Awakening the Creative Spirit:Experiential Education for Spiritual Directors in the Expressive Arts
with Betsey Beckman, MM and Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, REACE
Each program is limited to 10 participants.
2013-2014 Program Dates:
September 29-October 4, 2013 (Sun-Fri) at St. Andrew's House on the Hood Canal (Pacific NW) - FULL
April 29-May 4, 2014 (Tues-Sun) at Forest of Peace retreat center in Oklahoma (near Tulsa)
September 28-October 3, 2014 (Sun-Fri) at St. Andrew's House on the Hood Canal (Pacific NW)
This live intensive is a part of the Soul Care Institute offerings, however anyone working in the field of soul care (spiritual direction, chaplaincy, pastor, educator, counseling, etc.) may apply to register at any time.
$1675 program fee [$375 nonrefundable deposit to hold your place + $1300 balance due 6 weeks prior to the start date
(Balance due: Fall 2013 by August 15, 2013, Spring 2014 by March 15, 2014, Fall 2014 by August 15, 2014)
Program fee covers all instruction, art supplies, room, and meals. You are responsible for travel to the retreat center.
A five-day experiential intensive exploring tools for integrating the arts and imagination into spiritual direction and other healing ministries.
Our encounters with the holy are rooted in symbol and image and speak the language of dreams. Spiritual direction tends to these encounters and can be deeply enhanced by tools that invite listening to and engaging the inner symbolic life. The focus of this program is on developing the skills of working with the arts and imagination to deepen the work of spiritual direction.
Together we will explore how the healing power of such tools as guided imagery, body awareness, dream work, ritual, poetry, journal writing, visual art, movement, song, and storytelling enrich our own spiritual lives and our work in spiritual direction by giving us access to another language with which to encounter the divine presence within. Participants will develop comfort and skills in using these tools. The program consists of didactic input and time for discussion and reflection on how we see using the arts concretely in our work as spiritual directors.
Also appropriate for counselors, chaplains, teachers, pastors, and others in soul care ministries who want to integrate the arts into their work.
Absolutely no previous art experience necessary — only a willingness to awaken the creative spirit within!
*This educational event provides 33 hours of continuing education that can be applied to the educational hours required by the Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc.
For our programs at St. Andrew's House on the Hood Canal (Pacific NW) – if you are flying into SeaTac airport we will assist you in connecting with other participants to share an airport shuttle. The cost is about $40-$50 each way depending on the total number riding. Please schedule your flight arrival by 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 29 and departure no earlier than 4:00 p.m. on Friday, October 4.
For our program at Forest of Peace retreat center in Oklahoma – if you are flying into Tulsa airport we can assist you with transportation to the retreat center at a cost of $25 round trip. Please contact us for more details.
Click here for Program FAQs and Objectives>>
Registration
To apply for a space in the program please send an email to Christine@AbbeyoftheArts.com which includes:
- Your name, mailing address, email, phone number (please let us know if you would like a brief phone conversation to answer any questions and if so, some good times to reach you)
- Please indicate which program dates you are applying for: (1) April 29-May 4, 2014 in Oklahoma or (2) Sept 28-Oct 3, 2014 in the Northwest
- Describe your background and training in spiritual direction and/or soul care ministry.
- Describe any background you have in the arts.
- What is your spiritual tradition and/or faith community?
- What are your primary spiritual practices?
- What are your hopes and expectations for this program?
- Do you have any physical limitations, food allergies, or other needs we should be aware of?
- Are you willing to have your contact information provided on a list for the whole group?
- Are you flying into Seattle-Tacoma airport and would you like to be connected with other participants to share in an airport shuttle to travel together to the workshop location or will you be driving directly?
- Do you agree to the Soul Care Institute Policies?
Once accepted, we require a $375 nonrefundable deposit to hold your place in the program. You can use this link for credit card payment online – 
The balance of $1300 will be due by August 15, 2012 -
Please note: We cannot offer any refunds of the deposit once paid, and of the balance of the program costs after the due date. Because of this, we highly recommend you purchase trip insurance to reimburse your costs in case of illness or other emergency which prevents you from attending.
Your guides for the journey
Betsey Beckman, MM, is nationally acclaimed as a spirited dancer, storyteller, teacher of SpiritPlay and dancing Spiritual Director. With her extensive repertory of sacred storydances, she is regularly featured as artist/presenter at national conventions as well as local churches. She earned her Masters in Ministry degree from Seattle University, her certificate in Movement Therapy from the Institute for Transformational Movement, and is a certified InterPlay leader. As dancer, choreographer, author, mother, wife, teacher and spiritual director, she is passionate about living life fully and fostering creativity in all those with whom she shares life and ministry. Betsey’s publications include books, recordings, and The Dancing Word series of DVDs on embodied prayer. She offers the gift of playful improvisation whenever possible!
Find out more about her work at her website: The Dancing Word.
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Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, REACE is the online Abbess at Abbey of the Arts and earned her doctorate in Christian spirituality, professional status as a Registered Expressive Arts Consultant and Educator (REACE) from the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association, and certificates in spiritual direction, supervision, and as a teacher of yoga.
She is the author of seven books on monastic spirituality and creativity including The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom.
Christine and Betsey are co-authors of Awakening the Creative Spirit: Bringing the Arts to Spiritual Direction (Spiritual Directors International Imprint series) from Church Publishing. They have been teaching this program together for over 8 years and love the magic that happens when a group of kindred spirits come together in a safe space to explore creating and soul-making.