By Charles Igwe
Some days ago, the Psycho-Spiritual Institute (PSI) of Lux Terra Leadership Foundation hosted a team of experts from the National Universities Commission (NUC). This visit marked the final stage of the due diligence process required for the legal recognition and approval of two postgraduate programs offered by the Institute in Nigeria: the Postgraduate Diploma in Psycho-Spiritual Trauma Healing and the Master of Arts in Psycho-Spiritual Therapy. Earlier in April 2024, PSI signed an affiliation agreement with Veritas University, Abuja, enabling the institution to award these degrees in Nigeria.
The first campus of PSI was established in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2013, and in 2014, it became affiliated with the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). The Psycho-Spiritual Therapy and Counselling program received accreditation from the Kenyan Commission for University Education (CUE). Over its 11 years of operation, PSI has trained over 150 experts from 27 African countries in the field of Psycho-Spiritual Therapy and Counselling.
With this recent development, the Abuja campus is expected to join its Nairobi counterpart in training not only pastoral agents but also professionals in humanitarian services and volunteers. These individuals will help address various forms of psycho-trauma and mental health issues such as depression, burnout, family dysfunction, addiction, and suicidal ideation, offering healing, growth, and transformation to individuals, families, and communities across Africa.
Graduates of the Psycho-Spiritual Therapy program will be well-prepared to work as spiritual directors, counselors, and chaplains in various settings, including formation houses, hospitals, hospices, drug rehabilitation centers, correctional facilities, as well as educational institutions.
The Psycho-Spiritual Institute is a pioneering initiative of Lux Terra Leadership Foundation. It seeks to integrate modern psychological science with the soul care traditions of the Christian Church, focusing on mental health care within the African socio-cultural and religious context.
