Spiritual Care

A Spiritual Care course for all faiths and none, for professionals, volunteers and those generally interested, addressing key topics that those offering care in communities will face.

Community leaders, clergy and volunteers are called to offer spiritual care in a wide range of settings, at home, on the street, from hospitals to care facilities, from prisons to homeless shelters and for people in different life stages. Spiritual care is offered to children, teenagers and adults, to those who face addiction, illness and death, to those bereaved and to those facing transition and struggle. Spiritual care is any formal or informal interaction in which spiritual and emotional support is offered.

In this course people who are already engaged in providing support and mentoring to communities, those who might be preparing to take on new caring roles and those interested in the topic will explore different ideas and methods of spiritual care.

A prime focus of our course is the elevation of our capacity to listen and how we can offer care for those most vulnerable.

We will also work on our own personal examination and reflection on the toughest parts of what it is to be human. We can better care for others when we better understand our own emotional and spiritual challenges.

The course covers the following key topics: Anxiety and Depression, Community inclusion, Disaster Response, End of Life Spiritual Care, Hospital Chaplaincy, Old Age Spiritual Care, Spiritual Care for Children, Spiritual Care for LGBTQ+, Spiritual Care for Teenagers, Spiritual Care for those in Relationships.  

The course is given in collaboration with Paideia – the European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden. 

Target group 

People who are already engaged in providing support and mentoring to communities, those who might be preparing to take on new caring roles and those interested in the topic are warmly invited to explore different ideas and methods of spiritual care in this course. 

Prior knowledge

See above under the heading “target group”.

To apply for this course, you need basic computer skills and knowledge of how to use the digital platform Zoom. The school offers Zoom manuals and a training opportunity before the start of the course.

Course material

Course material is included in the cost for this course.

About the teacher

Oliver Spike Joseph, born in the United Kingdom, trained as a rabbi in Israel and the United States. His passion for spiritual care comes, in part, from surviving cancer at a young age and the passing away of his mother and youngest sister. Oliver has worked for small and large communities across the UK, Israel, USA and Europe, and he currently serves as a prison chaplain. Oliver is passionate about the development of pastoral and spiritual care in all the places we meet people. Read more about Oliver on his website.

Photo: Paideia/Canva.