ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care and Education Psychotherapy Commission News

Call for 2026 Webinar Series Proposals -- Due 5/1/26

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 03:42:51 GMT

The ACPE Psychotherapy Commission (multi-disciplinary licensed mental health clinicians committed to the integration of spirituality in client work) is excited to announce an open call for our 2026 Webinar Series focused on Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy.

We are looking for offerings that will provide valuable insights and practical guidance for the integration of spirituality and mental health, including diverse spiritual or religious traditions. Webinars will be 90 minutes long, with 60 minutes of content (recorded for future viewing) and a 30-minute discussion period (not recorded). A presenter stipend will be provided for each webinar. Attendees will receive 1.5 NBCC CEs for attendance at the live webinars.

Proposals should be submitted via this link, and are due no later than 5/1/26. Webinars will be presented according to speaker availability between 6/1/26 and 12/31/26.

If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please prepare the following for entry in the form:

● Full name

● Email address

● Headshot for advertising purposes

● Professional website link(s) (optional)

● Credentials

● Curriculum vitae/Resume

● Training/Experience demonstrating expertise in chosen topic

● Presentation title and brief description

● 3-5 learning objectives

● 5 or more scholarly references that support your material, preferably published since 2020

● NBCC CE presenter and content category

● Preferred season for scheduling

o Summer: June, July, August

o Fall: September, October, November

o Winter: December, January, February

Thanks in advance for your interest and support. We look forward to hearing more about your innovative ideas and contributions to make this series impactful and engaging. If you have any further questions about this process, please feel free to contact Anita Neuer Colburn at anita.nc@icloud.com.

Proposal Link Here

SCS Training With Tres Adames Begins April 7th Online

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 20:15:12 GMT

Registration at https://bit.ly/4sh2CKZ

The Spiritual Care Specialist Training offers a structured opportunity for those serving in care ministries to strengthen the skills needed to respond effectively to a wide variety of concerns. Many caregivers, whether in volunteer or professional roles, encounter situations involving addiction, mental health challenges, trauma, grief, and domestic violence. These issues often call for an understanding of behavioral health perspectives in order to provide care that is ethical, safe, and effective.

This training, beginning April 7th and ending May 26th, is designed to help participants integrate those perspectives with their existing approach to care. The program includes a total of 48 hours of learning and support. Phase 1 consists of 28 hours of self paced material that includes prerecorded lectures totaling 16 hours, along with 12 hours of assignments and personal reflection exercises. All materials are provided, and no additional books are required. Students can begin Phase 1 at any time before the live sessions begin and can access the content early when they register ahead of the start date.

Phase 2 consists of 20 hours of live group instruction conducted on Zoom. These sessions meet weekly on Tuesdays from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM Eastern Time. Attendance at all sessions is required in order to complete the course and receive the certificate of completion. Participants will explore topics such as Images of Pastoral Care, Ethics, Listening in the Service of Healing, Spiritual Assessment, Marriage and Family, Substance Abuse and Addiction, Mental Health, Trauma, Domestic Violence, and Grief.

The overall goal of the program is to support caregivers in providing more competent and confident care rooted in a deeper understanding of behavioral health.

Registration is $600. A brief meeting with an instructor is required prior to receiving a registration code.

Registration at https://bit.ly/4sh2CKZ

More information about SCS Training at: https://sip-com.wildapricot.org/Spiritual-Care-Specialist-(SCS)-Training/

Tres Adames Bio Page at: https://sip-com.wildapricot.org/Tres-Adames

Spring Conference 2026 Flyer

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 18:10:24 GMT

Upcoming SIP Training Levels 1 & 2 with Beth Toler, Tere Canzoneri, and Lynn Bohecker (Online & In-Person)

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 04:31:35 GMT

SIP 1 Session dates are as follows:

Date	Times
4/09/2026 4/10 &4/11	6:30pm-8:30pm MT 9:00am-4:00pm MT

Date

Times

4/09/2026

4/10 &4/11

6:30pm-8:30pm MT

9:00am-4:00pm MT

SIP 2 session dates are as follows:

5/1/2026	9:00am-4:00pm MT
5/2/2026	9:00am-4:00pm MT

Sessions are online and in-person in Idaho at address:

The Counseling Center at Tree City, 3852 N Eagle Rd, Boise, ID, 83713

SIP Level 1 Training Registration Here.

SIP Level 2 Training Registration Here.

What is the Spiritually Integrated Training Program?

The SIP training program is a multi-disciplinary, inter-spiritual, multi-racial community of persons gathered for education, connection, and formation in the work of spiritually integrated psychotherapy. It serves licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals (i.e., counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, pastoral counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, addiction specialists, and more), as well as graduate students in any of those disciplines who seek to explore the ways spirituality, religion, and the search for meaning influence their own lives and the lives of their clients.

Click here for more information.

Beth's Background:

Beth Toler, M.Div., Th.D., LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist, educator, and ordained minister with more than 20 years of experience across clinical, academic, and ministerial settings. Her work integrates psychotherapy, theology, and spirituality, with a holistic approach grounded in family systems therapy, trauma-informed care, and spiritually integrated practice. Beth brings clinical expertise and deep listening to her teaching, emphasizing compassionate presence, thoughtful engagement, and the role of meaning-making in healing and growth.

Beth completed her doctoral studies and clinical training at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and began her private practice in 2010. She has since practiced in Georgia and Pennsylvania, currently offering virtual therapy across both states and in-person services in the Greater Philadelphia area. Her professional experience includes work in parishes, hospitals, universities, psychiatric facilities, and recovery centers, as well as over fifteen years in private practice with individuals, couples, and families. She also serves as a graduate-level professor, teaches counseling and pastoral care in seminaries and counseling programs nationwide, and has held leadership roles including Clinical Coordinator for CACREP-accredited programs.

Beth holds a Doctor of Theology from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, a Master of Divinity from Duke University Divinity School, and a Bachelor of Arts from Mercer University. Ordained in the American Baptist Churches, USA, she continues to bridge ministry, clinic, and classroom in her work. She serves on the Psychotherapy Commission of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education and is President of the Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling. Her writing and research focus on the methodological and practical implications of integrating religion and spirituality into the counseling process, supporting learners in developing thoughtful, ethically grounded approaches to psychotherapy.

Tere's Background:

Tere Tyner Canzoneri, M.Div., LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and spiritually integrated psychotherapy trainer with more than 40 years of experience in counseling, education, and pastoral care. Her work is grounded in curiosity, spirituality, and deep respect for human diversity, with a long-standing commitment to helping people explore meaning, identity, and growth. As an instructor, she brings a present-focused, reflective approach that integrates psychodynamic and systems theory with trauma-informed practice and mindfulness-based perspectives.

Tere’s professional formation includes extensive training in psychodynamic and systems theories, along with continued engagement in emerging understandings of trauma, neurobiology, and emotional health. Her approach may incorporate mindfulness, internal family systems, imago therapy, and bilateral stimulation techniques when appropriate. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services and Social Philosophy from Mercer University, a Master of Divinity from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, and a Master of Social Work from the University of Georgia. She also completed a residency in pastoral counseling at Georgia Baptist Medical Center. She is a former diplomate of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and currently serves as a trainer in Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy with ACPE.

Throughout her career, Tere has been shaped by cross-cultural experience, including formative years living in Asia, which deepened her appreciation for multiple perspectives and ways of meaning-making. Her teaching reflects a belief that personal history matters while emphasizing the importance of awareness and change in the present moment. She brings to her role as an instructor a reflective, dialogical style that supports learners in developing curiosity, ethical sensitivity, and thoughtful integration of spirituality within psychotherapeutic practice.

Lynn's Background:

Dr. Lynn Bohecker, Ph.D., LMFT, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (ID, NC, UT, VA) and a nationally credentialed AAMFT Approved Supervisor with expertise in counselor education, clinical supervision, and trauma-informed family therapy. She earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Counseling from Idaho State University and has taught at both secular and faith-based institutions, including her current role as full professor at Liberty University. Dr. Bohecker’s teaching and research focus on marriage and family specialization, spirituality in therapy, group work, and professional identity, while her clinical practice emphasizes trauma recovery and family systems. She has held leadership roles in the counseling field, presented at national conferences, and published extensively, including journal articles, book chapters, and textbooks.

A registered clinical supervisor with specialized training in Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy, Dr. Bohecker chairs dissertations and teaches courses in human growth and development, research methodology, and practicum/internship supervision. Her work reflects a deep commitment to bridging spirituality, research, and clinical practice, empowering both students and clients to thrive. With a background that includes secular and faith-based education, she brings a unique perspective to her roles as educator, supervisor, and therapist.

SIP Level 1 Training Registration Here.

SIP Level 2 Training Registration Here.

Deepening Our Roots: Nurturing the Soul and Growing in Connection

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 05:09:01 GMT

Spring 2026 Conference

April 24–26, 2025 | Linthicum, MD

**CLICK HERE TO REGISTER HERE**

Join us for a transformative weekend retreat designed to deepen inner awareness, strengthen relational roots, and foster professional sustainability. Guided by the theme Deepening Our Roots: Nurturing the Soul and Growing in Connection, this retreat invites therapists, chaplains, clergy, spiritual directors, educators, and all who are drawn to this meaningful work. We celebrate diverse spiritual orientations and welcome everyone—whether you come with clarity, curiosity, or quiet openness.

Workshops and Presenters

Visit Our Presenters Page

Explore a rich array of workshops led by experienced practitioners:

Kathryn Summers: Our thoughtful, experienced, and energetic Master of Ceremonies
Carol Smith & Lacrecia Dangerfield: Connection through Storytelling
Melissa Lemons: Possibilities and Patterns: Emotional and Spiritual Benefits of Knitting
Russell Siler Jones: Channels of Spiritual Presence: Exploring Spiritual Dimensions of Therapeutic Presence
Selena Coleman: Garden of Personal Peace
Janet Dean: Bearing Holy Sorrow: Practitioner Grief and the Practice of Lament
Carol McGinnis: Spiritually Integrated Therapeutic Drumming
Aaron Pawelek: In the Event of My Death or Incapacity
Wayne Gustafson: Identifying, Understanding, and Challenging Assumptions in Psychotherapy and Life
David Harris: Rooted and Responsive: Engaging AI as a Mirror for Formation, Presence, and Sustainable Practice

Visit Our Presenters Page

Shared Learning and Community

Our time together will include reflective dialogue, experiential practices, and embodied exploration—creating space for renewal, insight, and integration. You’ll leave with tools to enrich your clinical and spiritual practice.

Continuing Education
Earn up to 10.0 hours of continuing education credit. You don’t need to attend every session; feel free to take space and rest as needed. ACPE is an approved provider for NBCC, ASWB, and NY State Education Department.

Location and Amenities
The retreat takes place at the Maritime Conference Center (692 Maritime Boulevard, Linthicum, MD). Enjoy free parking, complimentary Wi-Fi, a fitness center, walking trails, and a pet-friendly environment. Check-in begins at 3pm on Friday, and check-out is at 11am on Sunday.

Cost and Lodging

ACPE Members: $99
Non-members: $200
Your registration includes all sessions, materials, meals, and snacks. Single rooms are available at a discounted rate of $169/night. Reserve your room here or call (410) 859-5700.

For special accommodations or questions, contact Latasha Matthews at latasha.matthews@acpe.edu. We look forward to growing in connection with you!

Registration

**CLICK HERE TO REGISTER HERE**

Presenter Line-up for Our Spring 2026 Conference Event!

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:25:17 GMT

**CLICK HERE TO REGISTER HERE**

Workshops and Presenters
Explore a rich array of workshops led by experienced practitioners:

Kathryn Summers

Our thoughtful, experienced, and energetic Master of Ceremonies

Kathryn Summers

Kathryn A. Summers, Psy.D., FBPPC, is a pastoral psychotherapist specializing in adolescents, adults, clergy, and veterans, addressing issues like depression, trauma, grief, spirituality, and relational challenges. With a Doctor of Psychology in Pastoral Psychotherapy and certifications in EMDR and Enneagram, she integrates psychodynamic, relational, and neurobiological approaches to create a safe, nonjudgmental space for healing. Dr. Summers welcomes clients of all faith backgrounds, focusing on their unique needs without imposing any agenda.

Carol Smith & Lacrecia Dangerfield

Connection through Storytelling

Carol Smith

Carol T. Smith is a licensed Marital & Family Therapist, AAMFT approved supervisor, and a trainer for ACPE’s Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy (SIP) training program. Carol is the Training Director at Insight Counseling Centers, a non-profit counseling organization with 9 locations in Middle Tennessee. She counts it an honor and joy to share the gift of Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy in sessions with clients and through training therapists in SIP. Carol finds restoration through the spiritual practices of story-ing Scripture, choral singing, gardening, and visiting with family and friends.

Lacrecia Dangerfield

Lacrecia Dangerfield, EdD, LPC/MHSP is a NBCC Approved Supervisor and SIP Certified. Dr. Lacrecia is the founder of ReImprint Your Life Enterprises where she provides transformational counseling, supervision and consultation to other mental health clinicians and Spirit - led leaders. She serves as an Associate Minister and Director of Wholistic Care in her local church. During Dr. Lacrecia's down time, you can find her sipping on one of her favorite teas, reading and spending time with her family and friends.

Melissa Lemons

Possibilities and Patterns: Emotional and Spiritual Benefits of Knitting

Melissa Lemons

Melissa Lemons, PhD, LPCMH, is a licensed professional counselor of mental health and counselor educator who integrates psychotherapy, spirituality, and cultural sensitivity into her relational and holistic approach. As an Associate Professor at Wilmington University and (volunteer) community pastor at Unity Lutheran Church, she specializes in addressing relationships, anxiety, trauma, and spirituality, emphasizing authenticity, curiosity, and compassion. With a PhD in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University Maryland and extensive clinical and educational experience, she is committed to fostering resilient connections in both therapeutic and academic settings.

Russell Siler Jones

Channels of Spiritual Presence: Exploring Spiritual Dimensions of Therapeutic Presence

Russell Siler Jones

Russell Siler Jones is a psychotherapist, author, and teacher specializing in the intersection of psychotherapy and spirituality. He has 30 years’ experience as a clinician and 18 as founding director of CareNet/Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist's Residency in Psychotherapy and Spirituality. He is author of Spirit in Session: Working with Your Client’s Spirituality (and Your Own) in Psychotherapy, writes Spiritize (Spirit Eyes) on Substack, and created ACPE’s Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy curriculum. His work explores how people connect with S/spirit, whatever they may or may not call it, how therapists and others can support and deepen those connections, and how therapy and other practices of care are invisibly, immeasurably, and always acts of spiritual exchange.

Selena Coleman

Garden of Personal Peace

Selena Coleman

Dr. Selena Coleman is a licensed and ordained minister with a Baptist and a Non-Denominational ecclesiastical background. Her ministry began in urban outreach, including homeless shelters, jails, and hospital/hospice care. Known as Dr. Selena, she graduated from Jacksonville Theological Seminary with a Doctorate of Divinity in Chaplaincy with a special interest in Christian Counseling. Her overall concerns were the mental and behavioral health issues in ethnic women, indigent mothers, and veteran women after war. Therefore, she proposes a more progressive technique for Therapists and Clients to explore healing vibrations during sessions via inter- and intra-personal intelligence. These methodologies: The Power of Storytelling, Sharing Life-Experiences, and Testimonials, are common ground for developing a trustworthy Counselor/Client relationship. She believes that these tools measure her clients' biographical timelines as a discovery tool for unveiling suppressed emotional triggers, allowing the clients to trace, dig, and heal.

Janet Dean

Bearing Holy Sorrow: Practitioner Grief and the Practice of Lament

Janet Dean

Dr. Janet B. Dean is a pastor, teacher, and lifelong student of Wesleyan theology who cares deeply about how we read scripture and how it shapes our communities. She brings a thoughtful, down-to-earth perspective to tough questions, especially around faith and mental health. Janet’s all about honest conversations, deep grace, and staying rooted in faith while engaging today’s world. Janet is currently an Ordained Elder in the Church of the Nazarene and a Professor of Pastoral Counseling at Asbury Theological Seminary. She and her husband Kevin, a retired US Navy chaplain, have two adult sons, Jonathan and Rowan.

Carol McGinnis

Spiritually Integrated Therapeutic Drumming

Carol McGinnis

Carol McGinnis is a counselor educator and licensed clinical professional counselor who is invested in integrating the client’s spiritual beliefs in the therapeutic process. In the past, Carol has served as President of the Maryland Association of Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (MASERVIC), President of the Maryland Counseling Association (MCA), and Chair of the APE Psychotherapy Commission. Functional anger, Spirituality, and Xbox videogaming have been Carol’s three areas for research in counseling for more than 20 years and a new ACPE MAP grant will help to expand this work to include therapeutic drumming. As a lifelong percussionist, Carol is excited to bring SIP to therapeutic drumming for adults in the community who may benefit from it.

Aaron Pawelek

In the Event of My Death or Incapacity

Aaron Pawelek

Aaron Pawelek, LICSW, MSW, MTS, is a psychotherapist with dual degrees in Social Work and Theological Studies from Boston University. With clinical experience from fellowships at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates and the Pastoral Counseling Center of Dallas, where he served as Director of Training, he specializes in helping adults, couples, and teens navigate mental health challenges, trauma, and life transitions. Aaron’s approach focuses on strengths, self-awareness, and alignment with core values, and he shares: “Sometimes our life paths take painful and confusing turns. My hope is to join you on your path for a while and help you find what you need to walk with resilience, courage, humor, and peace.”

Wayne Gustafson

Identifying, Understanding, and Challenging Assumptions in Psychotherapy and Life

Wayne Gustafson

Wayne E. Gustafson, DMin, LMHC, is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, a retired licensed mental health counselor, and an authorized trainer in ACPE Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy. With decades of experience as a prison chaplain, pastoral counselor, and adjunct professor, he specializes in integrating psychological and spiritual perspectives in caregiving, emphasizing ethical practice, pastoral presence, and systems thinking. Dr. Gustafson holds a Doctor of Ministry in Psychology and Clinical Studies and has published on ethics in counseling, while also authoring two novels, Community of Promise: The Untold Story of Moses and The Wisdom Weaver.

David Harris

Rooted and Responsive: Engaging AI as a Mirror for Formation, Presence, and Sustainable Practice

David Harris

David Harris, MTS, MS, is a professional coach and Executive Director of Rock Springs in Marietta GA, specializing in career transitions, relational growth, and spiritually integrated coaching. With 25+ years of experience in management and career development, he combines psychology, wisdom traditions, and strengths-based strategies to help clients and organizations foster meaningful change. David frequently presents on career transitions and integrative coaching and holds affiliations with ACPE, the National Career Development Association, and the Georgia Career Development Association where he has twice served as their President.

**CLICK HERE TO REGISTER HERE**

Deepening Our Roots: Nurturing the Soul and Growing in Connection

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:06:27 GMT

April 24–26, 2025 | Linthicum, MD

**CLICK HERE TO REGISTER HERE**

Workshops and Presenters

Visit Our Presenters Page

Explore a rich array of workshops led by experienced practitioners:

Kathryn Summers: Our thoughtful, experienced, and energetic Master of Ceremonies
Carol Smith & Lacrecia Dangerfield: Connection through Storytelling
Melissa Lemons: Possibilities and Patterns: Emotional and Spiritual Benefits of Knitting
Russell Siler Jones: Channels of Spiritual Presence: Exploring Spiritual Dimensions of Therapeutic Presence
Selena Coleman: Garden of Personal Peace
Janet Dean: Bearing Holy Sorrow: Practitioner Grief and the Practice of Lament
Carol McGinnis: Spiritually Integrated Therapeutic Drumming
Aaron Pawelek: In the Event of My Death or Incapacity
Wayne Gustafson: Identifying, Understanding, and Challenging Assumptions in Psychotherapy and Life
David Harris: Rooted and Responsive: Engaging AI as a Mirror for Formation, Presence, and Sustainable Practice

Visit Our Presenters Page

Shared Learning and Community

Cost and Lodging

ACPE Members: $99
Non-members: $200
Your registration includes all sessions, materials, meals, and snacks. Single rooms are available at a discounted rate of $169/night. Reserve your room here or call (410) 859-5700.

For special accommodations or questions, contact Latasha Matthews at latasha.matthews@acpe.edu. We look forward to growing in connection with you!

Registration

**CLICK HERE TO REGISTER HERE**

Upcoming SIP Levels I & II Trainings With Chris O'Rear

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 05:23:54 GMT

In-Person Training in Nashville, TN

SIP Training Level 1:

Date	Times
04/09/2026	9 am-4 pm
04/10/2026	9 am-4 pm
04/11/2026	9 am-12 pm

Register Here for SIP 1

SIP Training Level 2:

Date	Times
05/07/2026	9 am-4 pm
05/08/2026	9 am-4 pm
05/09/2026	9 am-12 pm

Register Here for SIP 2

What is the Spiritually Integrated Training Program?

Click here for more information.

Chris O’Rear, M.Div., MMFT Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapist, Author, and Speaker

Chris O’Rear is a licensed clinical pastoral therapist, author, and speaker with over 30 years of experience guiding individuals, churches, and organizations through life’s challenges. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, he integrates clinical expertise, spiritual depth, and a passion for authentic connection to help people cultivate resilience and deepen relationships. As the owner and director of The Counseling Center, PLLC, Chris leads a network of therapists serving Middle Tennessee, specializing in supporting adults facing anxiety, grief, and life transitions. His approach is rooted in a unique blend of psychotherapy and pastoral care, reflecting his endorsement for Pastoral Counseling by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

Chris’s journey into this work began with a background in science—studying biology and chemistry at Samford University and working as an EMT and in a clinical lab—before he felt called to ministry and psychotherapy. He earned a Master of Divinity in Pastoral Care and Counseling from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and later completed a Master of Marriage and Family Therapy at Trevecca Nazarene University. His training as a hospital chaplain further shaped his commitment to holistic healing, bridging emotional, relational, and spiritual health.

A sought-after workshop leader and speaker, Chris engages audiences at churches, retreats, and conferences on topics such as spirituality and mental health integration, grief and resilience, clergy wellness, and therapeutic friendship. His presentations are known for their practical wisdom and compassionate insight, empowering individuals and communities to foster healthier connections. He is the author of Therapeutic Friendship: Cultivating Relationships that Heal, a book that draws on his decades of experience to offer actionable guidance for building meaningful, healing relationships in an increasingly disconnected world.

Through his writing, teaching, and clinical practice, Chris continues to inspire others to embrace change, navigate conflict, and live with greater authenticity. His work reflects a lifelong dedication to helping people thrive—both personally and in community.

SIP Level 1 Training Registration Here

SIP Level 2 Training Registration Here

SCS Training With Tres Adames Begins March 10th Online

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 23:00:19 GMT

This training, beginning March 10 and ending May 5, is designed to help participants integrate those perspectives with their existing approach to care. The program includes a total of 48 hours of learning and support. Phase 1 consists of 28 hours of self paced material that includes prerecorded lectures totaling 16 hours, along with 12 hours of assignments and personal reflection exercises. All materials are provided, and no additional books are required. Students can begin Phase 1 at any time before the live sessions begin and can access the content early when they register ahead of the start date.

The overall goal of the program is to support caregivers in providing more competent and confident care rooted in a deeper understanding of behavioral health.

Registration is $600. A brief meeting with an instructor is required prior to receiving a registration code.

Registration at https://bit.ly/4l0bpOo

More information about SCS Training at: https://sip-com.wildapricot.org/Spiritual-Care-Specialist-(SCS)-Training/

Tres Adames Bio Page at: https://sip-com.wildapricot.org/Tres-Adames

ACPE: Psychotherapy Commission Spring Retreat Call for Proposals Deadline

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 21:57:10 GMT

✦2026 ACPE Psychotherapy Spring Retreat-- April 24-26✦

Call for Proposals

CALL FOR SPEAKER/PRESENTER REQUEST

Deadline for Proposals 02.25.26

We invite therapists, chaplains, clergy, educators, spiritual directors, and spiritually curious clinicians to submit proposals for presentations and experiential offerings for Deepening Our Roots: Nurturing the Soul and Growing in Connection

We are seeking presenters who can facilitate reflective, embodied, and relational experiences that support spiritual formation, self-awareness, cultural humility, and sustainable, soulful practice. Workshops, experiential sessions, and dialogue-based offerings that honor diverse spiritual identities and professional contexts are welcome.

If you feel called to share wisdom that nurtures the soul and deepens connection within our professional community, we invite you to submit a proposal and grow with us.

Proposals email: Ashlee.Pierson@acpe.edu

More Information about the conference: https://bit.ly/3NWT3l3

Upcoming SIP Levels I & II Trainings With Wayne Gustafson

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 20:25:44 GMT

SIP Training Level 1:

5/2/2026	9:30 am - 12:30 pm
5/2/2026	1:30 - 4:30 pm
5/9/2026	9:30 am - 12:30 pm
5/9/2026	1:30 - 4:30 pm
5/16/2026	9:30 am - 12:30 pm

Register Here

SIP Training Level 2:

5/30/2026	9:30 am - 12:30 pm
5/30/2026	1:30 - 4:30 pm
6/6/2026	9:30 am - 12:30 pm
6/6/2026	1:30 - 4:30 pm

Register Here

What is the Spiritually Integrated Training Program?

Click here for more information.

Wayne's Professional Background

Wayne E. Gustafson, DMin, LMHC is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, a retired licensed mental health counselor, and an authorized trainer in ACPE Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy. He brings decades of experience as a prison chaplain, pastoral counselor, adjunct professor of pastoral care, adjunct faculty in psychology, and interim parish minister. Since 2005, he has served on the faculty of the New York School of Ministry – a New York Conference, United Church of Christ program. There he teaches pastoral care courses and continuing education workshops for clergy and lay leaders.

Dr. Gustafson’s teaching is informed by extensive clinical and educational formation, including a Doctor of Ministry in Psychology and Clinical Studies and a Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School, and a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University. His professional training includes multiple units of Clinical Pastoral Education in hospital and correctional settings, EMDR Levels 1 and 2, clinical hypnosis, critical incident debriefing, and certification as a trainer in Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy. He has held leadership roles within the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and ACPE, and has published on ethics in counseling in the Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion.

As an instructor, Dr. Gustafson emphasizes ethical practice, pastoral presence, systems thinking, and the integration of psychological and spiritual perspectives in caregiving and ministry. In addition to his teaching and training work, he is the author of two novels, Community of Promise: The Untold Story of Moses and The Wisdom Weaver. He lives with his wife in an intentional community in Ithaca, New York, and continues to focus his work on education, formation, and support for ministers and mental health professionals.

SIP Level I Training Registration Here

SIP Level II Training Registration Here

Upcoming SIP Training Levels 1 & 2 with Beth Toler, Tere Canzoneri, and Melissa Lemons

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 20:28:02 GMT

SIP Training Level 1 with Beth Toler, Tere Canzoneri, and Melissa Lemons

Session dates are as follows:

SIP Training 1:

Date	Times
Feb 19, 2026	6:30-8 pm
Feb 20, 2025	9 a.m-4 pm
Feb 21, 2025	9 am.-4 pm

Register Here for SIP 1.

SIP Training 2:

Date	Times
March 20, 2026	9 am-4 pm
March 21, 2026	9 am-4 pm

Register Here for SIP 2.

What is the Spiritually Integrated Training Program?

Click here for more information.

Beth's Background:

Tere's Background:

Melissa's Background:

Melissa Lemons, PhD, LPCMH, is a licensed professional counselor of mental health, counselor educator, and pastoral counselor whose work integrates psychotherapy, spirituality, and attention to cultural and individual differences. With experience working with individuals, couples, families, and groups, she brings a relational and holistic perspective to her role as an instructor. Her teaching is shaped by decades of clinical practice, supervision, and work in higher education, as well as her commitment to meeting people where they are and helping them build resilient, meaningful connections in their personal and professional lives.

Melissa currently serves as an Assistant Professor at Wilmington University and is also a co-pastor at Unity Lutheran Church. In addition to teaching and supervising, she works as a spiritual director and clinician, drawing on an eclectic therapeutic approach that adapts to the needs and preferences of those she serves. Her areas of focus include relationships, anxiety, depression, spirituality, parenting, blended families, sexuality, and trauma, with particular sensitivity to cultural context, humor, curiosity, and compassion in the learning and therapeutic process.

She holds a PhD in Pastoral Counseling with a focus in Counselor Education and Supervision from Loyola University Maryland, a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary, a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Bowie State University, and a Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology from the University of California, San Diego. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Yale University. Melissa’s professional formation reflects a deep respect for the whole person and a belief that effective counseling and education are grounded in authentic relationships, careful listening, and thoughtful integration of psychology and spirituality.

SIP Level 1 Training Registration Here.

SIP Level 2 Training Registration Here.

Upcoming SIP Training Levels 1 & 2 with Karen Sussan & Steven Ingram

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 17:56:50 GMT

SIP Training Levels 1 & 2 with Karen Sussan & Steven Ingram

Session dates are as follows:

SIP Training 1:

02-03-2026	12:00 pm - 03:00 pm
02-17-2026	12:00 pm - 03:00 pm
03-03-2026	12:00 pm -03:00 pm
03-17-2026	12:00 pm - 03:00 pm
03-31-2026	12:00 pm - 03:00 pm

Register Here for SIP 1.

SIP Training 2:

04-14-2026	12:00 pm - 03:00 pm
04-28-2026	12:00 pm - 03:00 pm
05-12-2026	12:00 pm - 03:00 pm
05-26-2026	12:00 pm - 03:00 pm
06-09-2026	12:00 pm - 03:00 pm

Register Here for SIP 2.

What is the Spiritually Integrated Training Program?

Click here for more information.

Karen's Background

Karen Sussan, LMHC, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and EMDR Certified Therapist with nearly 30 years of experience in psychotherapy and chaplaincy. Her work is grounded in a holistic, client-centered outlook shaped by a deep concern for human suffering and a belief in each person’s inherent capacity for healing and transformation. Drawing from her experience in private practice and hospital-based chaplaincy, she brings a broad and integrative perspective to teaching that emphasizes common humanity, dignity, and the therapeutic relationship as a conduit for meaningful change.

Karen has specialized training in trauma-informed psychotherapy, including EMDR, and has focused in recent years on working with trauma, pain, and medical issues. Her clinical experience includes complex grief and loss, postpartum concerns, medical trauma, chronic pain and medical conditions, and medical phobias. She continues to expand her understanding through ongoing study, including current learning around preverbal trauma, attachment, emotional regulation, and the somatic dimensions of early relational experiences. These interests inform her teaching with an emphasis on depth, integration, and ethical responsiveness to human suffering.

Karen completed her graduate education at the Fordham Graduate School of Social Services and holds certificates as an EMDRIA Certified EMDR Therapist (2024) and an ACPE Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy Trainer (2019). As an instructor, she draws upon her long-standing commitment to lifelong learning, trauma-informed care, and spiritually integrated psychotherapy, offering learners a thoughtful, grounded approach to integrating theory, practice, and personal formation.

Steven's Background:

Dr. Steven Ingram, D.Min., LPCC-S, is a licensed professional clinical counselor and experienced educator with more than 30 years of providing counseling services to individuals, couples, families, and groups. His professional life has been shaped by a longstanding passion for understanding human emotions and behavior, cultivated through graduate study and his work as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Dayton and United Theological Seminary. In addition to maintaining an active counseling practice, he continues to teach and supervise, drawing on decades of clinical experience and a deep respect for learning that emerges from both professional practice and lived experience.

Dr. Ingram is an ACPE Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy (SIP) Program Trainer and brings a broad, integrative perspective to instruction. His work emphasizes psychotherapy and interpersonal talk therapy, with particular attention to anxiety, grief, marital and couples counseling, and the ways spirituality, religion, and the search for meaning shape emotional and relational life. His teaching is informed by experience across the lifespan, helping learners understand how early developmental patterns connect with adult concerns, and how relational, collaborative approaches support meaningful change.

Dr. Ingram earned his Doctor of Ministry in Mental Health Counseling from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, a Master of Education in Community Health Services and Counseling from the University of Dayton, and a Master of Divinity in Institutional Chaplaincy from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. As an instructor, he integrates his background as a counselor, educator, writer, and speaker to emphasize authenticity, careful attention to language, and the central importance of relationship in psychotherapy, supporting learners in developing skills that foster deeper connection and more fulfilling therapeutic work.

SIP Level 1 Training Registration Here.

SIP Level 2 Training Registration Here.

Upcoming SIP Level 1 Training Class with Russell Siler Jones

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:55:03 GMT

ACPE SIP Training Level 1 with Russell Siler Jones (online in Zoom)

Thursday-Saturday, January 29 - 31, 2026
01/29/2026, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm EST
01/30/2026, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm EST
01/31/2026, 10:00 pm – 5:00 pm EST

Register here.

What is the Spiritually Integrated Training Program?

Click here for more information.

Russell's Professional Background

Russell Siler Jones is a psychotherapist, author, and teacher whose work centers on the intersection of spirituality and psychotherapy. For nearly three decades, from 1996 through Summer 2025, his professional life was rooted in a psychotherapy practice in Asheville, North Carolina.

He remains deeply grateful for the people who entrusted him with their stories and for the conversations that, in his words, helped lessen suffering and expand aliveness.

His current work focuses on teaching, supervision, and writing. He founded the Residency in Psychotherapy and Spirituality for CareNet/ Wake Forest Baptist/ Advocate Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 2008 and continues to direct the program for associate-licensed therapists.

He developed ACPE’s workshop-format curriculum and certification program in spiritually integrated psychotherapy, teaches frequently at conferences and workshops, and writes about the many ways spirituality and psychotherapy inform one another. He has also written a book on these themes and, over several years, contributed a monthly blog for Psychology Today. He now writes Spiritize (Spirit Eyes) on Substack.

Across his teaching and writing, Russell explores the many ways people experience the Really Real, long for connection, seek it, hide from it, wrestle with it, and surrender to it, and how therapists and others can help people live more fully by attending to these patterns of longing, seeking, hiding, wrestling, and surrender.

Personal Life

Russell lives just east of Asheville, North Carolina, in the woods across a pasture from family who are among his dearest friends. He is married to Jeanine, a fellow psychotherapist and spiritual seeker. They have two adult children, both of whom he describes as role models: one works to help communities respond to the impacts of climate change, and the other built his website.

He begins and ends most days with a walk or run in the woods and time in meditation. He is nourished by the company of friends and family who do not live across the pasture, by the presence of trees, by books, and by wisdom drawn from Christianity and other spiritual traditions.

Classes, Newsletters, Blog, and Podcast

Russell has an extensive and interesting catalogue of offerings which can be found at: https://russellsilerjones.com/

SIP Level 1 Training Registration Here

October 2025 Newsletter

Sun, 02 Nov 2025 18:46:11 GMT

✦ Your Monthly Psychotherapy Commission Update ✦

October 2025 Newsletter

Welcome to our ACPE Psychotherapy Community newsletter, where we share information, inspiration, support, and resources to nourish your soul and strengthen our connection.

Inside this issue:

Weaving Our Roots Fall Conference reflection: From Amelia Pauley

Creative Corner Writers Edition: Therapeutic Friendship by Chris O'Rear

Upcoming Webinar: November 7th topic - Therapeutic Friendship by Chris O'Rear

Upcoming Trainings: SIP Training's and info on Communities of Practice

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.

Link to Book

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

Upcoming Events & Trainings:

Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy (SIP) training program options:

ACPE SIP Training Level 1 with Russell Siler Jones (online) available January 29th-31st, 2026.
ACPE SIP Training Level 2 with Dorothea Lotze (via Zoom) available October 21st-December 2nd.
ACPE SIP Training Level 2 with Wayne Gustafson (online) available November 1st-8th.
ACPE SIP Training Level 2 with Russell Siler Jones (online) available February 27th-28th.

Consultation and Community of Practice (CoP) is for those who have completed Level 1 and Level 2 SIP Training and are pursuing ACPE SIP Certification or are already Certified:

Carol McGinnis is offering Group SIP Group Consultation/CoP - Meetings will be held on the third Saturday of every month (12pm - 3pm).

Click to Access Upcoming SIP Trainings & CoP

Please contact Newsletter Editor Amelia Pauley with any submissions.

Email: ameliapauley1@gmail.com with Creative Corner in Subject.

New Spiritual Care Specialist (SCS) Class January 30th!

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 21:15:50 GMT

New SCS Class Starts January 30th!

Please click here for registration information.

ACPE’s 48-hour course in Spiritual Care Specialist training supports people working in all manner of caring ministries (congregational clergy, lay pastoral caregivers, chaplains, allied caregivers of faith, etc.) to do their work more effectively, ethically, and safely.

Issues and topics in the core curriculum always include:

Images of Pastoral Care
Ethics of Spiritual Care
Marriage and Family Issues in Systemic Perspective
Spiritual Assessment and Diagnosis
Listening in the Service of Healing
Grief and Loss

Mental Health and the Role of the Faith Community
Understanding and Responding Effectively to Domestic Violence
Trauma-Informed Spiritual Care
Substance Abuse, Addiction, and the Role of the Faith Community
Topics Coming Soon: Moral Injury

About Your Teacher:

Aaron Pawelek, LICSW, MSW, MTS, earned dual degrees in Social Work and Theological Studies from Boston University in 2008. He completed clinical fellowships at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, the North Charles Institute for the Addictions, and the Pastoral Counseling Center of Dallas, where he later served as Director of Training from 2012 to 2015. Before graduate school, Aaron worked with adults with developmental and other disabilities at MAB Community Services, the ARC of Greater Boston, and the Price Center in West Newton, Massachusetts.

At NEPI, Aaron provides psychotherapy for adults, couples, and teens addressing mental health issues, substance abuse, trauma, and life transitions. His approach supports clients in identifying their strengths, increasing self-awareness, and living in alignment with their deepest values and beliefs.

Aaron says: “Sometimes our life paths take painful and confusing turns. My hope is to join you on your path for a while and help you find what you need to walk with resilience, courage, humor, and peace.”

Content & Course Format:

Aaron teaches his classes via Zoom, offering 48 hours of live instruction. His teaching expands upon the core curriculum by incorporating a wider range of scholarly and practitioner perspectives, providing a social justice lens through which to explore the material.

Please click here for registration information.

Please click here for more information on the SCS Training Program and current course offerings.

Spiritual Care Specialist Training in January: A Creative Approach to Pastoral Care

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 21:38:44 GMT

More at [Link to be supplied once rescheduled]

This Spiritual Care Specialist (SCS) Training, which was to run ~~January 3 to March 7, 2026~~ will be rescheduled in the future (TBD). It provides a rare opportunity for pastors, faith leaders, healthcare workers, and caregivers to grow their skills in addressing complex issues that often arise in caregiving.

This 48-hour program equips participants with behavioral health insights to help address addiction, grief, trauma, domestic violence, and mental illness, integrating these with spiritual care practices. It is an ideal resource for both professional and volunteer caregivers who want to serve ethically and confidently.

Topics include:

Ethics of Pastoral Care & Counseling
Listening in the Service of Healing
Marriage and Family Systems
Spiritual Assessment & Diagnosis
Grief, Loss, and Resilience
Trauma-Informed Spiritual Care

Trauma-Informed Spiritual Care
Harmful Spirituality and Spiritual Struggles
Mental Health in Faith Communities
Substance Abuse and Addiction
Domestic Violence and Abuse
Images of Pastoral Care

Trainer Marion Williams brings not only expertise in counseling and theology but also creative methods for learning. Her course incorporates a creative approach to pastoral care -- accessible drawing and meditation techniques that allow participants to explore spiritual care in fresh and engaging ways.

This course is delivered online and registration is now open. Tuition is $600. To complete your registration, contact Marion Williams to receive the required code.

More at [link to be supplied once rescheduled]

Volunteer Redistribution Network

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 22:49:38 GMT

Our members are our strongest resource for referrals.

We'd like to ask everyone's help in terms of getting the word out about our news, trainings, and events.

WHAT: We are looking for ACPE Member volunteers – especially psychotherapists -- to redistribute Psychotherapy Commission news.

Volunteers will receive periodic emails with contents to redistribute to locations that our central organization can't reach:

• social media groups (Facebook, Discord, etc.)

• email professional lists

• professional BBS (bulletin board systems)

(NOT very short format social media (Bluesky, X/Twitter, etc.) as we are sending long format materials and already have accounts on short format social media outlets. For that please like, follow, and boost our posts on these socials… Unless you REALLY like boiling down big text to 280 character tweets...)

HOW TO HELP: Please email us at pcsocialmedia@acpe.edu with your:

• name

• profession

• email address

• EXACTLY which social media groups and/or email lists you could distribute to. Examples:

◦ The New Jersey Psychologists Facebook Group at www.facebook.com/groups/njpsych

◦ NASW Child Advocacy Task Force Email Listserv at nasw-kids@example.com

◦ Clinicians Exchange at clinicians-exchange@clinicians-exchange.org

◦ Do not be vague: "Social Workers on Facebook", "Therapists in Chicago", etc. As much as possible, we want to avoid overlap.

We will sign you up to receive news for redistribution. Depending upon how many people are duplicating the same redistribution source, we may assign you to a small group to take turns as to whom does the post or tell you that your help is not currently needed (but the offer is appreciated!).

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS:

1) I’m not a member of ACPE. Can I help? YES, please see our social media sites and like and boost content there. Also consider joining.

2) I’m a member of ACPE but not a psychotherapist. Can I help? CERTAINLY. Ask yourself if you are a member of online groups that are relevant to Psychotherapy Commission news, events, and training. If so, please join us.

3) I’m not always able to do this. Missing occasionally is fine. If you find yourself rarely able to help, please email pcsocialmedia@acpe.edu so we can take you off the redistribution volunteer list. It’s okay. It’s volunteer after all.

4) I’m not sure the groups I am a member of are appropriate. Take a look at the group rules or ask the moderators. Some groups allow marketing and some don’t. You can also email us at pcsocialmedia@acpe.edu to discuss.

5) How frequent is my commitment? We are guesstimating about 3 to 4 times per month. If that’s too much, you can use your judgment as to how often to forward materials.

6) Can I modify what I’m sent? Yes, please use your judgment as to what represents the Psychotherapy Commission well and what fits the norms of your group. Some people will want to put a personal note before the post. Some groups require shorter posts.

7) I want to post to X/Twitter or Bluesky or another social media site with a very short format. What we are emailing out for redistribution are long format posts. Please like, follow, and boost our social media accounts instead unless you feel really inspired to boil down long posts to 280 characters!

WANT TO HELP/QUESTIONS?: Please email us at pcsocialmedia@acpe.edu

Please Help Us Spread the Social Media!

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 21:08:37 GMT

We have several new social media accounts.

We are hoping that members and friends will follow our accounts and consider liking and boosting posts that you think the greater community should see.

Please help us out by boosting and resharing posts on the following platforms:

Existing Social Accounts:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/sip-com-acpe.bsky.social
X: https://x.com/SIP_COM_ACPE
Mastodon: https://mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org/@SIP_COM_ACPE
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/acpe-psychotherapy-commission/posts/?feedView=all&viewAsMember=true
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sip_com_acpe/

THANK YOU!

ACPE: Psychotherapy Commission AUGUST '25 Newsletter

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 23:11:52 GMT

✦ Your Monthly Psychotherapy Commission Update ✦

August 2025 Newsletter

Welcome to our ACPE Psychotherapy Community newsletter, where we share information, inspiration, support, and resources to nourish your soul and strengthen our connection.

Inside this issue:

SIP Psychotherapist Trainer Spotlight: Roosevelt Brown, DMin, LMFT
Certified SIP Psychotherapist Spotlight: Amelia Pauley, PMHNP-BC
Weaving Our Roots Fall Psychotherapy Conference Link to Information
Creative Corner: Calling All Creatives, Writers, Artists of all types!!
Upcoming Trainings: SIP Training's and info on Communities of Practice

Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapist Trainer Spotlight

Roosevelt Brown, DMin, LMFT

What brought you to SIP?

I came to SIP because I believe in this process. I’m one of the folks who transferred over from the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC). For me SIP is a continuation of the work that was being done at AAPC, but it’s more direct and practical. I also continued with SIP because I believe that it’s needed within the field of Mental Health and Spirituality. Many of the individuals who seek me out for mental health want to have spirituality included within their therapeutic work. SIP provides me with a framework to help those folks.

How does SIP enrich your work?

SIP enriches my work by challenging me to learn as much as I can in the areas of mental health and spirituality. There’s so much that we need to learn about the body, mind and spirit. In my work with veterans at the Martinsburg VAMC, I have been challenged to integrate the Whole Health System into clinical chaplain care. This requires me to understand the basic principles of Whole Health without overshadowing my training in theology and spirituality. When I was completing my pastoral counseling training and education at Garett Evangelical Theological Seminary, I was challenged to incorporate the SIP principles within my pastoral formation as a pastoral counselor and provide ministry to the whole person. SIP helps me to continue that process.

What would you say are your main takeaways for those looking to complete SIP training?

SIP training will reinforce the need for caregivers to listen to clients as they discuss the various issues in their lives and provide them with the space to talk about how spirituality intercepts with those issues. In addition, the SIP program will remind caregivers that they don’t need to have all the answers or know all the details about the spiritual and religious views of their clients. As caregivers become comfortable providing space for individuals to talk about their struggles, they can begin to use their spiritual resources to help them cope with life’s issues.

What would you share with someone looking at SIP as a possible training?

I would invite them to come to the SIP training with an open mind. They do not need to have a theological education or attend Bible College. The SIP program will enable them to listen to and help individuals from a variety of religious/spiritual backgrounds: those with explicit or implicit spiritual views, the spiritual but not religious and those who say that they have no belief in God.

Tell us why you became a trainer.

I became a trainer because I enjoy the process of engaging with others about the behavioral sciences and spirituality. It allows me to continue the goal of becoming a lifelong learner. In addition, I can learn from others and help them discover the power and value of integrating spirituality within their counseling profession.

Share your upcoming or current trainings:

Doug Thorpe and I are leading Level 1 training from September 11-13 and a Level 2 training from October 17-18. There are still some open slots, please join us.

Certified Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapist Spotlight

Amelia Pauley PMHNP-BC

1. How did you first learn about the SIP certification program?

I was searching for what I felt was missing in my practice—a therapy process that integrated spirituality. Thankfully, my internet search led me to ACPE's Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy Training, and especially to Carol Smith (my trainer). I contacted her and quickly knew that I had been led by Spirit to exactly the right place, at the right time, with the right trainer, and that I would be learning the right program.

2. What is most surprising and/or valuable about the SIP certification process?

I came for the training, and I have stayed for the community. Seriously, this training has changed my life and the way I work with my patients. Parts of the program were especially expansive for me—such as the Internal/External and Implicit/Explicit processes of understanding, the Spiritual Assessment, identifying and working with Spiritual Struggles, and the Heart of the Matter issue identification process. While all of these tools alone made the investment worthwhile, I could never have anticipated the depth of community that has so profoundly impacted my life. I found a community of people who share my vision and understanding, yet who are also diverse and willing to lovingly challenge my thoughts and interpretations. I had no idea I would gain so many supportive, caring connections while also learning a deeply transformative process to apply both internally and externally with clients. This has been a true gift—one far greater than I ever expected.

3. How do you see the SIP training unfolding in your profession now?

As a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with a strong emphasis on psychotherapy, this training has helped me reach clients in more meaningful ways. It allows them to work toward true healing, rather than relying solely on solutions that may be helpful but not transformative, such as medication. I believe in coupling medication management with psychotherapy, or offering psychotherapy alongside lifestyle changes to address the mental health challenges my patients face. I do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Through utilizing SIP in sessions, I have found that many clients require less medical intervention and experience more dramatic improvements in the areas they most desire. I have a deep passion for sharing this modality with more Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, and Psychiatrists, so that spiritual health can be an integral part of every conversation surrounding mental health.

4. Lastly, what lights you up outside of your work?

I must say, my work often lights me up. Witnessing moments of insight, watching transformations unfold, and sharing in deep, vulnerable experiences with others are truly some of my favorite parts of this calling. Outside the office, I find joy in long walks, spending time with my family, creating art, and continuously learning something new. I am currently coaching jr high girls softball and this has been a beautiful challenge to say the least.

5. Please include more about yourself, your hobbies, or whatever you want to share with us.

In 2023, I opened my private practice, Middle Way Psychiatry. The ethos of my practice is to provide a truly holistic model of care for psychiatric patients—one that integrates allopathic medicine with functional medicine, offering the best of both approaches at an affordable rate. I dedicate much of my time to my career, while also striving to balance creative pursuits—currently, stained glass is my favorite art form—with a close, intentional connection to my family, especially my 12-year-old daughter and my husband. My life feels abundant, and I stay highly active. I look forward to connecting further with many of you in Atlanta this September, and I’m deeply grateful we have this space to share in community.

Link to Information and Registration

Upcoming Events & Trainings:

Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy (SIP) training program options:

ACPE SIP Training Level 1 with Carol Smith, in person (Nashville, TN) available in August
ACPE SIP Training Level 1 with Dorothea Lotze (via Zoom) available starting in September.
ACPE SIP Training Level 1 with Doug Thorpe and Roosevelt Brown (Hybrid: online and in person) available in September.
ACPE SIP Training Level 1 with Wayne Gustafson (online) available Saturdays in October.
ACPE SIP Training Level 2 with Carol Smith, in person (Nashville, TN) available in September.
ACPE SIP Training Level 2 with Dorothea Lotze (via Zoom) available in October.
ACPE SIP Training Level 2 with Doug Thorpe and Roosevelt Brown (Hybrid: online and in person) available in October.
ACPE SIP Training Level 2 with Wayne Gustafson (online) available in November.

Consultation and Community of Practice (CoP) is for those who have completed Level 1 and Level 2 SIP Training and are pursuing

ACPE SIP Certification or are already Certified: Carol McGinnis is offering Group SIP Group Consultation/CoP - Meetings will be held on the third Saturday of every month (12pm - 3pm), resuming in August, 2025.

Click to Access Upcoming SIP Trainings & CoP

Please contact Newsletter Editor Amelia Pauley with any submissions. We would love to feature an author, artist, or creative for our September Newsletter! Email: ameliapauley1@gmail.com with Creative Corner in Subject.

July 2025 Newsletter

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 23:09:33 GMT

✦ Your Monthly Psychotherapy Commission Update ✦

July 2025 Newsletter

Welcome to our ACPE Psychotherapy Community newsletter, where we share information, inspiration, support, and resources to nourish your soul and strengthen our connection.

Inside this issue:

Weaving Our Roots: Fall Psychotherapy Conference, information and REGISTER!
SIP Psychotherapist Trainer Spotlight: Chris O'Rear, M. Div., M.M.F.T., LCPT
Certified SIP Psychotherapist Spotlight: Margaret Conley, LCSW, MDiv
Creative Corner: Calling all Authors, Artists, Poets, Photographers and MORE!
Upcoming Trainings: Info on Community of Practice options, and SIP trainings.

Fall Retreat: September

Weaving Our Roots: Deeping Connection with Self, Colleagues, and Clients

September 26-28, 2025

Decatur, Georgia

14.0 hours of continuing education credit possible

“Where knowing ends, the important questions begin.”

- Jacob Needleman

This gathering of ACPE’s Psychotherapy Community offers space for therapists, pastoral counselors, and spiritually curious clinicians of all backgrounds to explore the sacred terrain where knowing gives way to mystery and the hunger for meaning becomes central in the healing journey.

Our community brings together two dynamic streams of care: the time-honored tradition of pastoral counseling and the emerging field of spiritually integrated psychotherapy. These traditions, while distinct, share deep commitments to presence, depth, and reverence for the spiritual dimension. Over the decades, they have influenced and enriched each other—and continue to do so through the clinicians who live at their intersection.

This weekend conference is focused on helping persons from these two streams (and others) make meaningful connection and learn from each other. Participants will engage practices and conversations that:

Strengthen connections with colleagues committed to integrating psychotherapy and spirituality in authentic and life-giving ways
Support and nourish those who support and nourish others in trying times
Explore the common ground and rich distinctions between the pastoral counseling and spiritually integrated psychotherapy traditions
Invite reflection on the formative experiences, spiritual values, and inner and outer resources that sustain us in this work
Deepen our capacity to attend to the spirituality of our clients—with sensitivity, humility, and courage

While focused on the work of psychotherapy, we welcome practitioners from other disciplines (chaplains, clergy, spiritual directors, educators, and others) who are interested. We also welcome persons from diverse spiritual orientations—those rooted in particular faith traditions, those drawing from multiple paths, and those still discovering their spiritual language. Whether you come from a place of conviction, questioning, or quiet curiosity, you are welcome here.

Our shared learning will unfold through:

Large group experiences
Small group conversations
Embodied practices
Personal reflection
Community meals

Learning Objectives

After attending this conference, participants will be able to:

Describe methods for cultivating professional peer support to reduce isolation and enhance clinical effectiveness
Describe at least three key similarities and differences between pastoral counseling and spiritually integrated psychotherapy as clinical approaches
Identify and apply at least two strategies for helping clients access and use their own spiritual resources
Demonstrate knowledge of at least two approaches for addressing spiritual or existential struggles
List at least three practices clinicians can use to support their own spiritual resilience and professional sustainability

Location and Schedule

We will be meeting at First Baptist Church, Decatur, Georgia (308 Clairmont Avenue). We have a block of hotel rooms at the Hampton Inn in Decatur (see below for more information) . The Hampton Inn is 0.1 miles from the church and 0.2 miles from the Decatur MARTA station. We know that “church space” brings different associations for different people, and we’ll be working with that as part of exploring and weaving our roots (and preparing ourselves to be with a diverse population of clients).

Friday September 26

4:00 – 5:30 pm Session 1

5:45 – 6:45 pm Dinner

7:00 - 9:00 pm Session 2

9:00 – 10:00 pm Social hour

Saturday September 27

Breakfast at hotel

9:00 am - 12 noon Session 3

12:00 – 1:00 pm Lunch

1:00 - 2:30 pm Free Time

2:30 – 5:30 pm Session 4

5:45 – 6:45 pm Dinner

7:00 – 9:00 pm Session 5

9:00 – 10:00 pm Social hour

Sunday September 28

Breakfast at hotel

9:00 – 10:00 am Community ritual

10:15 – 11:45 am Session 6

12:00 – 1:00 pm Lunch

Event Leadership

Our leaders for this experiential, interactive gathering are Tamara L. Hanna, M.S., and Dwight A. Hughes, M.A., M.Div., D.Min.

Tamara is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Asheville, North Carolina, with additional certifications in clinical psychology (2003), grief recovery (2011), Spiritually integrated Psychotherapy (2023), and The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (2024). She works with individuals, couples, and small groups in her private practice (Love & Loss Counseling) and also leads rituals and workshops that incorporate music, imagery, and meaningful embodiment. She moves naturally in deep waters of loss, change, and uncertainty, and has learned the vital practices of joy, play, and rest—as nourishment for herself and as subversive resistance to the overculture. Although culturally Christian, Tamara considers herself a life-long student of the wisdom traditions and an apprentice to The Mystery.

Dwight is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Dallas, Texas, specializing in Emotionally Focused Therapy and certified in Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy (2022). Through his private practice, Deep Essentials Counseling Service, he supports individuals and couples across Tennessee and Texas, while also guiding diverse groups through transformative experiences. Psychotherapy is his third career, following leadership roles at Georgia Pacific Corporation and ministry, where he served diverse congregations within the United Methodist Church. Dwight infuses his work with warmth, creativity, musicality, compassion, and wisdom. He is known for his joyful greeting: “Beautiful day!

Program Cost

ACPE Members $ 99

Non-members $200

Program cost includes all sessions, materials, continuing education certificates, and meals (Friday dinner, Saturday lunch and dinner, Sunday lunch).

Limited scholarships may be available; email Kathryn Summers (k1summers@yahoo.com) for more information.

Participants are responsible for costs of lodging and travel.

Registration

Use this link:

ACPE - Event

Lodging

Single and double rooms are available for an ACPE-discount rate ($174/night) at the Hampton Inn, Decatur, Georgia. Reserve your room using this link:

ACPE-September 2025

If the website gives you trouble, call 800-445-8667 and ask for the ACPE rate. We have reserved a limited number of rooms, so book now if you’re planning to attend!

Continuing Education Credit

Participants who attend all sessions can earn 14.0 hours of continuing education credit.

ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care & Education has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7004. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care & Education is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

ACPE Provider 2045, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. ACPE maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 11/01/2024-11/01/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 14.0 Social Work Clinical continuing education credits.

Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0301.

This program is offered in person. If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact Latasha Matthews (latasha.matthews@acpe.edu).

Other Questions?

Contact any member of the conference planning team if you have thoughts or questions:

Lacrecia Dangerfield, Tamara Hanna, Dwight Hughes, Russell Siler Jones, Latasha Matthews, Carol McGinnis, Wiley Smith, Kathryn Summers.

Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapist Trainer Spotlight

Chris O'Rear, M. Div., M.M.F.T., LCPT

What brought you to SIP

I was in the original group of those trained to offer SIP training. I appreciated the effort to collect the experience and wisdom of Pastoral Psychotherapists from the AAPC tradition and help make that accessible for those without a pastoral background. I believe there is a great desire to ethically and meaningfully integrate a client’s spirituality into psychotherapy by therapists of all types.

How does SIP enrich your work?

I have always believed that spiritual assessment and integration are an important part of psychotherapy, whether those things become explicit in the sessions with a client or not. The SIP resources and my training in pastoral psychotherapy provide a way to do this seamlessly and meaningfully in a way that will enhance the depth of connection in the therapeutic relationship.

What would you say are your main takeaways for those looking to complete SIP training?

The SIP Training is a great introduction to resources for integration of spirituality into psychotherapy that is meaningful for both the therapist and their clients. Understanding the concept of implicit spirituality is probably one of the most important concepts to grasp. Too often people begin SIP training with very explicit and limited understandings of what spirituality looks like. SIP training helps expand that understanding. SIP training and certification also provides a way to be connected with a larger community of like-minded professionals for those who wish to continue developing their understanding and skills.

What would you share with someone looking at SIP as a possible training?

The SIP training is a broad and inclusive program for learning to assess and integrate spirituality into psychotherapy. I believe that doing this well requires a shift in understandings of psychotherapy from something symptom based on something more holistically transformative. This puts a bigger focus on the person of the therapist, therapeutic presence, and the therapeutic relationship. You can get the basic, Level I and/or Level II, training and really have something meaningful to assist with your practice, when a person continues in consultation and community with ACPE through the certification process (and beyond), you can get something that helps deepen understanding and skills personally and therapeutically.

Tell us why you became a trainer.

Before there was a SIP training program, I created a presentation for therapists about spiritual assessment and understanding in psychotherapy. The SIP training is so much bigger and more inclusive than what I had created. I want to be a part of sharing the information and experience of the SIP training along with my own experience and training with those who have interest in creating a deeper connection with clients and utilizing spiritual understanding and resources.

Share your upcoming or current trainings

I am currently completing a Level II training in person in Nashville. I do not yet have my next offerings planned but hope to offer Level I and Level II in person, in Nashville, TN in the next 12 months.

Margaret Conley, LCSW, MDiv

How did you first learn about the SIP certification program?

I first heard of the SIP certificate program through a chaplain by the name of Brenda Wallace, who realized, as I was working on my second unit of CPE, that I really was not cut out to do the work of a chaplain at the time she offered. So she invited me to visit the website of a CPE and consider looking at taking the spiritually integrated psycho practitioner program which I am so grateful she did and I also earned .5 units because I did not do a good job in that clinical pastoral education unit program.

What is most surprising and/or valuable about the SIP certification process?

The most surprising thing about the SIP certificate process was how gracious Dr. McGinnis was during the process. I was working in Washington DC during the insurrection and helping and she made space for me to learn. She also made space for me to grow and it took me about a year after all of my classes to complete this certificate and Dr. McGinnis continued to be a mentor and support which I found to be very amazing.

How do you see the SIP training unfolding in your profession now?

I utilize the materials from the SIP training every day in my practice. What I use every day is inviting people to see their implicit and explicit resources that can be shaped by how we use not only tools of psychotherapy but also the gifts of our faith and the integration of our faith traditions. I use the beauty of one’s theology with the power of psychology and invite them to access their personal story (sociology) with their historical understanding of what it means to heal (anthropology).

Lastly, what lights you up outside of your work?

What lights me up outside of my work is analyzing movies and watching "The Golden Girls". I like to analyze movies because I'm a nerd at heart. I like to see what theory shows up in the movies and see how in a clinical way we could move through the movie. And I just love "The Golden Girls" because I believe in my heart that I could be Dorothy smart, witty, not perfect, cynical yet full of love and joy for everyone.

Please include more about yourself, your hobbies, or whatever you want to share with us.

I am the owner of MLC consulting, LLC and the proud curator of Healthy and Holy Conversations which is a platform to discuss life from trauma informed biblical interpretation.

Find me on Facebook at Margaret L. Conley or IG at theMargaretLConley

Upcoming Events & Trainings:

Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy (SIP) training program options:

ACPE SIP Training Level 1 with Carol Smith, in person (Nashville, TN) available in August
ACPE SIP Training Level 1 with Dorothea Lotze (via Zoom) available starting in September.
ACPE SIP Training Level 1 with Doug Thorpe and Roosevelt Brown (Hybrid: online and in person) available in September.
ACPE SIP Training Level 2 with Carol Smith, in person (Nashville, TN) available in September.
ACPE SIP Training Level 2 with Dorothea Lotze (via Zoom) available in October.
ACPE SIP Training Level 2 with Doug Thorpe and Roosevelt Brown (Hybrid: online and in person) available in October.

Consultation and Community of Practice (CoP) is for those who have completed Level 1 and Level 2 SIP Training and are pursuing ACPE SIP Certification or are already Certified:

Beth Toler is offering Group SIP Group Consultation/CoP - Meetings will be held on the third Thursday of every month.
Carol McGinnis is offering Group SIP Group Consultation/CoP - Meetings will be held on the third Saturday of every month (12pm - 3pm), resuming August 16th, 2025.
SIP Trainer Wayne Gustafson, DMin, LMHC, is offering by Zoom an Individual/Group consultation package during July/August 2025.

Click to Access Upcoming SIP Trainings & CoP

Contact Amelia Pauley to have your creation featured @ ameliapauley1@gmail.com (subject line: Creative Corner)

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ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care and Education

1 Concourse Pkwy, Suite 800

Atlanta, GA 30328

Spiritual Care Specialist Trainer Orientation Announcement

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 14:10:43 GMT

Would you like to become a facilitator for the Spiritual Care Specialist Training Program? Our next orientation will be held from 12pm to 5pm EST on Friday, August 22^nd via Zoom. Facilitators must be ACPE members and have 10 years of experience as a licensed psychotherapist or be a CPE educator with at least 10 years of chaplaincy experience and demonstrated knowledge of the behavioral health field.

Contact Aaron Pawelek 603-893-6767 X107

September Retreat

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 20:32:59 GMT

Ashlee Pierson Invites You to the Fall 2025 Retreat!

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 22:10:14 GMT

ACPE Psychotherapy Commissioner, Ashlee Pierson, shares her thoughts about the last fall retreat and invites your to consider registering for the next one this September!

https://youtu.be/uUVKlVb9TZY

Testimony for Fall Retreat!

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 22:04:24 GMT

Jamie DeRuyter Swart shares a few thoughts about last year's retreat and her reasons why you should register for the event coming this September!

https://youtu.be/c-49pHL1k2c

June 2025 Newsletter

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 22:27:42 GMT

✦ Your Monthly Psychotherapy Commission Update ✦

June 2025 Newsletter

Welcome to our ACPE Psychotherapy Community newsletter, where we share information, inspiration, support, and resources to nourish your soul and strengthen our connection. Inside this issue:

Upcoming Webinar: (free for members) "Global forgiveness" with David Thornton
SIP Psychotherapist Trainer Spotlight: Pamela Ayo Yetunde, J.D., M.A., ThD.
Creative Corner: Calling all creatives, writers, photographers, poets, & more!
Upcoming Trainings: Info on SIP program options & Community of Practice
Weaving Our Roots: Fall Psychotherapy Conference, information and REGISTER!

Webinar: "Global Forgiveness"

presented by David Thornton

David Thornton
Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapist, M.A. Clinical Psychology, D.Min

Link to Register

Date: Friday, June 27th, 2025
Time: 3PM - 4:30 PM EDT
Cost: Free for members | $35 for non-members

For those with complex PTSD and layers of spiritual abuse, forgiveness is often difficult. David shares the quest that led him to include and embrace Christian, 12-Step, Jewish, mystical, Buddhist, meditative, and shamanic paths. This presentation offers an understanding of developmental stages of forgiveness work as well as clues to recognizing when an alternative could be liberating. Ethical dimensions of this work include inviting the practitioner to reflect on their own path and develop a fluency in other traditions to be able to meet clients where they currently are and explore ways of lightening their loads.

Learning Objectives:

Recognize and assess the dynamics that can block the process of healing and forgiveness, and evaluate how the help of multiple faith traditions can offer irreplaceable assistance in this work.
Discuss how disappointments, difficulties, and disasters can and often do open a person to being available for a new approach, a new understanding of self, God, and others.
Develop strategic awareness of the sensitivity required when you or your client are and are not ready for change.

Continuing Education Credit: 1.5 credit hours

Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapist Trainer Spotlight

Pamela Ayo Yetunde, J.D., M.A., ThD

What brought you to SIP?

I earned a Th.D. in Pastoral Counseling at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. While earning my degree, at the urging of my world-class professors, I became a member of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC). As a member, I attended conferences at Kanuga in North Carolina where I met many inspiring and intelligent pastoral counselors, including Russell Siler Jones. After AAPC merged into ACPE, and after Russell developed the SIP program, he invited me to train as an instructor. The training took place right after George Floyd was tortured and murdered, so to be in training on how to integrate spirituality and psychotherapy was a timely opportunity to put the energy of rage and sorrow into a healthy and helpful container.

How does SIP enrich your work?

I was brought up to think dualistically. Female or male, Black or white, Christian or "heathen". Later, I was taught that science is the opposite of religion. Consequently, I became very judgmental. Decades later, I was given a copy of the Tao te Ching, and it blew my mind wide open! Through Taoist and Buddhist philosophy and practices, especially Zen, I've been able to cultivate a less dualistic consciousness. SIP, in my opinion, is an offering in nonduality and skillfulness in the application of a less dual psychotherapeutic methodology. SIP enriches my work because I want to be more open and more skilled in meeting the needs of people who do not think and act as I do.

Main takeaways for those looking to complete SIP training:

I think we should pay close attention to how white Christian nationalism is taking hold in U.S. law and culture. We should examine the ways we may be contributing to this rise, ways we are being impacted by this rise, and ways we are resisting the impact of this rise on our sense of being, philosophy, beliefs, and work. I feel strongly that anyone paying attention to what's going on right now senses that this is not good for people who are not white, who are not Christian, and who are not nationalists. Where will people who are afraid of being targeted go for emotional and spiritual support? Should they find us, will we be ready? I think we may be able to sense when we are not ready, and the SIP training is great for helping us practice, reflect on, and get supervision on how to cross cultural bridges, broach sensitive subjects, practice humility, and join our clients in our differences.

Upcoming or current trainings:

Years before I earned a Th.D., I earned a law degree. Having studied law, I pay attention to changes in laws that impact our culture and politics. I noticed that several Black women were in the position to uphold the rule of law and defend democratic principles while holding the then-former president accountable for a variety of crimes. Then, even though he was re-elected, he lost the presidential debate to a Black woman. I knew Black women would need a different kind of spiritual care training, so I developed and offered a training called Year of the Black Woman — a spiritual direction course. This course was inspired by womanist thought as well as India.Arie's music — a practice I call theolyricology. My work in SIP inspires the development of this work, and I intend to offer the course again in 2026.

Upcoming Events & Trainings:

Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy (SIP) training program options:

ACPE SIP Training Level 1 with Carol Smith, in person (Nashville, TN) available in August
ACPE SIP Training Level 1 with Dorothea Lotze (via Zoom) available starting in September.
ACPE SIP Training Level 2 with Carol Smith, in person (Nashville, TN) available in September.
ACPE SIP Training Level 2 with Dorothea Lotze (via Zoom) available in October.

Consultation and Community of Practice (CoP) is for those who have completed Level 1 and Level 2 SIP Training and are pursuing ACPE SIP Certification or are already Certified:

Beth Toler is offering Group SIP Group Consultation/CoP - Meetings will be held on the third Thursday of every month.
Carol McGinnis is offering Group SIP Group Consultation/CoP - Meetings will be held on the third Saturday of every month (12pm - 3pm), resuming in August, 2025.
Patricia Williams is offering an Individual/Group SIP Consultation. Meetings will be held on the Saturdays April 26th, 2025 - June 26th, 2025. Each participant will receive 6 hours of group and 4 hours of individual consultation.

Click to Access Upcoming SIP Trainings & CoP

Weaving Our Roots: Deeping Connection with Self, Colleagues, and Clients

September 26-28, 2025

Decatur, Georgia

14.0 hours of continuing education credit possible

“Where knowing ends, the important questions begin.”

- Jacob Needleman

Strengthen connections with colleagues committed to integrating psychotherapy and spirituality in authentic and life-giving ways
Support and nourish those who support and nourish others in trying times
Explore the common ground and rich distinctions between the pastoral counseling and spiritually integrated psychotherapy traditions
Invite reflection on the formative experiences, spiritual values, and inner and outer resources that sustain us in this work
Deepen our capacity to attend to the spirituality of our clients—with sensitivity, humility, and courage

Our shared learning will unfold through:

Large group experiences
Small group conversations
Embodied practices
Personal reflection
Community meals

Learning Objectives

After attending this conference, participants will be able to:

Describe methods for cultivating professional peer support to reduce isolation and enhance clinical effectiveness

Describe at least three key similarities and differences between pastoral counseling and spiritually integrated psychotherapy as clinical approaches
Identify and apply at least two strategies for helping clients access and use their own spiritual resources
Demonstrate knowledge of at least two approaches for addressing spiritual or existential struggles
List at least three practices clinicians can use to support their own spiritual resilience and professional sustainability

Location and Schedule

Friday September 26

4:00 – 5:30 pm Session 1

5:45 – 6:45 pm Dinner

7:00 - 9:00 pm Session 2

9:00 – 10:00 pm Social hour

Saturday September 27

Breakfast at hotel

9:00 am - 12 noon Session 3

12:00 – 1:00 pm Lunch

1:00 - 2:30 pm Free Time

2:30 – 5:30 pm Session 4

5:45 – 6:45 pm Dinner

7:00 – 9:00 pm Session 5

9:00 – 10:00 pm Social hour

Sunday September 28

Breakfast at hotel

9:00 – 10:00 am Community ritual

10:15 – 11:45 am Session 6

12:00 – 1:00 pm Lunch

Event Leadership

Our leaders for this experiential, interactive gathering are Tamara L. Hanna, M.S., and Dwight A. Hughes, M.A., M.Div., D.Min.

Program Cost

ACPE Members $ 99

Non-members $200

Program cost includes all sessions, materials, continuing education certificates, and meals(Friday dinner, Saturday lunch and dinner, Sunday lunch).

Limited scholarships may be available; email Kathryn Summers (k1summers@yahoo.com) for more information.

Participants are responsible for costs of lodging and travel.

Registration

Use this link:

ACPE - Event

Lodging

Single and double rooms are available for an ACPE-discount rate ($174/night) at the Hampton Inn, Decatur, Georgia. Reserve your room using this link:

ACPE-September 2025

If the website gives you trouble, call 800-445-8667and ask for the ACPE rate. We have reserved a limited number of rooms, so book now if you’re planning to attend!

Continuing Education Credit

Participants who attend all sessions can earn 14.0 hours of continuing education credit.

This program is offered in person. If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact Latasha Matthews (latasha.matthews@acpe.edu).

Other Questions?

Contact any member of the conference planning team if you have thoughts or questions:

Lacrecia Dangerfield, Tamara Hanna, Dwight Hughes, Russell Siler Jones, Latasha Matthews, Carol McGinnis, Wiley Smith, Kathryn Summers.

New Program Administrator!

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 16:20:40 GMT

Join me in welcoming Latasha Matthews MA, LPC, CPCS, CPLC to the ACPE Psychotherapy Commission as our new Program Administrator!

With over 20 years of experience in the human services field, Ms. Matthews has a wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion that she loves to share with the world. She develops and conducts several workshops and educates counselors across the nation. She provides consultation, mentorship, and internships to clinicians as often as she can. She serves as a committee member on the board for certified professional counselor supervisors from the State of Georgia.

Ms. Matthews earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources from the University of Akron and her MA in Professional Counseling and Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy from Argosy University. Her professional memberships include: the American Counseling Association, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia, and Chi Sigma Iota.

In addition to these accomplishments, Ms. Matthews is an author, speaker, and adjunct professor who lives in the great state of Georgia. We are very proud to have her on board.