Spiritual Director Training 2025/2026

This spiritual direction modality of ministry is the art and craft of skilled sojourning.  Spiritual direction finds itself in a unique place among helping professions.  It is richly rooted in the history of the church, steeped in contemplative tradition, and was in its pre-modern time, the quintessential discipline for attending to matters of the interior life.  Modernity replaced this practice with the field of psychology.  While in some ways, psychological research, Freud and beyond, served the modality of spiritual direction well, the contemporary discipline of psychology has provided an ill equipped substitute for the spiritually discerning, attuned accompaniment of spiritual direction.  This course seeks to harness both, the richness of the tradition of spiritual direction as well as the contributions of object relations psychology and even more recently, interpersonal neurobiology.  For this reason, the content spans the spectrum of graduate level and popular level reading, personal prayer and reflection assignments, as well as rigorous clinical practicum (second year).  

What makes this program distinct from other offerings is its over indexing in cross-disciplinary study and an overview approach to other relevant (but less relevant) topics.  Our points of focus are curated to ministry with Christian professionals living and working in a post Christian context.  To learn more about our training distinctions, click here.

Overview

• 2 year training program resulting in all requirements met for membership into Spiritual Directors International and Evangelical Spiritual Directors Association.  You do not have to join these organizations, but you will need to join at least one if you want to secure insurance for your spiritual direction practice.  

• In the 1st year:

   - Eight monthly 3 hour online meetings for Group Supervision (1.5 hours) followed by Book Discussion & Instruction (1.5 hours) with a brief break in between (dates and times listed below).

   - Eight monthly 1.5 hour online Prayer Project Reivew meetings (dates and times listed below).

   - One day cohort retreat (date and time listed below).

   - Approximately one book per month of reading due.

• In the 2nd year:

- Nine monthly 1.5 hour online meetings for Group Supervision

- Nine monthly 1.5 hour video presentations to watch prior to discussion

- Nine monthly 1.5 hour online prayer and presentation reflection

- You will pick a spiritual direction topic of research and create a 45 minute presentation of the topic

- At least two meetings with directees per month for 10 months.

- You must be in personal spiritual direction.

Meeting Dates for 2025/2026 Cohorts

All cohorts will meet on Zoom for Group Supervision, Book Discussion & Instruction from 9:30am-12:30pm PT

Every First Saturday of the month (excluding January): 

2025: Sept. 6, Oct. 4, Nov. 1, Dec. 6

2026: Feb. 7, Mar. 7, Apr. 11, May 2

Group Spiritual Direction cohort meeting dates and times will vary based on location and will 1.5 hours once a month. See locations, dates, and times below.

Online Cohort: Fridays from 4-5:30pm PT// 7-8:30pm ET

 2025: Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 14, Dec. 19

2026: Feb. 20, March 20, April 17, May 15

In-Person Retreat: Saturday in January (exact date & location TBD)

Seattle, WA Cohort: Thursdays from 7-8:30pm PT

 2025: Sept. 18, Oct. 16, Nov. 20, Dec. 18,

2026: Feb. 19, March 19, April 16, May 21

In-Person Retreat: Seattle, WA Saturday, January 10 from 9:30am-5:30pm PT

San Francisco, CA Cohort: Mondays from 7-8:30pm PT

 2025: Sept. 15, Oct. 13, Nov. 10, Dec. 15

2026: Feb. 16, March 16, April 20, May 11

In-Person Retreat: San Francisco, CA Saturday, January 10 9:30am-5:30pm PT

Southern California Cohort (Orange County or Inland Empire)

 2025: TBD

2026: TBD

In-Person Retreat: Southern California in January (exact date TBD)

Colorado Springs, CO Cohort: Mondays from 6-7:30pm MT

 2025: Sept. 22, Oct. 20, Nov. 17, Dec. 15

2026: Feb. 23, March 23, April 20, May 18

In-Person Retreat: Colorado Springs, CO Saturday, January 17 from 9:30am-5:30pm MT

Hong Kong Cohort: Thursdays from 7:30pm - 9:00pm Hong Kong time

 2025: Sep. 18, Oct. 16, Nov. 13, Dec. 18

2026: Feb. 19, March 19, April 16, May 14 

In-Person Retreat: Hong Kong Saturday, January 17 from 9:30am-5:30pm HKT

*If you're really interested in participating but none of these times work for you, let us know and if we have enough people for an additional cohort, will consider offering one at a different time.

Application

If you have questions please email julie@nuosformation.com or are ready to apply, send the following application materials by June 21, 2025 (early bird deadline) July 19, 2025 (full price deadline) to julie@nuosformation.com

From there we will schedule an interview.  We would like to keep the cohort to 8 participants.  

Application Materials

Spiritual Autobiography (no more than 5 pages double spaced)

Answers to the following questions (approximately 100 word answers)

• What makes you interested in spiritual direction training?

• What is your understanding of what spiritual direction is?

• What is your relationship to Scripture?

• What are some books that have influenced your spiritual growth?

• What have you been saying to God lately?

Letters of Reference 

• One from a pastor or mentor

• One from someone who has benefited from your spiritual care

Cost

EARLY BIRD PRICE: $2,600 for first year ($1,300 a semester) Apply by June 21.

Full Price: $2,850 for first year ($1,425 a semester) Apply by July 19.

$200 deposit due upon acceptance.

Total: $5,200-$5,450 for entire 2-year Spiritual Direction Certificate Program

This can be paid each year or split into semester payments.  

Additional Costs:

Books: Approximately $200/year

Make up sessions for missed days $150/session

Personal spiritual direction $50-$160/month

About the Program Director

Julie Barrios

Julie Barrios has over 15 years experience as a spiritual director, supervisor and trainer of spiritual directors. She holds an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care from the Institute for Spiritual Formation at Talbot School of Theology and an additional certificate in Ignation Spiritual Formation from Loyola Institute. Julie has found great joy in helping people grow in the craft of spiritual direction. With interests in art, technology, embodied spiritual practice and thoughtful ideas of all kinds, Julie weaves her interests to serve her passion of forming directors for a rapidly changing and dynamic world.