Emotional regulation of the spiritual companion
Course on Emotional regulation of the spiritual companion, organized by the Research Group in in Psychology and Christian Spiritual Life Joan Baptista Torelló .
Presentation of the course: Emotional regulation
Spiritual accompaniment on the Christian life is a baptismal charism which, as Pope Francis has recalled several times, can be exercised by both priests and lay people. The spiritual companion requires numerous skills ranging from an intense prayer life to a broad theological knowledge in the fields of anthropology, morality and spirituality. Furthermore, the need for psychological skills such as empathy, listening aptitudes, self-awareness, self-control, etc. has recently been strongly emphasized.
The course on emotional regulation of the spiritual companion, organized by the Research Group in in Psychology and Christian Spiritual Life Joan Baptista Torelló of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, aims to offer participants some psychological skills that will help them to exercise spiritual accompaniment in an enriching way, both for the person accompanied and for the companion himself.
The companion, in fact, is subject to considerable demands on his time, mind and heart. He must be attentive to the needs of those who are accompanied, he must bear the worries of other people, he is put to the test of his capacity for frustration, he must be careful do not fall into behavior that could be (or be interpreted as) abusive, etc. All of this can be very challenging from a psychological point of view and requires specific skills.
Objectives: Course Emotional regulation of the spiritual companion
- Learning the language of your emotions.
- Being aware of the difficulties and risks in which the spiritual accompaniment relationship places the companion.
- Knowing your own skills, which can be put at the service of the accompanied person, as well as your own inconsistencies, and how to manage them so as not to project them onto the accompanied person.
- Learning to stay in the moods that can arise in the spiritual accompaniment relationship.
- Learn to identify the signs of psychological tiredness and take action to implement rest strategies.
Organizers of the course on Emotional regulation of the spiritual companion
Rev. prof. Francisco Insa
Prof.ssa Ilaria Vigorelli
Program and location of meetings
– Friday 15 March 2024 from 3.00pm to 6.30pm: Taking care of yourself to be able to care for others (Dr. Carlos Chiclana, psychiatrist, Madrid).
3.00pm-3.15pm: presentation of the course.
3.15pm-4.30pm: possible stressful factors in the work of spiritual accompaniment.
4.30pm-5.00pm: break.
5.00pm-6.30pm: self-regulation strategies.
– Saturday 16 March 2024 from 9.00 to 12.30. Workshop Situating yourself in being so as not to exhaust yourself in doing: self-awareness workshop (Dr. Daria Gianella, Psychologist and Psychotherapist, Lugano).
9.00-10.30: general session.
10.30-11.00: break.
11.30-12.30: work in small groups and final summary.
Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. Room 305.
REGISTRATION through: website of the Course on Emotional Regulation
Subscription fee:
€10 Santa Croce students and alumni.
€20 [email protected] non-students.
Email address of the course: [email protected]
Recommended reading: Emotions in human and spiritual formation
