A team of experts from the National Universities Commission (NUC), led by the Ag Executive Secretary, Dr Chris Maiyaki, was on Friday September 6, 2024, hosted by the management staff of the Psycho-Spiritual Institute of Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, and representatives of the Veritas University, Abuja, Senate, in what was the final stage in the due diligence processes of the agency, towards the legal recognition and approval of the offering in Nigeria, of the two postgraduate programmes of the Institute. These are: the Postgraduate diploma in Psycho-Spiritual Trauma Healing, and the Master of Art's degree in Psycho-Spiritual Therapy. Earlier in April, 2024, an affiliation agreement was signed by the Institute with Veritas University, Abuja, for the award of the degrees in Nigeria.

It will be recalled that the first campus of the Psycho-Spiritual Institute was established in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2013, and it was affiliated to the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) in 2014. The Psycho-Spiritual Therapy and Counselling programme was subsequently accredited by the Kenyan Commission for University Education (CUE). In the 11 years of its existence, the Institute has trained over 150 experts from up to 27 different African countries, in Psycho-Spiritual Therapy and Counselling.

It is hoped that with this new development, the campus in Abuja will join the Nairobi campus in training and equipping not only pastoral agents, but also many professionals in the humanitarian services, as well as sundry volunteers, who will help facilitate integral healing, wholeness, growth and transformation, in the many individuals, families and groups across the continent of Africa, who are today suffering from psycho-trauma, depression, confusion, burn-out, midlife crisis, family dysfunction, grieving disorders, addictive disorders, including addiction to alcohol and psycho-active substances, and suicide ideation.

Graduates of the Psycho-Spiritual Therapy programme will be equipped to work as spiritual directors, counsellors, and chaplains, in formation houses, hospitals, hospices, drug rehabilitation centres, correctional centres, as well as schools, colleges and universities.

The Psycho-Spiritual Institute is the pioneering initiative of Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, which is aimed at the wholesome integration of the tools and approaches of modern Psychological Sciences, with the rich resources of the Soul Care tradition of the Christian Church, in the training of experts and volunteers for mental health care, within the African socio-cultural and religious context.

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