BioSpiritual Focusing
for Spiritual Companions
A four-part webinar series from SDI
Presenters
Joseph Colletti M.Div., M.Ed., S.T.M, CFT
Deborah Sheehan, MA
Dates
July 28, August 4, 11, 18, 2025
11AM-1PM PDT
2PM-4PM EDT
Find your local time zone.
Duration
8 hours (total)
Recordings are available.
“We have greatly underestimated our body’s capacity to reveal the Presence of the Divine at the very core of life’s meaning.”
― Peter Campbell & Edwin McMahon,
Rediscovering the Lost Body Connection Within Christian Spirituality
This webinar will offer spiritual companions an opportunity to explore their understanding of BioSpiritual Focusing and its application within the context of spiritual companioning. Over the course of four two-hour weekly sessions, the webinar participants will be introduced to the flow and experience of BioSpiritual Focusing dynamics. Building on that experience, there will be discussion of BioSpirituality and a deepening appreciation of how this practice, in the context of spiritual companionship, can be transformative and enhance the encounter with the Divine.
This webinar series will be a combination of content presentations, experiential exercises, breakout and group processing with reflection assignments between sessions. No prior experience of Biospiritual Focusing is necessary.
“For me, BioSpirituality is a life changing spiritual practice. It’s all about interacting with the Wisdom within us in a way that can heal the wounds within, helps us to set life burdens down, and makes it possible to be freed from places in our lives where we are stuck. Once you have experienced it, there is no going back.”
― Joe Colletti
What is BioSpiritual Focusing?
BioSpiritual Focusing is an embodied, experiential practice of becoming aware of what your body knows by offering a way to experience and go beyond your feelings, noticing and then interacting with the underlying felt-senses that are manifestations of your body’s Wisdom.
BioSpirituality: Whole Body Spirituality
- A way of being with the whole self
- Embodied, slow, contemplative, gentle, respectful
- Noticing and nurturing what is real within us
- Offering interaction with the "felt senses" of our lives
- Making larger "connection" with our own past and present in ways that enable life to move forward
- Possible physical experiences of "Grace"
Context for this Webinar Series
- Panentheistic approach to the Divine
- There is no place that the Divine isn't... including within us
- A key life interaction is with our inner Divine Wisdom
- BioSpiritual Focusing is one way to interact with that inner Divine Wisdom
Session Outline
This webinar series includes four 120-minute weekly sessions. No prior experience is necessary. The series will offer an experiential introduction to the dynamics of BioSpirituality. It is intended as a necessary preparation for subsequent Companioning Level training.
- Session One: BioSpirituality: Praying with the Whole Self
- Session Two: Affection Response: Key to Transformation
- Session Three: Experiencing BioSpiritual Focusing
- Session Four: BioSpirituality and Spiritual Companioning
“As I learned BioSpiritual Focusing 25 years ago, I quickly realized how helpful it was for gaining new insights and growing in awareness. After some years of practicing personally, I began to invite directees to notice and nurture with gentleness what was real within them in a felt way – invitations that opened new awareness and a sense of being gifted by the Holy One. Now it is an essential way of praying with the whole self.”
― Deborah Sheehan
Hosts
Joseph Colletti M.Ed., M.Div., S.T.M., CFP
Joe Colletti has been a spiritual director and BioSpiritual practitioner for more than fifteen years. As an advocate of BioSpiritual Focusing as a spiritual practice, he has led many educational programs focused on integrating BioSpiritual Focusing in spiritual companioning interactions for many organizations including Spiritual Directors International, the Focusing Institute, and the BioSpiritual Institute.
He is a Certified Focusing Professional and the Board of Directors President of the BioSpiritual Institute and serves that organization as a primary education program developer, instructor and coach.
Joe has also been part of the Interfaith Leadership Education program at Hartford International University, an instructor in its International (MAP) Peacemakers Program, as well as being a co-instructor in its Masters in Chaplaincy course “Death and Dying”. In addition, he has co-presented in-service days for spiritual directors and other bereavement professionals on companioning those in grief.
Deborah Sheehan, MA
Deborah Sheehan, MA is an experienced spiritual director, retreat director, and supervisor as well as adjunct faculty in the Creighton University Christian Spirituality Program. She has served in a variety of settings to help others deepen their understanding of embodied spirituality, including teaching and practicing BioSpiritual Focusing for over two decades. Married 53 years, she has four adult children and ten grandchildren.
“I first learned about BioSpiritual Focusing in 2001 as my spiritual direction peer group gathered during Lent to practice and deepen our understanding. It has been a part of my life ever since and I continue to deepen my appreciation of the amazing ways that the Divine is present in this process. As a spiritual director, I have been privileged to witness the transformative action of grace that comes through this simple yet profound practice.”
Additional Information
- Participants from all spiritual traditions and orientations are welcome in this webinar series as are those with all levels of spiritual experience.
- Each session will run 120 minutes. We understand that the timing of the seminar will not be convenient in every time zone on the planet. For those who have trouble making this time, a recorded copy of each session will be made available to all those who sign up.
- CEU credits are available for all those who participate. SDI will provide a certificate of completion for self-reporting to agencies. More information can be found here: continuing education units (CEUs).
- Scholarships are available for those facing financial hardship. Please apply here.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.