2 (January 19): Fundamentals Handouts PDF
Day 2 (January 19): Fundamentals Handouts MS Word
Spiritual Directors Internationals’ Guidelines for Ethical Conduct
Day 3: January 20
Overview: We will explore why it is essential to be aware of the various dimensions (intra, inter, structural, environmental) of experiences in a directee's stories. We will also examine how a spiritual director's shadowing projections might impact the session and present when a directee shows shadowing projections.
Instructors: Ruth T. West and Daeseop Danial Yi
Day 3 (January 20): Fundamentals Handouts PDF
Day 3 (January 20): Fundamentals Handouts MS Word
Experience Circle as a separate PDF
Day 4: January 21
Overview: Taking a deeper dive into supervision - What? Why? & How? Included will be a time to explore in-depth the CRF (Contemplative Reflection Form) and Dialogue Form and how to have them sustain you and deepen your spiritual direction practice.
Instructors: Ellen Rankin and Daeseop Daniel Yi
Day 4 (January 21): Video - Demonstration of a Supervision Session
Video: DASD/CASD Supervision Handbook Overview
Day 4 (January 21): Fundamentals Handouts PDF
Day 4 (January 21): Fundamentals Handouts MS Word
Final Principle and Lasting Fundamental: Supervision as Pathway to Wholeness
Day 5: January 22
Overview: The January DASD/CASD courses of Contemplative Listening and Fundamentals of Spiritual Direction conclude by linking back to the Orientation, revisiting questions of identity and self-awareness, noticing what may have shifted for you over the past two weeks as well as what your growth opportunities are, and prayerfully inquiring how you will continue this process so that you might provide radical hospitality for those who come to you for spiritual direction during your supervised practicum.
Instructor: Ruth T. West