Participants offer spiritual direction to 2-4 directees while being held within a supportive container of supervision, reflection, and communal learning.

Through individual and group supervised practice, students deepen their capacity to listen with presence, discern Wisdom as it emerges in relationship, and respond with care, humility, and ethical awareness. This practicum supports growth in confidence, self-awareness, and fidelity to the spiritual direction process.

Participants offer spiritual direction in ways that are attentive to diverse spiritual languages, lived experiences, and cultural contexts, while remaining grounded in contemplative practice and compassionate presence.

Each online session includes shared reflection, feedback, and inquiry, to begin to notice and tend to internal responses, relational dynamics, boundaries, power, and the movement of the Spirit/Life within the spiritual direction relationship.

Ethical reflection is woven throughout Year Two and grounded in the principle of “do no harm.” Students explore the rights of directees, the responsibilities of spiritual directors, and the complexities of offering care within diverse spiritual, cultural, and lived contexts.

This work draws from Spiritual Directors International Guidelines for Ethical Conduct and emphasizes ethical presence as a lived, relational practice rather than a checklist—supporting students in holding power with humility, clarity, and compassion.

The Integrative Wisdom Project invites participants to weave together learning from across the two-year journey—integrating contemplative practice, supervised direction, lived experience, and a particular area of wisdom that feels meaningful or life-giving.

Participants choose one of two paths:

• Integrative Paper (approximately 10 pages), or

• Integrative Project (an experiential offering) accompanied by a reflective paper (approximately 5 pages)

Projects may draw from spiritual traditions, creative expression, embodied practices, social contexts, or particular populations the participant feels drawn to accompany. The focus is not mastery, but integration—listening for what has been formed and how it now desires to be offered in the world.

Participants receive guidance and support throughout the year, including mentor access and six short written reflections that accompany the integrative process.

Wisdom Project examples from previous and current cohorts:

• Trauma-Informed Spiritual Direction Online Workshop
• Companioning Clergy through Spiritual Direction
• Spiritually Companioning Elders and those with Dementia Online Workshop
• Spiritual Direction’s Wisdom for the Local Church
• Death, Dying, Loss, and Living Today
• Prayer Practices for Healing Our Relationship with God & Self Day Retreat Series
• Companioning People through the Process of Deconstructing their Faith Utilizing Group Spiritual Direction
• Fostering a Desire-focused Sexuality Online Workshop
• Pilgrimage to the Black Madonna (travel and online sharing of the pilgrimage)
• Exploring Dreamwork & Synchronicities
• Creating an online Commons to Connect to Rituals & Rhythms of Creation
• Images of God: An Art Workshop
• Four Buddhist Concepts to Deepen Spiritual Formation & Direction
• Utilizing Sand Tray Therapy in Individual Spiritual Direction
• Spiritual Journeys and Discernment: Jimmy Carter & The 1978 Camp David Accords (Teaching Series & Retreat)
• Spiritual Direction for & with the Incarcerated
• God Loves Every Part of Me: Writing & Performing a Monologue
• Gathering Bay Area UU Leaders to Discover how Spiritual Direction Might Support UU Congregations
• Finding Rest in God: A Women's Retreat
• Integrating the Posture of Spiritual Direction in Church Small Groups
• The Wisdom Texts: Returning to the Messages of Childhood (a Book Club for adults utilizing children's books)
• The Angels: A Medical Doctor's Invitation to Become Aware of Unseen Companions
• Science & Spirituality: A Lens for Spiritual Directors

Counselors, clergy, nurses, hair stylists, bartenders, teachers, coaches...anyone seeking Wisdom, a deeper connection to their Creator, and a desire to companion others as they seek Wisdom and a deeper connection to Creator...and of course, those who are called to the ministry of Spiritual Direction! 
How do you know you are called to the ministry of Spiritual Direction?--people like to talk to you about spiritual issues and approach you for wisdom and help with discernment.  

Every Spiritual Direction training program has its own focus, such as Ignatian Spiritual Direction or training within a particular religious tradition.  Being Wisdom-based means we're focusing on the vast ways Wisdom manifests in and around us, which includes all of life.  From nighttime dreams to poetry, from the physical body to the soul wounds in our stories, from Jesus to Lao Tzu, we listen for ways of Wisdom (Divine Love) arising in, for, through, and on behalf of a person, group, and our planet.

Wisdom is more than good decision-making. Yes, it is a way of wisely moving through life, but Wisdom is also the Source of all Life (and all wisdom).  So in this program, we cultivate our relationship with and follow ways of Wisdom.

Have you ever had a teacher, coach, doctor, pastor, friend, or co-worker who was a really good listener?  How did their listening ear impact you? Learning to listen without giving advice is a skill most of us need to cultivate in our culture!  Diving under appearances and listening at soul-level is a gift that helps us move through life and make decisions from a deeper, more authentic place.  It leads us to shalom--wholeness and peace.  As we become people who listen and look for Wisdom, we help others get in touch with the Wisdom within and surrounding them.  When tending to Wisdom, all grow and flourish, for as the writer of Proverbs (3:18) says, "Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly."  And what is the way of Wisdom?--the way of Life, the path of Love.

No. This program and spiritual direction is not therapy and does not replace mental health care. It focuses on reflection, contemplative practice, and attentive listening. Participants are encouraged to maintain appropriate personal and professional supports and will learn how to recognize and articulate the difference between spiritual direction and therapy/counseling.

 While Wisdom is often associated with those who are older, there are many examples of Wisdom being found in the young (& foolishness being found in the old)!  We invite anyone who is stirred to apply, to fill out the application for Year One: Certificate in Spiritual Formation to begin the journey. We will take your application and reference into our discernment process.

You will gain wisdom and support from our collective of spiritual directors. However, Kasey Hitt, is the primary teacher of our Certificate in Spiritual Formation (Year One) which is the portal for the 2-year spiritual direction journey. Sr. Mary Rose Bumpus, is the primary teacher of our Certificate in Spiritual Direction (Year Two).

Joining Kasey in Year One is Katie Rea, our Writing Instructor, as well as guest teachers featured throughout the year.

From the start, participants are matched with an alumni (Wisdom's Way Companion), who will provide encouragement and support throughout their journey and all students will have access to a pool of experienced spiritual directors to help with Year Two's Integrative Wisdom Project. 

 In Year Two, students will meet with Sister Mary Rose Bumpus, RSM, PhD, for sessions of Individual Supervision (in addition to experiencing Group Supervision with Mary Rose, Kasey, and Dr. Robbie Pinter).  

Mary Rose brings a wealth of experience not only as a long-time Spiritual Director and Supervisor, but she also served as Assistant Professor of Christian Spirituality at Seattle University and director of the Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction Program at San Francisco Theological Seminary. Prior to working with Wisdom Tree Collective, Mary Rose was Vice President of the Sisters of Mercy South Central Leadership Team. She is co-author of Supervision of Spiritual Directors: Engaging in Holy Mystery.

Kasey has been a Spiritual Director for over 20 years (and a retreat leader for adults and teenagers even longer!). She has been offering online individual and group Spiritual Direction as well as online classes and retreats for 17 years. Mary Rose was her spiritual director for 2 1/2 years in Seattle before becoming her supervisor for the past 17 1/2 years.

Just as there are a variety of training programs, there are a variety of ways to train--from 3 years to 15 months, from weekly class sessions to weekend or weeklong intensives.  Since one often meets with a Spiritual Director once a month, we wanted to follow a similar rhythm in our training.  We also wanted to provide plenty of time for people to live with the material in-between classes, encourage intentional integration of one's particular passion with the lens of Spiritual Direction, and introduce 2 ways of receiving Supervision as new directors meeting with directees.

Everyone begins with the journey with Year One, our Certificate in Spiritual Formation, then discerns their readiness for Year Two.