|
Weaving Our Roots: A Reflection
Our recent weekend retreat, Weaving Our Roots, truly lived up to its name, fostering meaningful connection and growth. The retreat was a collective gathering of multidisciplinary, Spirit-led clinicians who came together to connect over common ground and shared practices.
Exploring the history of pastoral counseling, the distinctions and overlap with Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy, connecting across disciplines, deepening our practices, and integrating it all was truly magical.
Our retreat leaders deserve recognition for hosting this event and for their ability to guide us through “bottom-up learning.” Tamara and Dwight were a gift to the group, as were the many others who offered their talents through music, sound baths, storytelling, and their authentic, enriching presence that fostered our shared spirit.
To ACPE - thank you for the support, presence, and hard work that made this retreat possible. I believe I speak for us all when I say: thank you, thank you, thank you!
The gift of sharing space with others who hold shared values, practices, and missions is life-giving and increasingly needed in today’s culture. We were blessed with a beautiful setting, wonderful food, thoughtful leadership, and warm hospitality. Together, these elements created an enriching weekend - one in which we all, hopefully, walked away feeling that our roots had truly been woven.
Until next time, friends. ✨
- Amelia Pauley PMHNP-BC
For a review of the past conference agenda click here.
|
|
Book Description:
In today’s hyper-connected world, loneliness, depression, and anxiety are still on the rise. We’re craving deeper connections and meaningful relationships, but how do we cultivate them? Chris O’Rear, a seasoned clinical therapist and pastoral counselor, offers guidance and hope.
Drawing from thirty years of experience and his own personal journey, Chris shares practical wisdom on building stronger relationships, navigating conflicts, and supporting loved ones through tough times. His compassionate and expert approach will help you develop a deeper understanding of yourself and others, nurture more fulfilling connections, and find resilience in the face of challenges.
Whether you’re a caregiver, therapist, or simply seeking to enrich your relationships, Chris’s insights will empower you to connect more authentically and love more wholeheartedly.
About the Author:
Christoper D. O’Rear is an ordained minister and licensed clinical pastoral therapist in Tennessee and the owner of The Counseling Center, PLLC, in Nashville. He has a master’s degrees in divinity in pastoral care and counseling and in marriage and family therapy. Before becoming a licensed psychotherapist, Chris worked as a hospital chaplain. In addition to his work as a therapist, he is also a teacher, lecturer, and supply preacher and regularly writes lessons for Smyth & Helwys’s Formations curriculum. Chris lives in Nashville with his wife, Lynda, and they have two grown daughters and two wonderful sons-in-law. Chris is an animal lover and enjoys motorcycle riding.
|
|
November 7th, 2025 Webinar (11:30am-1pm EST)
"Therapeutic Friendship: Cultivating a Clinical Therapeutic process for deeper connection" with Chris O'Rear MDiv, LCPT
Member Price: $Free (check your email for the code or contact latasha.matthews@acpe.edu)
Non-Member Price: $35
Description:
The key to success in a process of psychotherapy is the quality of the therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the client. The quality of this relationship is more than active listening and empathy. This presentation will establish the importance of a clear therapeutic framework for the work of therapy and will assist participants to utilize transference and countertransference to create a deeper connection with clients. This presentation will also emphasize a focus on "process" rather than "content" to assist clients gain insight and create opportunities for significant changes in their life.
Learning Objectives:
As a result of this webinar, participants will be able to
1. demonstrate the significance of clear therapeutic framework for psychotherapy.
2. identify and utilize transference and countertransference to deepen the therapeutic connection between therapist and client.
3. recognize the presence of process-oriented interventions to deepen connection and the potential for insight.
4. formulate a theoretical connection between process-oriented psychotherapy as theological concept and transformational change.
Continuing Education Credit Available: 1.5 credit hours
|
