The Wayne E. Oates Institute is a Connected Learning Community exploring spirituality and health as a way to advance integrative care for the whole person. The Oates Institute is a non-profit educational organization made up of caregivers from the medical, spiritual and counseling communities providing a forum for joining together as an interdisciplinary dialogue toward understanding the relationship between spirituality and the healing process.

The issues of dual relationships and the intimacy of professional-client/patient/parishioner relationships frequently blindside care giving professionals. To help pastors, counselors, chaplains, social workers, and nurses address the challenges of these issues, the Oates Institute is offering an online seminar on Holding the Boundaries: Professional Ethics in Practice July 13-31. This seminar, which participants may attend from anywhere they have Internet access, features peer group dialogue around a collection of articles addressing the nature of these boundaries and their implications for the role of professional care givers.

This seminar features presentations by Dr. Wayne Clark, Director of Clinical Training, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Counseling Training Center in Louisville, Kentucky; Dr. Leah Taylor, Behavioral Health Specialist with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority; Rev. Karrie Oertli, Director of Pastoral Services and the Administrative Director of the James L. Hall Center for Mind, Body, Spirit at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center; Dr. William Clough, Program Chair, Pastoral Community Counseling Program, Argosy University in Sarasota, Florida; Dr. Janet Forbes, Senior Pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Highlands Ranch, Colorado; and Dr. Marie Fortune, Founder and Senior Analyst at the Faith Trust Institute in Seattle, Washington.

The recognition of the challenges of maintaining boundaries in the context of professional-client/patient/parishioner relationships has prompted many professional organizations, licensure boards, and denominational agencies to require professional caregivers to show annual continuing education in the area of professional ethics. This 12 contact hour continuing education seminar meets those requirements.

Registration is free for all Oates Institute members and only $60 per seminar for non-members. Registration for each of the seminars is limited in order to maintain a small group learning process.

Other online seminars offered in July include:

• Art and Healing
• Care of Self: Nurturing Silence and Sabbath
• Care of Self: The Care Giver's Mental Health
• Engaging One's Story: Transitions in Adult Life

For more information about Holding the Boundaries: Professional Ethics in Practice, click here.

For more information about other seminars in July, click here.