ISM Facilitator Training

Certification to Help Others Create their Personal
7-Step Meditation from the Wisdom
of
Authentic
Spiritual and Secular Sources.

About the Program

The InterSpiritual Facilitator Training program is designed for those who wish to guide students on InterSpiritual Meditation. Trainees will join a mutually supportive cohort and be mentored by previously Certified Facilitators and Mentors and Dr. Ed Bastian. They will be trained to use our process, tools, content materials and methodologies to help others to create their personal 7-Step Meditation and Spiritual Path.  The details are listed below.

This twelve-session, six month training process can begin after completing the course requirements listed on the right side of this page.

Requirements

  • The InterSpiritual Meditation (ISM) 8-Session Course
  • The InterSpiritual Mandala Course 8-Session Course
  • Capstone Papers for ISM and Mandala Courses.
  • Application approval.
  • 12 session, 6 month cohort ZOOM class.
  • 12 dyad sessions with a fellow cohort member.
  • Practicum – Supervised facilitation of new students.
  • Final capstone paper or project.
  • Certification and Licensing.
  • Ongoing Site Membership.
Acceptance Code is required
for enrollment
$150.00

1. The InterSpiritual Meditation (ISM) Course

This eight-module online course includes weekly 90-minute live ZOOM calls led by Certified Facilitators, Mentors and Ed Bastian These include guided meditation, teaching, Q/A and breakout group discussions. Candidates for Facilitator training certification are required to participate in each of the live and in person 8-week course sessions.

In this introductory course, a prospective Facilitator will use our Styles Profile Instrument, custom search engine, journal worksheets and community practice circles to (1) learn how each of the seven steps are defined in diverse spiritual and secular traditions, and (2) refining their practice of each of the seven steps. In so doing, they will create their own InterSpiritual Meditation Mandala that summarizes their learning and practice.

This course begins by completing the Spiritual Styles Instrument. This instrument helps each student to harness their archetypal styles in order refine their personal approach to each of the seven steps based on the wisdom of their chosen spiritual and secular sources and their own life experience. They will learn to practice the seven-step InterSpiritual Meditation to cultivate health, happiness, gratitude, transformation, love, mindfulness, wisdom and service to others.

Capstone Paper: Those who wish to qualify for the facilitator training program will need to attend the eight-week online course sessions, receive an approved application, and complete a capstone paper or project. This paper or projects will summarize the wisdom gained from at least three spiritual/secular sources for each step, summarize at least three spiritual styles they have harnessed and balanced, and summarize the contemplative practice they have developed for each of the seven steps.

2. Twelve 90-minute ZOOM Sessions

During the training period, there will be twelve 90-minute ZOOM sessions over six months for facilitator trainees. Each session will include co-led 7-step ISM, in-depth discussions, guidance by mentors and facilitators, harnessing our Spiritual Styles, case studies, presentations/discussions based on the trainees’ experiences working with clients.

3. Pairing Certified Mentors with Trainees

Each trainee will work individually and with a dyad partner  Dyad sessions can include (1) personal work with styles and steps, and (2) trainees’ work with their own practicum clients.
(1) Personal Work
Trainees will share journal writings on each of the 12 styles, questions and sources, and on each step of InterSpiritual Meditation.
(2) Work with New Students
Trainees will work with new students with supervision from an assigned mentor. Practicum students will need to  become members of our website and use the spiritual styles profile tools, resource database, and journals as part of their process of learning and practice.
(3) Private mentoring sessions with a Certified InterSpiritual Mentor or Ed Bastian.

4. Practicum – Trainees working with new students

During this practicum period, each facilitator-in-training will work with other new students. Periodically, they will have supervision sessions with their InterSpiritual mentor or Ed Bastian.

5. A Capstone Paper

Each trainee will write an extensive paper that includes the following:

(1) Summaries of their journal writings on the 12 styles, 12 questions, 12 sources and the 7-steps of ISM.

(2) Case studies of their experience mentoring others.

(3) Descriptions of how they are integrating and applying ISM and the Mandala Process in their own lives.

(4) Examples of how these processes have become a useful adjunct to their professional work in such fields as psychotherapy, health care, yoga instruction, spiritual direction, ministry, chaplaincy, public service.

6. Facilitator & Mentor Retreats

Our hope is to hold an in-person retreat each year for mentors-in-training to get to know each other, to share their styles, questions, sources and meditations, to share their experiences working with clients, and to engage in meditations, rituals and creative expressions of our combined work. These retreats could include graduation ceremonies for those who have completed the program.

7. Certification and Licensing to Use the Website and Workbooks

After successfully completing the facilitator training process, a certificate will be awarded to each graduate. With this certificate they will be licensed to use the workbooks and websites for helping others. They will be expected to continue working closely with each other, follow the ethical and discussion guidelines when working with their students, and to continue sharing experiences and best practices for ISM facilitating with their fellow Facilitators.

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