Holding both unity and diversity: spiritual formation at Azusa Pacific University Department of Graduate Psychology.

Tisdale, Theresa Clement ; Ying, Andy ; Ziesel, Joshua 等

In 1899, Azusa Pacific University was founded as The Training School for Christian Workers by a group of women and men who desired to create a place of preparation for those called to the mission field. Over 100 years later, Azusa Pacific has grown to just over 10,000 students who are offered undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs in a wide range of academic disciplines and professional programs. While the Christian roots of APU are in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition, today the university identifies as Evangelical. Enrollment is open to Christians and non-Christians; however, all students must commit to honoring APU values and behavioral standards and to be open to learning and interacting with Christian theology and spirituality. Faculty, staff, and administrators, who all sign a statement of faith as a condition of employment, represent every major Christian tradition (Anglican, Catholic, Episcopal, Orthodox, and Protestant).

For over 40 years the Department of Graduate Psychology (DGP), housed in the School of Behavioral and Applied Sciences, has offered an MA program in multiple locations (main campus in Azusa and also regional centers) that prepares students for licensure as marriage and family therapists. In 1996 the department accepted the first class of doctoral students pursuing a PsyD in clinical psychology with an emphasis in family psychology. The program was accredited by the American Psychological Association in 2001 and maintains a practitioner-scholar curricular model and a competency-based training model consistent with standards developed by the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP).

Systems theory with a systems epistemology is the orienting framework for the doctoral program. The discipline of family psychology emphasizes the dynamic, reciprocal, and non-linear relationship between intraindividual (e.g., biology, intrapsychic structure), interpersonal (e.g., attachment, social patterns), and environmental (e.g., ethnicity, religious, socio-cultural) sources of influence vis-a-vis development, health, illness, and change. Every course in the program (including those traditionally offered with an individual focus) is taught from a systems perspective. Consistent with this emphasis, family psychology represents both the orienting framework for the departmental program and a cross-cutting competency that students are expected to develop. There are four required courses in a sequence dedicated to this competency. Two additional cross-cutting competencies in the program are: diversity and interdisciplinary integration.

Diversity represents the departmental commitment to prepare students who are globally minded, culturally competent with respect to offering clinical services, and self-aware regarding their own cultural identity. Because it is a cross-cutting competency, diversity is addressed in every course in the curriculum in a manner consistent with the nature and topic of the course. Additionally, there are four required courses dedicated to this topic.

Interdisciplinary integration reflects APU's commitment to incorporating Christian theology, spirituality, and values into all university programs. Through the interdisciplinary focus of DGP, the integration of psychology with ethics, theology, and spiritual formation is emphasized. Students complete five required courses in this sequence. More will be said on this curriculum later in the article.

All three cross-cutting competencies are the subject and focus of curricular and extra-curricular offerings that include opportunities for students to develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes reflecting personal and professional development at a level commensurate with their year in the program. Courses specific to each of the three cross-cutting competencies include content and process elements. Content is oriented to acquiring knowledge in the relevant subject area. Process elements are oriented to a narrative method that invites students to reflect on their personal development (ethnic, cultural, religious/spiritual, family, etc.) and to consider the reciprocal influence of these sources of influence on personal and professional identity. These narrative reflections may occur in the form of written assignments, threaded discussions on-line, genograms shared in class, and/or weekly small group dialogue. As a faculty we believe that this orientation to content and process facilitates deep learning (Entwistle, 2000).

Spiritual Formation Training in the Department of Graduate Psychology

Spiritual formation training in the Department of Graduate Psychology (DGP) at APU occurs in the context of community as well as curriculum. From a philosophical and theological perspective, spiritual formation is occurring at every moment of life through encounters with people, experiences, and environmental contexts in which we live and work (Willard, 2002). This philosophical and theological perspective is consistent with a systems epistemology with the attendant emphasis on multiple sources of influence and impact at intraindividual, interpersonal, and environmental levels. These perspectives inform the process and content of spiritual formation training in the department.

Because of the richly diverse student body, a broad definition of spirituality as the search for the sacred (Pargament & Mahoney, 2011) is utilized. Students are encouraged, as adult learners, to explore, discover, and articulate their own process of spiritual development and become aware of how this aspect of life may enliven, influence, and impact their personal and professional identity and practice as a psychologist.

With awareness of the depth and richness of these perspectives and realities, faculty and staff in our department are attentive to the community ethos we are creating. We endeavor to hold high standards and expectations in academics and clinical training within a relational context that is student friendly and focused on preparation for professional practice while at the same time recognizing the profound influence and impact of doctoral training on student formation. Therefore, regular one-on-one and small group mentoring is a major avenue for attending to the personal and professional growth and development of each student. In the classroom, faculty members endeavor to model ongoing awareness of, and attention to, spirituality in their personal and professional life by timely and appropriate transparency through sharing personal and spiritual narratives. This approach is consistent with Sorenson's (1997; Staton, Sorenson, & Vande Kemp, 1998) research on the ways students most effectively learn integration, which is through a more relationally mediated process rather than through a heavier emphasis on content. A similar finding may be revealed about the ways students learn and experience spiritual formation; this has yet to be explored empirically.

In the DGP curriculum, spiritual formation is a focus within the interdisciplinary course sequence. During first year, students are enrolled in a sequence of interdisciplinary integration courses: Moral Identity Formation and Psychotherapy, Spiritual Formation and Psychotherapy, and Interdisciplinary Integration and Psychotherapy. Two other interdisciplinary integration courses are taken during second and third year respectively: Moral Psychology, and Social Ethics and Psychotherapy.

During the first year course, Spiritual Formation and Psychotherapy, students are introduced to Christian spirituality and spiritual formation. Because our student community is so religiously diverse, in any given year the cohort may include a mix of religious traditions and range from those having little to no background in Christian theology or spirituality to those who hold a degree in Christian spiritual formation. This community reality can bring with it both challenges and opportunities, which will be addressed further on in the article.

The course consists of three modules. The first is an introduction to Christian spirituality; the text for this portion of the course is Streams of Living Water (Foster, 1998). Through large and small group discussion, students consider together the depth and breadth of the Christian tradition in all its various expressions across time. This is usually very eye-opening for students, some of whom have spent their whole life in one stream, and others who have moved between streams. Students are asked to research and write a short paper about a person from any one of the six traditions as a way to focus their attention on the narrative and biographical aspects of religious and spiritual life.

The second module of the course is on the process of spiritual formation. Renovation of the Heart (Willard, 2002) is used to illustrate a holistic model of persons and Celebration of Discipline (Foster, 1978) is used to illustrate methods of formation. At the conclusion of this module of the course, students develop a personal formation plan that they will implement over a 6-week period. They are free to focus on any aspect of their experience (thoughts, feelings, behaviors, social relationships, etc.) as well as decide what methods they will utilize to create space for transformation to occur (e.g., meditation, prayer, service, worship). Students are free to construct their plan in a manner consistent with their particular religious or spiritual tradition. In creating their plan, students are encouraged to be specific as well as realistic. These parameters are intentionally employed to encourage and facilitate personal recognition and ownership of spiritual growth and development.

During class on the week they will begin implementation, students present their formation plan in small groups and members provide feedback and suggestions. In class during each of the six weeks of implementation, students connect in small groups to update each other on how their plan is unfolding and to receive support and feedback. The use of the personal formation plan and small group connection is intended to model that formation occurs at both the individual and community levels. At the conclusion of the six weeks, students make a final presentation in their small group and turn in their plan, weekly journals, and a summary of the experience. This module immerses them in learning and growing through the actual experience of spiritual formation.

The third and final module of the course is on integrative therapy, when students are introduced to two models illustrating ways that master clinicians have woven together theory, theology, spirituality, and therapy. Soul Care: Revisioning Christian Nurture and Counsel (Benner, 1998) and Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling (McMinn, 1996) are the texts for this portion of the course. Through exploring and discussing these two models, students are encouraged to consider the ways in which they have been, and may choose to, weave together their theological or philosophical beliefs, spirituality, and theoretical/clinical perspective to form a unique integrative approach. Emphasized in this module is the need for personal and professional integrity, ethics, consistency, and congruence when articulating and applying integrative perspectives. As a final small group project, students apply one of the models they have learned to one of three cases. Individually, they complete an analysis of the two models they have studied (using a provided rubric) and they create an outline of their own integrative perspective using the examples they have learned as a guide. Being able to apply what they have learned, as well as to create a unique integrative framework that is theoretically and theologically/philosophically/spiritually consistent as well as personally congruent is considered a mark of professional and spiritual maturity.

Spiritual Narrative in Psychotherapy is an elective course that was developed based on classroom observations and student feedback I (Tisdale) received over a decade of teaching integration. I noticed that what often seemed to block students' capacity to respond to religious and spiritual material in psychotherapy was lack of awareness and processing of their own spiritual life and experience. They possessed adequate clinical knowledge and skills, but needed less conflicted attitudes about spirituality, religion, and faith in order to access their clinical abilities with this material. The content and method of the course was developed based on attachment (Kirkpatrick, 1992; Kirkpatrick & Shaver, 1990), narrative (McAdams, 1993), and object relations (Greenberg & Mitchell, 1983; Jones, 1991; Rizzuto, 1979) theories, as well as interpersonal neurobiology (Davis & Badenoch, 2009; Siegel, 1999). This is a narrative-experiential seminar style course during which students write, and later share with the class, a spiritual autobiography (including a spiritual genogram of three generations of their family). Students are also asked to write short essays in class in response to question prompts about some of the dialectical tensions of the spiritual life, such as certainty and mystery, joy and sorrow, hope and despair, solitude and community. Themes from the essays are culled each week and provide the basis for the next class discussion. A reference text for the course is Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy (Pargament, 2007); student feedback on the relevance of this book to their personal, spiritual, and professional development has been very positive. Students have especially appreciated Pargament's articulation of the continuously-occurring movements in the spiritual life: discovery, conservation, and transformation.

Opportunities and Challenges of Training Students in Spiritual Formation: A Faculty Perspective

Spiritual formation in a graduate psychology community of diverse Christian faculty with masters and doctoral students who are Buddhist, Christian (Anglican, Catholic, Episcopal, orthodox, Protestant), Hindu, Jewish, Muslim as well as agnostic and atheist is both an opportunity and a challenge. It is an opportunity for faculty who are all Christian, but diverse in background and current affiliation, to model the biblical ethic of hospitality as well as to invite curiosity, respectful discussion, and engaging dialogue in classroom and other community contexts. It is an opportunity for students to enlarge their capacity for thoughtful consideration of spirituality as both a universal/community reality as well as a distinct/individual experience. The religious and spiritual diversity of the student community in DGP reflects the pluralistic world in which we live and work. Cultivating self-awareness as well as curiosity about others is crucial for developmental gains to occur (Griffith & Griffith, 2002). Introducing students to the wealth of resources currently available in the field addresses the goal of increasing knowledge about spirituality in general and spiritual formation in particular. Creating opportunities for students to learn ways to attend to the spiritual life of their patients develops skills. Encouraging personal exploration, self-awareness, and confronting brokenness and bias facilitates developing healthy attitudes.

I (Tisdale) have faced some challenges when teaching integration courses. In any given semester, I may have students with a degree in theology, Bible, or spiritual formation as well as students who have no background at all. I have students of different faiths and no faith who come to the courses with very different desires and expectations. Some students come to APU because it is Christian and they deeply desire to engage in conversation about faith and practice. others come with little or no interest in religion and spirituality. A few, (not many thankfully) hold negative attitudes toward religion and spirituality; I am always curious how they came to choose APU for doctoral studies.

In the Spiritual Formation and Psychotherapy course, I used to teach quite a bit more theology, but over the years and from many conversations with students, I came to believe that given the unique constellation of the DGP community, focusing on spirituality might spark more interest and have more relevance for them personally and professionally. The year I introduced Foster's Streams of Living Water the feedback from students was immediate and positive. Up until a few years ago, I had them write a philosophy of integrative therapy paper, which many students found helpful, but I had lingering nagging concerns about how much they really understood the formation process. I was also noticing that from year to year some version of process erupted around students' past painful encounters with organized religion. The residue of these experiences was hindering their capacity to respond to patients who wanted to talk about spirituality and religion as well as hindering their own capacity to grow spiritually (whatever that might mean to them).

Tracking these movements within students over several years, as well as my own growing interest in spiritual formation, combined with growing confidence in my teaching and increased willingness to hold content and process as equally valuable within my conception of pedagogy, I made the shift to include students more actively in their own learning. Because these are adult learners who are preparing for professional practice, coming with many and varied life experience, I often remark at the start of a new term that I hope they learn from me, I know I will learn from them, and they will certainly learn a lot from each other. Through this introduction, I hope to establish a dynamic and evolving learning community in the classroom, where we can move through the education taxonomy from foundational knowledge to synthesis to critique and evaluation to application all the way to creative and original thinking (Anderson et al., 2000).

I recognize that I have been through a profound formation process as a professor, which has been significantly and meaningfully impacted by my husband, Roger White (2006; Estep, White & Estep, 2012), a life-long educator and lover of integration, as well as by the work of Parker Palmer (1993, 1997/2007, 1999). Being both a witness of, and participant in, the formation of students is an ongoing source of inspiration, blessing, and transformation for me.

How Doctoral Training is Impacting Spiritual Growth: Current Student Perspectives

As I (Tisdale) pondered the guest co-editors' invitation to collaborate with students and alumni, it seemed a meaningful opportunity to have students speak for themselves about their experience of spiritual formation during doctoral training. Therefore, I contacted several current students and alumni, described the project to them, and invited them to write a 3-page essay about their current or past experience of spiritual formation at APU. I was pleased that everyone I invited wanted to participate! I wish we had room in this special issue to present the full-length narrative each student wrote; I was moved and heartened by their reflections. However, we have space to relate only some of the highlights. I have chosen to organize this section by year in the program so that the reader is able to note the developmental progression that is evident in the narratives. The joys and challenges of spiritual formation shift over time as may become clear from the descriptions of what past and current students express about their experiences.

First Year Students

Having attended Jewish schools through my undergraduate studies and rabbinic ordination, I (Klein) began my graduate studies at APU with a mix of uncertainty and curiosity regarding the integrative component of the PsyD program. As an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi, entering APU's PsyD program represented a significant change of pace and atmosphere from my previous educational and professional settings. Having chosen APU over other programs in large part due to their commitment to spirituality and religion within psychotherapy, I felt confident that the skills and constructs I would learn would contribute greatly to my role as a therapist and religious leader. Within my own tradition, spiritual formation includes engaging in practices and mental processes that make the individual more aware of G-d's presence in their lives, allowing a relationship to take form. Spiritual formation represents a life-long process of consistently growing and adding various components to one's life that allow the individual to gain a more tangible cognizance of G-d within their life and their relationships. Having completed my first year of training at APU, I have expanded my understanding of spirituality and spiritual formation. Keying on many of the texts we read while simultaneously engaging in thoughtful discussions with my classmates, I have learned that spirituality can have vastly different meanings to a wide range of diverse individuals. These expanded definitions will allow me to engage a wide array of clients within their own spiritual framework. My conception of the terms "religion" and "spirituality" has also changed. Within my tradition, the two dovetail and overlap as religious practices and ethics inform spirituality. For others, religion represents an organized practice or ritual within a structured context while spirituality can include a variety of individualized and free-structured activities. Engaging in a spiritual formation exercise with my classmates encapsulated this range of definitions and understandings. Seeing others define spirituality in so many different ways while choosing their individual spiritual formation practices allowed me to appreciate each individual's conception of their own spirituality and what it meant for their lives. As I continue with my journey at APU, I look forward with great excitement to the subsequent courses on integration and the ways in which my understanding of spirituality can be augmented, allowing me to be of the greatest help to my clients and congregants.

I (Abraham) grew up in the Coptic Orthodox Church and my parents raised my sisters and I based on church teachings. I love that I am part of a church community that provides me with a great support system. Coming from a large public undergraduate university, I realized how important it was for me to apply to Christian graduate programs. I wanted an experience that would enrich me both academically and spiritually. I was worried that my spiritual life would diminish in graduate school because of the rigorous curriculum. However, after being here for a year, I realize that my spiritual life is actually being enriched. Before starting the program at APU, I had a naive understanding of spirituality. I always assumed that it only had to do with religion and getting closer to God. Although that is a big part of what spirituality is for me, it is different for every person. I got closer to God this year and I also got closer to myself. APU has become an excellent support system in my life. I am very pleased with how much I have grown and prospered in just one year. This program causes me to think deeply about who I am, what I believe, and what purpose I serve. A lot of my growth came during the three interdisciplinary integration courses. Through these courses, I became curious to learn more about myself, and eager to grow spiritually. APU has provided me with great examples and mentors. Not only am I learning how to become a better professional who will better serve the community, but I am also learning how to work on myself as an individual. I want to behave in a manner that shows that I come from a strong Christian foundation. In my future profession as a clinical psychologist, I also want to be able to be a light where I truly impact people and they can see evidence of my moral upbringing and values. My family, my church, and APU will continue to influence me. I pray that I continue to be impacted positively, morally, and spiritually, maturing into a great Christian psychologist.

Second Year Students

Before coming to APU, I (Ying) worked as a social worker in Hong Kong for eight years. All my former training and education was focused on factual knowledge and clinical skills. At APU, I have been given a different point of view regarding education. I have been taught to value not only the knowledge I receive, but also the spiritual formation that is occurring through my education. During the last two years, I have been taught through various mindfulness exercises how to recognize my spiritual needs. In several courses, students were invited to do mindfulness or relaxation exercises at the beginning of the class. Some professors initiated prayer before they started teaching. For me, these short periods of silence were invaluable. They helped me examine my readiness to receive the course materials. During the exercises, I frequently asked myself the question of whether there were any negative emotions that I noticed. These internal reflections helped me process thoughts and feelings before I received professional training from my professors. The cohort members' input and mutual support are another important source of spiritual growth. We are not simply sending out warmth and encouragement during the course of the program, we also share our spiritual lives.

I (Nunez) am Mexican American and was raised in the Catholic tradition, but now I consider myself Evangelical. I grew up in a low SES area that was plagued by gangs, violence, and drugs, and I became involved in a street gang. At 22, I had a strong conversion experience that revolutionized my life. This event led me to search after God, which included attaining a Master of Divinity degree and becoming a pastor at a nondenominational charismatic church. As I reflect on my training at APU, I see how it has enhanced my view of spiritual formation. I have learned at APU that spiritual formation is the process of seeking God through spiritual disciplines, which create the atmosphere to experience God and to change as a result of that interaction. APU has expanded my understanding of spiritual formation to include psychology. Psychology has allowed me to include thoughts, emotions, and behaviors as part of the spiritual formation process. My time in the program has given me a fresh look at exploring my past gang involvement and its influences on the present. This process has led to more self-reflection and to a greater desire to search after God.

Growing up in Korea, I (Nam) remember visiting Buddhist temples with my family from the time I was very young. Buddhist philosophies of self-growth, self-actualization, and karma (cause and effects) significantly impacted my development. Before beginning the APU program, I thought the moral and spiritual domains of humans were not welcome in a therapy room. From the Moral Identify Formation and Psychotherapy class, I learned that therapists are active and responsible agents of the community. As moral consultants, we need to guide the client through moral issues by acknowledging and affirming the client's moral language and sensibility. During Spiritual Formation and Psychotherapy, I participated in a spiritual formation exercise where I chose to focus on the social dimension of my life. My vision was to become more caring and well rounded. I used two spiritual disciplines: an outward discipline of contacting at least one of my friends and family members each week, and an inward discipline of daily meditation. Through this exercise, I was able to gain insight into my family dynamics, realizing how my family influenced me and how important they are to fulfill my identity as a whole. I also recognized the significant role of friends in my life.

Third Year Students

I (Ziesel) am a practicing Christian and a member of a Presbyterian church. When I came to APU I was quite surprised to encounter in the DGP a spectrum of traditions encompassing the Christian faith. One class that particularly stands out to me was the Spiritual Formation and Psychotherapy class I took my first year, during which we read Richard Foster's (1998) Streams of Living Water and learned about the various branches of the Christian Church. The greatest gift the program has given me is that it has created the space for me to observe, contemplate, and reevaluate my faith. I deeply appreciate that APU welcomes students from all faith backgrounds; in my cohort alone we have Islam, atheism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and a wide variety of Christian perspectives represented, which makes classroom discussions on faith rich and multi-faceted. This approach has given me, for the first time in my life, space to step back and critically examine my faith without completely abandoning it. I have been able to explore new ideas with my wife, and together we have been able to shape our understanding of Scripture and theology. I feel more authentic in my faith, which positively impacts not only my relationship with God but also my clinical work and ability to connect with others.

I (Desai) have been practicing Hinduism since I was born, and, to be honest, I was nervous about attending a Christian university. Fortunately, my anxiety was ameliorated once I met the welcoming, open-minded professors and staff members at DGP. They embraced me for my differences and encouraged me to share my perspective on issues pertaining to spiritual identity and formation. Taking interdisciplinary integration courses in the program has been an academically, professionally, and personally fulfilling experience. When taking Moral Identity Formation and Psychotherapy, I was given the chance to explore the formation of my unique ethical framework. During the following semester I took Spiritual Formation and Psychotherapy, in which I learned how spiritual formation occurs. Rather than being presented with a specific model for spiritual formation, we were given the freedom to explore how our own individual spiritual identity has been formed and were encouraged to understand how important it is to address a client's spirituality when engaging in psychotherapy. I have created the metaphor of a collage to describe how the spiritual integration courses in DGP have impacted me. The collage I create will help me grasp my own spiritual journey and to be better equipped to help others explore theirs.

Fourth Year Students

I (Shier) grew up in the Baptist tradition where Jesus Christ was identified as the only way to salvation. This continues to be a cornerstone of my faith. As I entered graduate school, I began to think about how compassion is essential in psychology. I have found that clients respond well when I show compassion and have humility, allowing me to be part of their journey as we develop meaningful therapeutic relationships. When I first entered the program, it was important to me that I become a Christian therapist. Through my coursework, I have come to see myself as a therapist who has a deep and personal relationship with God and who can work with individuals of varying religious backgrounds. one quality that I came into the program with and will be leaving with is hope. Through my own personal and professional struggles, as well as through the pain I have witnessed with clients, I cling to hope. I know that life will be hard and that I will continue to hear tough stories throughout my career as a psychologist, but I believe there is a loving God who walks with us not only in the light but in the darkness as well.

I (Myers) attended Catholic school during the week and on the weekends my family and I attended services at a nondenominational Christian church. In my search for a doctoral program, I made the conscious decision to look for a university with Christian foundations, wanting to explore how my faith can influence my work. Since starting the program, my belief in God has never wavered, however my understanding of God and myself has been transformed. The biggest influence on my spiritual journey over the past four years has been the people who have walked alongside me. Not only professors, many of whom were supportive and often posed challenging questions that required me to question the foundations and reasoning behind my beliefs, but also peers. Together we have attempted to address issues of guilt, privilege, poverty, and injustice. I am not only learning about these realities, but I am seeing them impact my clients' lives. As my experiences with life and people have widened and deepened, so has my understanding of God. God has become three dimensional to me, meaning that I have learned that God can be both wonderful and maddening at the same time. This transformation in how I see God has allowed me to become a clinician with depth and empathy.

Interns

I (Park) am a Korean American Catholic woman who chose APU because they integrate spirituality into the curriculum. One of the most important capacities emphasized at APU is reflection. During my courses, supervision, and other contexts, I was asked to reflect upon my spiritual journey, which included my beliefs, identity formation, relational processes, family history, and cultural contexts. One of the courses that impacted my spiritual journey was a summer elective called Spiritual Narrative in Psychotherapy. Writing about my religious and spiritual history made me more aware of why I feel so deeply about certain issues and how my values and beliefs developed. At APU, I have improved in articulating my experiences, which allows me to share different perspectives with others. My graduate training and education honored the depth of my religious and spiritual experience, but also broadened it through telling and retelling my story and history in different ways. A working phrase that describes spirituality for me is being able to see the inter-connectedness of all things. In the moment, to hold both the micro and macro, while remaining present and attuned to what is happening inside of me and around me. My spirituality has become a resource for me to remain grounded in my clinical work.

I (Girlando) was raised in a small nondenominational Christian fellowship, and I remain a member of this fellowship. My foundation rests on a deep revelation of the need for family, and my deepest experiences with the Lord have been in conversations, blessings, and ministry from others. The training I have received at APU has influenced my spiritual journey through courses, faculty mentoring and example, and peer relationships. More than anything, my clinical experiences shaped my spirituality and forced me to grow stronger in my connection with God. For whatever reason, I find myself drawn to acute and high-risk populations. On more than one occasion, I have questioned God's motives and asked Him how He could have let such evil things happen to His precious children. Yet during these times of having my faith tested, I made a point to draw closer to God. I knew I had to rely on God for the wisdom to say and do the things that would effect change and healing in the lives of my clients. Training has enabled me to be a tool that God can use to facilitate healing and happiness in His beloved. For that I am eternally grateful and humbled. I look forward to seeing where God will lead me next.

Prior to graduate school I (Camp) served as a Protestant Christian missionary in Mexico. During my service I had frequent and intimate contact with many hurting children and adults who had suffered horrible abuse and neglect. When applying for graduate school, I was excited at the prospect of attending a Christian university whose curriculum and training would facilitate my development both professionally and spiritually, as well as the integration of the two. When I began the sequence of courses that focus on interdisciplinary integration, I expected to learn the specific steps and interventions for how to integrate faith into a therapy session. Instead of a manualized approach to integration, I was presented with an opportunity to take a long, deep look into what I believed and how I came to those beliefs. In this way I began to expand my understanding of how religious beliefs impact a person and his or her relationships and view of the world. These classes were valuable in helping me realize the potential impact of my religious/spiritual beliefs on clinical work and the need for self-reflection in this area. This practice of self-reflection has come to impact far more than just my clinical work; it has also contributed significantly to my personal spiritual growth and development.

Reflections on Spiritual Growth During Doctoral Training: Alumni Perspectives

To fill out the perspective on our program, I (Tisdale) asked a couple of DGP alumni to reflect on their experience of spiritual formation during their time in the program. I find it interesting and curious that both chose to also connect their time in the program with their life beyond the years of focused study. Their narratives suggest that for some (hopefully all or most) of our graduates, various aspects of the program contribute to their overall formation. Also, a deeper synthesis of developmental gains may be realized after graduation. Relationships with faculty and peers were noted as particularly memorable and impactful.

I (Amadi) am a 30-year-old, Nigerian-American female, currently on faculty at Hope International University. I was raised in a non-denominational charismatic church and am still very involved in my home church. For me, spiritual formation involves a process of development that spurs a greater understanding of God, resulting in the acquisition of Christ-like attributes (e.g., love, grace, humility, service, etc.). My relationships with faculty and peers were probably the single-most important factor in my spiritual formation during my clinical psychology program. I maintained close relationships with a handful of faculty members, all of whom significantly impacted my view of God, the world, and myself. I remember one particular conversation with my dissertation chair when she made a poignant statement about how God was far more gracious and patient with me that I was with myself. I also cannot underestimate the impact of our spiritual formation classes. I gained deep appreciation for my spiritual journey and the journeys of others. Although a self-proclaimed charismatic, I also found healing in contemplative ways of relating with Christ. Whether it was praying in class, facilitating discussion of spiritual growth and challenges, modeling ways to integrate spirituality in therapy, or embodying compassion, encouragement, and humility, my professors offered invaluable lessons on the value of integration.

I (Powell) was raised in a Christian home with a father who is a Pentecostal minister. In reflecting upon my time in graduate school, I believe the interaction of education with ministry outside of my program was crucial for me. Also, I decided to take an extra year to complete my degree so that I would know there was more to my life than just what was happening in my doctoral program. Having faculty support this decision and encourage me to determine what God was calling me to do was freeing and formative. In the program, I explored spiritual formation and integration, which gave me launching points for discussion with classmates, family, and friends. The clinical training and practicum experiences were also impactful. Focus on diverse clinical approaches, faith traditions, and client populations strengthened and expanded my understanding of God and faith. I feel I developed deep empathy for people from all backgrounds while realizing how deeply we all need grace. Relationships with peers and mentors, exposure to diversity, engaging in new experiences, and active seeking were crucial to my growth. I came out of the program stronger in my sense of self and relationship with God, while embracing much of the greyness that exists in the complexities of faith and humanity.

Successes and Growth Opportunities Going Forward

Based on the narratives provided by these students and alumni, I (Tisdale) think we are getting some things right with respect to our program in general and spiritual formation in particular. As a faculty, we are mindful even at the student interview stage to describe our environment as student friendly, intentionally Christian, and committed to hospitality and respectful dialogue with our students of other faiths or no faith. We value mentoring and attending to students' development in a holistic way. We recently revised our curriculum to more specifically align with NCSPP core competencies and to balance curricular attention to our three cross-cutting competencies. Interdisciplinary integration will continue to be a cornerstone of our program with spiritual formation a core component of that course sequence. Comments included with evaluations for the Spiritual Formation and Psychotherapy and Spiritual Narrative in Psychotherapy courses attest to the impact of these experiences on students' spiritual formation, particularly in the last two years when the Spiritual Formation and Psychotherapy course was revised to include design and implementation of a spiritual formation plan and the Spiritual Narrative in Psychotherapy course was revised to add individual consultation and group retreat components.

In terms of growth opportunities going forward, a few have come to mind as I worked on this article. One would be to have some focused engagement as a faculty unit about spiritual formation; what it is, how it happens, how we understand the intersection of spiritual formation and psychology in general and movement through the program in particular. Over my 13 years at APU, I have had conversations about this subject with several colleagues one-on-one and in departmental faculty meetings the topic has come up generally around student development. However, as we add new faculty and other program changes occur, it would be helpful to revisit these topics because they relate to core institutional and program identity.

Another growth opportunity would be to thoughtfully consider ways to facilitate deeper connection as a community so that students have space to develop a coherent narrative that weaves together their theological/religious/philosophical beliefs, spirituality, and professional development. As a community, we value self-awareness. Therefore, we incorporate reflection into many courses, but I am wondering whether we might intentionally identify certain courses where a key component or assignment focused on synthesis and articulation of personal development. As a co-curricular offering, we host a conference twice a year, Voices In Interdisciplinary Studies and Integration, when we invite master clinicians, researchers, and academics who are working at the intersection of psychology and other fields (Mark McMinn, Nancy Boyd Franklin, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, Ed Shafranske, Harry Aponte, Ev Worthington, and Randy Sorenson are some of our past speakers). In addition to the academic and intellectual stimulation this experience provides, it is a twice-yearly opportunity for our whole community of faculty, MA and PsyD students to gather, learn, and share a meal and conversation around one of our core program distinctives. What I am mindful of now is the possibility of weaving into current courses--or possibly creating some curricular or extra-curricular opportunity for--focused discussion about the impact of doctoral training on spiritual development, providing space for dialogue and process as a community of students and faculty.

Suggestions for the Future in Research and Training

I (Tisdale) am grateful to the co-editors for convening this conversation and special issue of JPC and the opportunity for dialogue with other universities that are committed to integration and the spiritual formation of students. I deeply value the depth, richness, and diversity our programs bring to Christian higher education in clinical psychology.

I find myself pondering a number of questions that relate not only to research and training, but also to how each program thinks about and positions spiritual formation in the context of doctoral psychology training. I will offer some musings here and would be delighted for any conversation around these questions that may arise.

One question I have is: Might spiritual formation be best facilitated through embedding it in integration (however our various programs may understand that)? Is it, or does it need to be, a separate discipline and area of curricular focus? Integration (in its various forms) has been a focus and topic of study in Christian doctoral programs for over 40 years. Spiritual formation seems to be a much more recent consideration within Protestant evangelical circles. Integration is a discipline with strong academic roots; spiritual formation reflects a much newer, more experience-oriented discipline. Although there is a rich literature on spiritual formation, it is usually presented in narrative or experiential terms. At this point, my view is that integration and spiritual formation are distinct but related considerations that need to be explicated both theoretically and practically (applied) within the context of Christian doctoral psychology programs.

Another question I have is: In what ways is spiritual formation a legitimately included component of a doctoral psychology program? Is it advisable, appropriate, and/or ethical to require students to grow spiritually? Do we encourage consideration of spiritual formation and psychotherapy as distinct, but related change processes? Is it best advised to invite consideration of this question in a more circumscribed way (e.g., to theoretical, clinical, or academic discourse rather than to personal or experiential application)?

Another question I have is: As a curricular focus or program offering, is spiritual formation best engaged as an elective or as required? If as a requirement, do we require understanding of the process of spiritual formation (e.g., various theological and/or theoretical perspectives) or do we require that students be formed spiritually, or both? I am mindful that, human nature being what it is, requirements sometimes breed resistance. Will requiring spiritual formation invite growth or resistance? Perhaps both would occur depending on how the invitation is issued and how it is received. I am remembering back to my own doctoral studies and recalling that some students resented and resisted the integration courses while others welcomed them as opportunities for personal and professional growth. If presented as a co-curricular or extra-curricular offering, might that risk a loss of focus or impact? On the one hand I can envision spiritual formation reflecting an institutional and/or programmatic value. On the other hand I can envision spiritual formation as a requirement evoking resistance in the very area we might most wish students to grow (i.e., their spiritual life).

A final question I am pondering is: For each of our programs, what are the benefits and drawbacks of articulating a departmental perspective on spiritual formation? I can envision this helping to bring clarity to how spiritual formation intersects and reflects departmental values and mission, and I can also envision how this may feel confining to faculty who represent diverse Christian traditions that understand spiritual formation in distinct ways.

For any doctoral training program that is maintaining APA Committee on Accreditation (CoA) standards, whatever is declared must be assessed. Therefore, the extent to which spiritual formation is articulated as a programmatic departmental value or objective, some operational definition must be established and the outcomes assessed. This leads to questions about how spiritual formation is defined and measured. This is no doubt a complex question that each department would need to work through together. As universities that share a commitment to doctoral psychology training with a distinctive Christian identity, I hope that these are questions we can consider together as well as in our own communities, modeling for students some ways to hold both unity and diversity in our shared desire for spiritual formation.

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Theresa Clement Tisdale

Andy Ying

Joshua Ziesel

Kristin Shier

Azusa Pacific University

Elizabeth Powell

Vanguard University

Elizabeth Park

Jiyun Nam

Marcus Klein

Harshita Desai

Daniel Nunez

Vanessa Myers

Christina Girlando

Claire A. Camp

Azusa Pacific University

Peace Amadi

Hope International University

Sandra Abraham

Azusa Pacific University

Correspondence concerning this article can be sent to Theresa Clement Tisdale, School of Behavioral and Applied Sciences, Azusa Pacific University, 901 E. Alosta Ave., Azusa, CA 91702-7000; tctisdale@apu.edu

Theresa Clement Tisdale (Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University) is Professor of Graduate Psychology at Azusa Pacific University (CA) and a third year candidate at Newport Psychoanalytic Institute (CA). Her academic, clinical, and research interests include psychoanalysis, psychodynamic psychotherapy, spirituality and spiritual formation, and the integration of spirituality/religion in clinical practice.

Joshua Ziesel, M.A. is a Psy.D. candidate at Azusa Pacific University (CA). His research interests include social networking and third-culture kids.

Chung Wai Andy Ying, M.A. is a Psy.D. student at Azusa Pacific University (CA). His research interests include the struggles and stresses of Chinese American caregivers who have children with schizophrenia.

Kristin L. Shier, M.A. is a Psy.D. candidate at Azusa Pacific University (CA). Her research interests include sexual behavior in adolescents with autism, God image, and the impact of medical procedures/diagnoses on neuropsychological functioning.

Elizabeth S. Powell (Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology, Azusa Pacific University) is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Vanguard University (CA). Her research interests include faith development, cross-cultural counseling, and identity formation in college students.

Elizabeth Park (Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology, Azusa Pacific University) is a Project HEAL postdoctoral fellow at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Her research interests include culturally sensitive trauma interventions for youth and families and spiritually integrated assessment and psychotherapy.

Daniel Nunez, M.A. (M.Div. Haggard Graduate School of Theology, Azusa Pacific University) is a Psy.D. student at Azusa Pacific University (CA). His research interests include psychology-theology collaboration, spiritual formation, Latin American psychology, and psychological factors of change in Mexican American gang members.

Jiyun Nam, M.A. is a Psy.D. student at Azusa Pacific University (CA). Her research interests include the benefits of mindfulness meditation, forensic psychology, and positive psychology.

Vanessa Myers, M.A. is a Psy.D. candidate at Azusa Pacific University (CA). Her research interests include parent-child interventions, depression within adolescent Latinas, and spiritual integration in therapy.

Marcus Klein is a Psy.D. student at Azusa Pacific University and an ordained Jewish Rabbi (Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary). His research interests include post-traumatic growth among children and adolescents, correlation of religion/spirituality and post-traumatic growth, and pastoral counseling.

Christina E. Girlando (Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology, Azusa Pacific University) is a postdoctoral fellow at Casa Pacifica in Camarillo, CA. Her research interests include childhood trauma and abuse, attachment, and eating disorders.

Harshita Desai, M.A. is a Psy.D. candidate at Azusa Pacific University (CA). Her research interests include interdisciplinary interventions, specifically focused on treatment for the psychological, physiological, and emotional impact of receiving an infertility diagnosis.

Claire Camp (Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology, Azusa Pacific University) is a psychological resident at Cornerstone Behavioral Health/Mountain Regional Services, Inc. in Evanston, WY as well as working in private practice in Park City, UT. Her research interests include integration of faith and psychology, member care practices, and the role of psychology in caring for missionaries.

Peace Amadi (Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology, Azusa Pacific University) is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Hope International University (CA). Her research interests include religiosity, spirituality, and sexual behavior among adolescents, and trauma issues among African-American females.

Sandra Mary Abraham is a doctoral student at Azusa Pacific University, (CA). Her research interests include developmental psychology, early intervention and assessment of autism and other developmental disorders, and reducing the stigma around mental health with Coptic Orthodox Christian Egyptians.