"I was impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of the presenters. They were eager to share their life-worlds and their traditions."

"My sense of spiritual companioning was enriched by the diverse voices."

"As a hospital chaplain, I found the 12 weeks to be filled with ways to listen, respect, and open the door wider to pastoral presence with patients, care givers and staff."

"I appreciated so many aspects of this course and looked forward to each weekly session -- the experiential depth and felt presence of the chosen presenters, the variety of presentation styles and approaches suited to each presenter, and the general framing of the tradition as it related to spiritual direction."

"This course has given me greater confidence in my interactions with others. It has given strength to my humility in that I am more curious and more teachable than I was when I started the program."

"The 14 Hallmarks [of Spiritual Companionship] mentioned in the first session was very helpful and I have those to refer to and will review them often. Some of the presenters talked about certain activities they had their companions do during one of their meetings and I can see me suggesting those to a companion myself to help with self reflection and self discovery."

"Each presenter offered a wealth of wisdom and understanding that cultivates and deepens our appreciation of one another's traditions. A deep spirit of Hope is conveyed in this kind of sharing which is so needful in our world."

"The tone and the sincerity of the presenters. The valuable insight and information they presented that was so much more than "the facts" about their tradition. The variety of traditions that were included. The willingness to grapple with hard questions. The collegiality among the presenters. The enthusiasm."

"I believe that I have come to appreciate the richness of different faith traditions as well as the spiritual benefits of drawing from multiple traditions while remaining rooted in my own Christian faith. I will definitely be more comfortable working with folks from a variety of spiritual viewpoints. I have become more curious and interested in going deeper into my learning about other traditions. "

"So many interesting ideas and perspectives, and inspirational teachers! It was very helpful as well in clarifying what is essential to spiritual companionship, and which aspects can be more personalized according to the companion's strengths, interests and background."

"The sincere respect and openness to other ways of being/praying. Also appreciated the practical "world religions 101" feel -- i.e., explaining the beliefs and short histories of different traditions."

"This course has extended me way beyond what I have been exposed to thus far re: non-Christian traditions. I now have a whole lot more in my spiritual knapsack -- for what I can draw on when meeting with clients/patients/family members -- even as I do not expect or want to enter into these spaces with anything more than the holy spirit to guide me.... I have a better sense of how to be respectful in my responses and -- when appropriate -- questions."

"I loved how each person prayed us in. And I loved the content of the last session, really digging into the issues of authenticity and appropriation vs. sharing. Mirabai Starr's session was a great background for that. Very thoughtful ordering of the classes, as well."

"The quality of presentations: thoughtful, relevant, tailored to the purpose. Excellent overview to the traditions represented and delightful introduction to the presenters. Makes me proud to be affiliated with SDI! Hearing Rev. Seifu speak of his mission to 'broaden the invitation' I feel included and appreciate the direction the organization is going."

"I am inspired to do more reading and incorporate some of the praying styles in my own prayer. I have broadened my range of reading so feel a tad more comfortable in suggesting to my directees sources for spiritual reading not in their principle tradition."