The Trust supports ‘A Companion’s Way’ - the Gloucestershire ecumenical training course in spiritual direction, which has been running successfully for over 25 years. This is a 2 year programme which encourages spiritual reflection, formation, prayer practice, and developing contemplative listening skills. It aims to give a broad introduction to the ministry of spiritual accompaniment, offering a rich, diverse and deep curriculum; taking an integrative approach interweaving academic theory, life experience and observed practice, drawing on heart and mind.

With recent developments in remote working, and to make the training as accessible as possible to a wide range of people, the Course has now been revised to be in a blended format, commencing with a residential weekend.​

The course structure is 4 semesters spread over 2 years consisting of fortnightly input on Zoom (Wednesdays 9.30am-3pm) interspersed with 3 residential weekends (including an individual guided retreat) and several in-person workshop days. The structure enables the development of a supportive learning community, with small group facilitation, and time for personal growth and formation in:
          • Personal development and discipleship
          • Practical contemplative listening skills of the spiritual director
          • Spiritual discernment
          • Basic understanding of human development and the recognition of different
​            stages on the way, including specialist areas such as loss, sexuality, the dying,
            dreamwork, masculine/ feminine spirituality and models of spiritual growth.
         • The psychology and ethics involved in the process of spiritual directing
        • Understanding and experience of the varying ways of prayer developed in differing
​          traditions.

A Companion’s Way is offered on an ecumenical basis and aims to enhance people’s natural gifts in accompanying others on their spiritual  journey. It provides an opportunity for those with gifts of listening and discernment to develop those gifts and be able to ‘companion’ others seeking to articulate their faith and discern God’s work in their lives.
Participants come from a wide breadth of spiritual tradition and background, and the Course is open to those of any denomination or tradition with an understanding of and sympathy with the Christian faith.

Those seeking a place should:

• Be someone who finds others turn naturally to them
• Be mature and stable in their Christian faith (this does not mean without questions and challenges!)
• Have a spiritual guide (we can help you find someone suitable if necessary)
• Have knowledge of the scriptures and traditions of Christianity

Together we hope

• To encourage giftedness and offer practical training in the skills and art of spiritual direction
• To nurture your own spiritual life
• To develop an appreciation and knowledge of the wide variety of Christian spiritualities
• To broaden understanding and experience of differing traditions of prayer

If you are interested in exploring this, please download the publicity leaflet and the application form.
​The course is administered and supervised by the Trustees of the Gloucestershire Spiritual Direction Trust.