The Psycho-Spiritual Institute was established in 2013, with the active support of Missio-Aachen, in response to some of the many challenges presented by the complexities of the contemporary African Church and Society, where an increasing number of people, including clergy, religious and lay faithful, as well as the generality of the public, are plagued by a myriad of psycho-emotional pathologies. Across the continent of Africa, we are witnessing today what could be described as broken societies, with widespread dysfunctionality in marriage and family life, an epidemic of drug and alcohol addiction, as well as addiction to social media and pornography, especially among the youth population. We are witnessing an unprecedented increase in cases of clinical depression, even among teenagers.

Yes, across the continent, there is not only the widespread experience of poverty and disease, but also natural tragedies and violent conflicts which result in social dislocation and social pressures that often overwhelm the people’s capacity to cope. Thus, many are daily struggling with psycho-trauma and post traumatic stress disorder, that unfortunately are often left unaddressed. Agents of the Gospel, and others involved in humanitarian services, such as doctors, social workers, functionaries of emergency relief agencies, and volunteers at refugee or internally displaced people’s camps, are themselves often victims of burn out, compassion fatigue, or secondary trauma.

In the face of these challenging circumstances, when we resolved to set up the Psycho-Spiritual Institute, we decided not to simply duplicate what others were already doing, namely, to train and produce experts in Counselling and Psychotherapy, following the classical schools of thought in Europe or North America, but to do something creatively new, and radically different. We resolved on an integrated approach that we believe can more effectively facilitate comprehensive (psycho-emotional and spiritual) healing, and ongoing transformation; an approach that takes into serious consideration the African socio-historical, religious and cultural circumstances. We therefore designed a programme that fully and effectively integrates some of the best theories, tools, approaches and techniques of modern psychotherapy, with the rich resources of the ancient Soul-Care and Soul Cure tradition of the Christian religion, taking the African cultural context into consideration at every point.

In starting the Psycho-Spiritual Institute, my colleagues and I were convinced that precisely because the human person is a composite of body, mind, soul, and spirit, all attempts to resolve his or her psychopathologies, without taking into cognisance the more mysterious spiritual (or soul) dimension of the person, will often not deliver the best possible results. We have therefore built the Institute on the fundamental premise that most of the psycho-emotional problems that the psychotherapist (or the psychiatrist) is called upon to deal with, are likely to have spiritual as well as cultural dimensions, which professionals should not ignore. This is the reality for all human beings, and especially for the majority of Africans, who have remained consciously religious, with a deep and abiding sense of personal spirituality and supernatural realities.

I must mention that the Psycho-Spiritual Therapy training that we are engage in, is much more than an academic programme. It is aimed at the psycho-emotional and spiritual healing, growth and ongoing transformation of the candidates themselves, in such a way that they will be in a position to facilitate the healing, the growth and the ongoing integration and transformation of their clients, upon graduation.

With this fully integrated approach, the Psycho-Spiritual Institute, with training Centres in Nairobi, Kenya, and Abuja, Nigeria, now offers a 2 Year, fully residential Master of Arts Degree programme in Psycho-Spiritual Therapy; a 1 year, hybrid Post Graduate Diploma in Psycho-Spiritual Trauma Healing; and a weeklong Certificate course in Basic Psycho-Spiritual Trauma Healing Skills. We also have a 9 months Renewal or Sabbatical programme, and a 6 weeks Summer Integrative Course. Please contact us for more details on any of the programmes you may be interested in. God bless you.

---Rev. Fr. George EHUSANI
Executive Director