The 12th International Spirituality Conference

The Face of Religiosity in an Extractive Socialscape: A Case of Nigeria

The 2024 report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom indicates that Nigeria, with a population of approximately 231 million people, is arguably one of the most religious nations in the world. The country is predominantly divided between two main religious groups, with Muslims and Christians each making up about 46 percent of the population. This demographic landscape reflects complex existential realities intricately linked to religion. The religious landscape in Nigeria is deeply rooted in the country’s historical interactions with the global community, particularly with the Arab and Western worlds, both before and during colonialism, as well as in its aftermath. The legacies of these interactions continue to shape Nigeria’s social realities. Moreover, globalization introduces new dynamics that further complicate the distinctions between religious and secular matters for Nigerians. In this paper, I employ Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to explore how religiosity influences and reshapes the living conditions of Nigerians, with a focus on assessing the role of religion in nation-building.

Cultivating Workplace Spirituality and Religion in Healthcare Organizations

Objective: To provide an overview of current practices in accommodating religion/spirituality in the workplace.

Background: Organizations are called to foster a culture and practices championing diversity, equity, inclusion and employee well-being. Healthcare staff are seeking meaning in their workplace. Against the secular background, however, publicly funded and administered healthcare organizations grapple with recognizing and integrating policies related to workplace spirituality. Outside of healthcare, workplace spirituality is becoming an essential marker for acknowledging attention to employee well-being, increasing retention, and improving overall organizational performance. 

Methods: Employing methods of policy analysis, I will identify and address common policies and practices employed in accommodating religious/spiritual perspectives in secular healthcare workplaces.

Results: ‘Duty to accommodate’ policies are commonly used to address workplace spirituality. These approaches increase ‘otherness’ and potentially harm those hold beliefs that do not conform to secular organizational cultures. These policies may impact job satisfaction and retention.

Conclusion: Achieving inclusivity and equality in the workplace requires more than just addressing 'otherness' and 'difference.' It necessitates a proactive approach in recognizing and valuing 'similarities.' By fostering an organizational culture that acknowledges religion and spirituality as integral aspects of diversity, healthcare institutions can create a more inclusive and collaborative working environment. This cultural shift has the potential to transform workplace dynamics, ultimately benefiting both employees and the organization as a whole.

Bio: 

Ibolya Agoston is a PhD student at Trinity Western University, School of Nursing. Her current research interests are focused on workplace spirituality and religion in equitable, diverse and inclusive healthcare organizations. Her past research examined addressing the spiritual needs of patients with life-limiting conditions. With over 25 years of healthcare experience as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse and Social Worker, Ibolya has held various roles on interprofessional teams. Currently, she works at Northern Health, British Columbia, as the Executive Director of Professional Practice and Clinical Learning.

Embracing Spirituality in Transformative Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees

Religion and spirituality often carry distinct roles and meanings in some contexts. However, these concepts can converge to play similar roles when working with immigrants and refugees. In our evolving social landscape, integrating spirituality within social work practice has gained significant attention for its potential to enhance holistic well-being. This workshop explores the intersection of spirituality and social work, examining how spiritual beliefs and practices can support individuals and immigrant communities in their journey towards healing and resilience. It delves into the ethical implications, practical strategies, and the transformative impact of acknowledging spiritual dimensions in social work interventions. Drawing on case studies and contemporary research, this presentation aims to equip social work professionals with tools to incorporate spirituality sensitively and effectively into their practice, fostering a more compassionate and comprehensive approach to client care.

Bio: 

Dr. Bolaji Akinyele-Akanbi, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Social Work 

University of Manitoba. Dr. Bolaji Akinyele-Akanbi, an esteemed Assistant Professor, is dedicated to the holistic well-being of immigrants and refugees. With extensive counseling and research experience, she supports migrant families, organizes spirituality and mental health workshops, and advocates for racialized communities. Her work emphasizes anti-oppressive methodologies and fosters equity and change.

Globalization, Colonization, Islamization, and Social Work Practice

This paper explores the critical intersection of social work and Islam, focusing on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region amidst historical and ongoing conflicts. The study examines how Western-oriented social work education often clashes with the realities faced by Muslim populations who interpret the world through an Islamic lens. The impact of colonialism, modernization, and globalization on social work practices in the MENA region is emphasized, highlighting the enduring effects of these forces on local knowledge and the marginalization of indigenous Islamic wisdom. The study advocates for a paradigm shift toward authentization—developing social work approaches grounded in the local cultural and religious contexts of Muslim populations. It discusses integrating Islamic practices and values into social work and intervention, emphasizing the therapeutic benefits of Islamic rituals, spirituality, and community-oriented practices. The presentation also underscores the need for culturally relevant social work education that reflects the diverse realities of Muslim clients. By promoting a more inclusive and culturally sensitive approach, the article aims to bridge the gap between Western social work practices and the needs of Muslim communities, fostering better outcomes and enhanced well-being for those served.

Bio: 

Alean Al-Krenawi, PhD, is a Professor at Algoma University and serves as a Visiting Professor at the Resilience Research Centre at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. He is also affiliated with the Center for Research on Immigration and Settlement at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto, Canada, and holds a professorship at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Spirituality and Science

As we move into the third millennium, we can certainly reflect proudly on the tremendous progress that human beings have made on understanding our world and ourselves. We now know that our scientific knowledge does explain most of the world and, while many still believe in miracles, they are rare and mainly explained by faith. But there are at least two big questions that still plague scientists and spiritualists. In science, how do we reconcile what we know from science with the actual behavior of the universe, our planet and ourselves. In spirituality, how can we relate what we now know about the beginning and workings of the universe to our spiritual beliefs and practices. Spirituality is the belief that something more or greater than us exists, either outside of ourselves or inside of ourselves. Almost all religions believe one or the other or both of these beliefs. Can it be a coincidence that scientists believe similarly, a macroscopic world which has a beginning and whose behavior can be predicted by a few fundamental laws and a microscopic world that seems to be dependent on human observation. In my book, GodLight, I offered the possibility that we are all made of light, God’s Light, GodLight. Could everything in the universe, including human beings, be GodLight? How might that help us.

Caregiving Reimagined Embracing Spirituality

Caring for a family member is a demanding and often unexpected responsibility. While love, compassion, and empathy are essential to the caregiving role, a caregiver’s ability to successfully navigate their challenges is significantly enhanced by connecting to their spirituality. This concern for the human spirit is frequently overlooked in caregiving support due to the numerous other demands placed on caregivers. In this workshop, we will explore how practitioners can help caregivers incorporate spirituality into their daily routines, providing an essential form of self-care that supports long-term well-being. By examining eight distinct stages of caregiving, each with its own set of responsibilities, challenges, and rewards, we will identify how spiritual practices can be tailored to caregivers' unique needs at each stage. Participants in this workshop will learn practical strategies to introduce spiritual practices into caregivers’ already busy lives, enabling them to reconnect with their core values and sources of strength. This approach not only supports caregivers’ mental and emotional health but also enriches their overall caregiving experience.

Bio: 

Claudia Cassidy Bennett, Ph.D., OT has been an occupational therapist for more than forty years. She holds specialty certifications in Neuro-developmental Treatment, and Sensory Integration and Praxis testing. She founded Children’s Developmental Therapy in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and taught in the occupational therapy department at Eastern Michigan University. She earned her doctorate from Michigan State University in American Studies where she researched the intersection of religion and medical technologies. For the past sixteen years, she has supported family caregivers during their caregiving journey.

The Spirit of Practice & Pedagogy 

Spirituality is a fundamental dimension and foundation of our lives. Spiritual distress can result from traumatic experience and affect one’s deep-seated self, which impacts spiritual connections, values, goals, and worldview. Attuning to the spiritual component of life for oneself and those we serve creates greater meaning-making, determining a sense of purpose, and for healing and connection.

Literature and research on spirituality across disciplines now offer the foundational architecture required for centralizing spirituality in mainstream pedagogy and practice. In this workshop presentation, we discuss our practice and pedagogy approach that is spirituality and trauma informed.

Our Spiritual Practice & Pedagogy Model is designed to increase awareness, knowledge, skills, relationality, and healing-centered care. It fosters spiritual understanding and personal growth through inquiry, experiential learning, and contemplative questions and practices. We aim to prepare students, practitioners, educators, and researchers across disciplines to become spiritual influencers in whatever path they choose.

Bio: 

Dr. Heather M Boynton is an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary, and an adjunct professor in Kinesiology at Lakehead University and a Faculty of Social Work Early Career Research Awardee. She is internationally recognized for her work in spirituality and social work as a long-standing board member and the previous Vice President of the Canadian Society for Spirituality and Social Work (2021-2023), co-chair of the Halifax Ecospirituality conference (June 2023), and chair of the 2012 International Spirituality conference at Lakehead University. Her research and scholarly work have focused on advancing knowledge in spirituality in practice and pedagogy for social work and across professions, and in holistic therapies. She co-edited the book Trauma, spirituality and posttraumatic growth in clinical social work practice, which was nominated for the SSWR Book Award for Best Scholarly Book Published. She has been a co-editor for special editions focusing on spirituality in the Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work and for the Religions Journal. Dr. Boynton is a certified Feng Shui and Reiki Practitioner Level II, and is getting certified in Embodied Yoga Life Coaching. She enjoys being in nature, painting, reading, cooking, and many sports.

Dr. Indrani Margolin is the first female Professor in the School of Social Work and part of the graduate faculty in Women's & Gender Studies and Health Science at the University of Northern British Columbia. She is a long term member on the CSSSW board. Northern FIRE (Feminist Institute for Research & Evaluation) is also an important part of her work. Dr. Indrani is a proud recipient of the 2025 UNBC Teaching Excellence Award, which recognizes her curricular contributions to spirituality in higher education. With nearly 50 peer reviewed publications, her international spiritualist research and teaching program concentrate on creativity, Vedic (Mahavakyam) Meditation, girls' and women's wellbeing, and arts-based research. Her roots are as an initiate in Mahavakyam Meditation from a long lineage of Himalayan masters and trained in the Tulshi Sen Consulting Train the Trainer system.

Project Heaven on Earth: Being a Heaven Maker in Day-to-Day Life

Religiosity and spirituality (R/S) encompass a broad range of inter and intrapersonal benefits, ranging from personal subjective well-being and positive mental health to community belonging. The literature on R/S discusses the need for mental health strategies and programs that include the spiritual domain. This presentation discusses findings from a study of a spiritually focused program entitled Project Heaven on Earth (PHE) designed by Martin Rutte which aims to foster engagement in meaningful change. After participating in an 8-week PHE program led by Martin Rutte five Sisters of St. Martha were recruited to participate in a focus group to share their experiences of engaging in the program and offer feedback. We utilized a qualitative inductive reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2020) to extract pertinent themes from the transcripts. Five central themes emerged including, Birthing a new narrative, Integrating one’s own spirituality, Birthing a new creation through visioning and manifesting, Promotion of values and social justice principles, and It’s in our hearts every day. The analysis illuminated various processes of metacognition, shifting of perspectives, and engaging in social justice activities. The program  supported participants to engage in deep critical reflection, meaning making and participating in meaningful activities that they felt contributed to a better world, or creating their own ‘Heaven on Earth’.  Participants identified improved feelings of wellbeing and gratitude. This program could be used across populations and disciplines as it employs strategies similar to those used in narrative and solution focused approaches. 

Bio: 

Jacob Waschuk, BSW, RSW, is a dedicated counsellor and emerging researcher with a strong foundation in trauma-informed care, mental health, and spiritually integrated social work. Currently working as a Child Care Counsellor at CASA Mental Health and a Research Assistant with the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Social Work, Jacob brings a blend of frontline therapeutic experience and academic insight. His counselling practice spans inpatient and residential treatment settings, where he supports children and youth through crisis intervention, co-regulation, and evidence-based programming

Dr. Heather M Boynton is an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary, and an adjunct professor in Kinesiology at Lakehead University and a Faculty of Social Work Early Career Research Awardee. She is internationally recognized for her work in spirituality and social work as a long-standing board member and the previous Vice President of the Canadian Society for Spirituality and Social Work (2021-2023), co-chair of the Halifax Ecospirituality conference (June 2023), and chair of the 2012 International Spirituality conference at Lakehead University. Her research and scholarly work have focused on advancing knowledge in spirituality in practice and pedagogy for social work and across professions, and in holistic therapies. She co-edited the book Trauma, spirituality and posttraumatic growth in clinical social work practice, which was nominated for the SSWR Book Award for Best Scholarly Book Published. She has been a co-editor for special editions focusing on spirituality in the Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work and for the Religions Journal. Dr. Boynton is a certified Feng Shui and Reiki Practitioner Level II, and is getting certified in Embodied Yoga Life Coaching. She enjoys being in nature, painting, reading, cooking, and many sports.

Taylore Waite is a psychology researcher and project management professional with a B.A. (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Guelph. Her research experience spans child development and safety, cognitive neuroscience, and mental health accessibility. Taylore has investigated innovative approaches to child pedestrian safety training using virtual reality, examined the impacts of maternal depression on home safety perceptions, and explored playground safety interventions for young children. Her work extends to cognitive research with animal models studying Alzheimer's disease mechanisms and barriers around accessibility and accessible resources for post-secondary students with invisible disabilities. She has expanded her research interests to social work and spirituality under the supervision of Dr. Heather Boynton. Taylore has contributed to research at multiple institutions, including the University of Guelph, University of Guelph-Humber, University of Waterloo, and the University of Calgary, focusing on both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

Prayers for the Earth

The proposition for this Workshop is that any attempt to protect the world’s environment must be based on principles of economic justice, equality between the races, equal rights for women and men, and universal education.

It will begin with prayers honouring Nature and using Nature allegory.

Following that, each participant is presented a Workbook with a number of statements about humanity’s relationship to Nature, and the requirements for healing our planet.

Following each statement is the question, “Do you agree, or disagree?” “Explain why.”

The group is allotted 20 minutes to answer the questions in their Workbook on their own and thereafter share their responses with the group if they so choose.

Included in the workbook is an encouragement to compose their own prayer for the preservation of the Earth.

• Understanding Body, Mind and Spirit
• A body, a mind, and the immortal identity we call the soul or spirit, are the three aspects that make up our humanness.
• Each human being possesses a distinct, rational soul that constitutes the real self. This soul has its origin in the spiritual worlds of God.
• The mind forms a link between the soul and the body, and the two interact on each other.
• Questions to be addressed in this presentation include….
• Can we describe the soul?
• How do the Body, Mind and Soul make us who we are?
• What can we expect after we die?

Knowledge shared on this subject will come from a compilation of Baha’i Scripture entitled, “Baha’u’llah’s Teachings on Spiritual Reality”.

Bio: 

Sandra Brask, BScHEc Bahá’í Representative UCalgary Faith & Spirituality Centre

Serves as Bahá’í Chaplain at the University of Calgary, and has done since 2017. Her original faith was Christianity until she found the Bahá’í Faith as a student at the University of Saskatchewan. She has never regarded her embrace of the Bahá’í Teachings as a rejection of her Christian roots, but rather a fulfillment of Christ’s promises. There is no formal clergy in the Bahá’í Faith. Her status is that of a Follower. She expands her knowledge of scripture through self-study. One service project very dear to her heart, which she launched in October 2020, is an Annual Food Drive in support of the Campus Food Bank.

A mixed-methods study on youth flourishing and its associated factors

Background. There has been an exponential increase in research evaluating the concept of flourishing. However, coupled with this increase are a number of limitations, including limited consensus on definitions, lack of a “gold standard” measure, and limited understanding of the longitudinal factors that inhibit or promote flourishing. These limitations are particularly evident among studies evaluating flourishing in developing populations. Our team is conducting a mixed-methods study to address the following research question: How do youth experience flourishing, and what are the psychological, social, behavioural, and environmental factors that influence their flourishing? 

Methodology. This ongoing study is embedded within the All Our Families (AOF) cohort study, a longitudinal study in [City] following over 2,500 mother-child pairs. We plan to take an integrated, convergent mixed-methods approach, utilizing quantitative and qualitative methods. The qualitative component comprises one-on-one interviews of a subset of 20-25 AOF youth aged 14-16 years of age, and is geared towards understanding their perceptions of flourishing and barriers and facilitators towards flourishing. The quantitative component will involve two analyses: 1) an examination of COVID-19 related factors on post-pandemic youth flourishing, and 2) an evaluation of longitudinal factors influencing youth flourishing. Our findings will be triangulated and presented as a joint display, an effective visual tool integrating qualitative and quantitative data. 

Preliminary findings. Through quantitative analyses, we have demonstrated associations between bullying and social supports with youth flourishing. 

Impact. Research outputs have the potential to inform public health surveillance, practice, and policy, which can assist in the promotion of youth well-being.

Bio: 

Zahra Clayborne, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Community Health Sciences in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. Dr. Clayborne received a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Ottawa, and completed a CIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Calgary.

Dr. Suzanne Tough is the Principal Investigator of the All Our Families Study and a Professor with the Departments of Pediatrics and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. Dr. Tough is also Faculty for the Max Bell Public Policy Institute.

Dr. Jessica Walsh is interim Program Lead of the All Our Families Study, and has an MSc in Medical Sciences, and a medical degree from Trinity College Dublin Ireland.

Connection, flow & healing during live music performance in a Hospice Setting

Amidst the complexities of a rapidly evolving world, the integration of spirituality into therapeutic practice offers a critical path toward human flourishing. This presentation explores how psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) bridges spirituality and social work, grounded in a multiple case study that examines its transformative potential. 

Findings highlight the interconnectedness of physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, advocating for whole-person wellness approaches that address immediate needs while supporting long-term transformation. A relational approach emerged as foundational, emphasizing trust-based, empathetic relationships to create safe environments for clients exploring non-ordinary states of consciousness (NOSC). These states were found to possess significant healing potential, addressing trauma and fostering profound personal and spiritual transformation that transcends conventional mental health paradigms. 

Practitioners identified spiritual knowledge and comfort in discussing spirituality as essential to effective practice. They emphasized the need for broader inclusion of spirituality within social work, advocating for increased capacity to engage in spiritual conversations both in PAT and the field at large. The study also calls for challenging norms within this emerging therapeutic space, encouraging critical dialogue to refine and innovate practices. 

This presentation aligns with the conference’s focus on spirituality in transformation by offering actionable insights into how practitioners can ethically and effectively integrate spirituality into their work. Audience participation will be encouraged through interactive polling, storytelling, and a collaborative brainstorming session on strategies for advancing spirituality in social work and beyond.

Bio: 

Dr. Thecla Damianakis is Professor, Social Work, University of Windsor. Her scholarship focuses on older adults’ lived experience of aging well, family caregiving interventions for people with Alzheimer’s, the role of the arts and spirituality in quality of life, and social change. Her teaching scholarship explores experiential, critical, humanistic, and transformative pedagogies across epistemological paradigms. 

Dr. Michael Bennett is Assistant Professor, Social Work, University of Windsor, previously, faculty at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). His research investigates inequities and marginalization in the field of palliative care and the challenges faced by social workers. Currently, he is researching the impact of end-of-life dream fulfillment on quality of life and bereavement outcomes.

Joseph Perry, MSW, was the creator of the Jammin’ for Wellness Program at Hospice of Windsor-Essex, and a musician himself. He was also the Director of Patient and Family Services at Hospice. He is currently engaged in several mental health and wellness initiatives, and is a social worker in private practice.

Adopting Culture-Infused Counselling to Disrupt Biases when Working with Racialized Individuals of Faith

Canada's diverse landscape presents mental health professionals (MHPs) with unique challenges, particularly in provinces like Alberta, where rapid demographic shifts and growing faith communities are redefining the cultural terrain. With Canada's growing population, MHPs are increasingly working alongside diverse racialized individuals of faith within this complex cultural milieu.

The province of Alberta, in particular, is experiencing fast demographic growth and an increase in faith groups, making it essential for MHPs to develop cultural competence. This presentation highlights the Culture-Infused Counselling (CIC) model (Arthur & Collins, 2010), a useful framework for developing cultural competence in MHPs working with racialized groups of faith.

A reflective space will be facilitated for the audience to examine their own practices and biases when working with individuals of faith. Through brave discussions, participants will be encouraged to engage in a process of self-reflection and self-reflexivity, acknowledging their limitations, and identifying areas for growth. This exploratory process will also provide opportunities for participants to enhance their multicultural counselling knowledge, fostering a deeper understanding of the complex intersections of culture, faith, and identity.

Ultimately, this research session aims to emphasize the imperative of cultural competence and humility in mental health practice, particularly when working with racialized individuals of faith. By prioritizing cultural humility in practice, we can ensure that diverse faith populations receive respectful, effective, and culturally responsive care.

Bio: 

Dr. Sandra Dixon is a Certified Professional Life Coach (CPLC) and a Registered Psychologist in Alberta. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Lethbridge within the Faculty of Education. Her research expertise includes culturally adapted counselling practices, cultural identity reconstruction, and ethno-cultural diversity issues, with a focus on intersectionality and social justice. Dr. Dixon serves on several boards, including the Psychologists' Association of Alberta. She has received numerous awards for excellence in teaching, research, and practice, including the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association Research or Professional Article Award and the People's Choice Award from the Alberta Black Therapists Network.

Intersectional Reciprocity: A Collective Autoethnography Project.

Intersectional Reciprocity is a collective autoethnography co-led by a queer social work professor, a Blackfoot Siksika Elder, and an Indigenous Bachelor of Social Work student. Centered on the student’s final practicum journey, this research traces his decision to engage in traditional Blackfoot teachings under the mentorship of Elder Roy Bear Chief, with the intention of becoming a Knowledge Keeper. Through storytelling, reflection, and ceremony, the project examines how traditional processes of knowledge transmission intersect with identity, allyship, and decolonial praxis within post-secondary contexts. Framed by two guiding research questions—what can post-secondary institutions learn from traditional Indigenous mentorship and knowledge creation, and how might reciprocal relationships between Indigenous and Queer communities expand understandings of the Knowledge Keeper role—this study illuminates the transformative possibilities of cultural restoration. Key findings underscore the sacred nature of Spirit, the healing power of love, and the centrality of reciprocity in resisting colonial harm. As institutions seek to Indigenize and decolonize curricula, this project offers a nuanced, relational model grounded in lived experience, ethical responsibility, and cultural resurgence.

Bio: 

Gio Dolcecore is an assistant professor in the department of child studies and social work at Mount Royal University. Gio is a clinical social worker and registered couples and family therapist. Their research focuses on the intersections of health, justice, and identity while prioritizing decolonization and anti-racism. 

Jared Mcnabb will be graduating his Bachelor of Social Work degree this Summer from Mount Royal University. Grounded in traditional ways of knowing, Jared’s ambitions for the field prioritizes Indigenization of policies, procedures and uplifting those most affected by disparities.

Designing Connections: A Collaborative Model for Advancing Holistic Health and Quality in the Built Environment

Architectural studio courses, traditionally spaces for creative exploration, are often burdened by competition, perfectionism, and stress, compromising students’ creativity and learning. These pedagogical challenges, driven by a lack of empathy-driven teaching and an overemphasis on competition, contribute to an unbalanced educational model. Architecture, rooted in the humanities, integrates cultural, historical, artistic, and social dimensions to shape the built environment and profoundly impact the human experience. A successful architecture studio must provide a safe and holistic environment where these attributes intersect, blending qualitative and practical elements to foster creativity, connection, and well-being. Embedded in Canada’s rich heritage, Indigenous cultures offer enduring teachings on interconnectedness, empathy, and significance. These teachings also emphasize the importance of spirituality and self-awareness, highlighting the need to look inward to find clarity and connection in the design process. In 2022, the authors introduced a new pedagogical approach in the ARCH506 Studio One course, grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing. Anchored in self-awareness and connection, this course redefined architectural exploration by encouraging students to perceive the world through others’ eyes and connect deeply with themselves. The studio integrated principles such as attentive observation, sensory perception, deep listening, and profound connection with surroundings. Students engaged in introspective and collaborative projects, guided by Indigenous knowledge keepers who participated in site visits, workshops, and design reviews. This collaboration enriched environmental awareness, design values, and self-reflection, creating a transformative studio experience for students and instructors alike. The ARCH506 Studio One course exemplifies an innovative approach to architectural education that integrates Indigenous wisdom to foster empathy and diverse perspectives. This model offers a transformative framework for reimagining design education, equipping future generations of architects and designers with the tools to embrace inclusive, reflective, and socially responsive practices, and enriching architecture’s role in fostering societal well-being.

Connection, Empathy + Flourishing: Embedding Indigenous Ways of Knowing in Architectural Pedagogy 

In an era of rapid urbanization and complex global challenges, redefining the quality of the built environment, through a transdisciplinary lens, is essential to fostering health, equity, and sustainability in our cities. “Quality in Canada’s Built Environment: Roadmaps to Equity, Social Value, and Sustainability” is a groundbreaking pan-Canadian initiative uniting 14 Canadian universities and their municipal, citizen, and professional partners to redefine quality in the built environment. At the University of Calgary, our site focuses on healthy cities, exploring transdisciplinary, evidence-based pathways to urban wellness. This initiative integrates urban design, social equity, and sustainability to examine how communities and their environments shape citizen’s health and quality of life. Central to this work is a novel model for fostering intersectoral collaboration. By bringing together diverse disciplines—including environmental design, public health, social work, and sociology—alongside community partners such as the Calgary Homeless Foundation, and the City of Calgary, we have created one of Canada’s most robust and inclusive partnerships. This approach ensures that historically excluded voices, including Indigenous perspectives, are not only invited to the table but also actively engaged in shaping conversations about urban health and equity. Through participatory sessions and case studies, the initiative bridges theory and practice, highlighting poetic and intangible aspects of urban design that enhance physical, emotional, and social well-being. By challenging traditional decision-making processes in the built environment, the project asks critical questions about inclusivity, representation, and social value. By fostering relationships across disciplines, sectors, and communities, this initiative sets a precedent for redefining quality in Canada’s built environment and beyond. It demonstrates how transdisciplinary collaboration can inform policy, reimagine design practices, and shape a more equitable and sustainable approach to creating thriving communities.

Bio: 

Nooshin is a registered architect in Canada, a sessional instructor, Yoga Instructor, and a PhD Candidate at the University of Calgary. Her research transcends traditional architectural boundaries, drawing from philosophy, spirituality, environmental psychology, and neuroscience to explore human-environment interactions and underlying cognitive properties. Her research delves into the spatial poetics of transcendental architecture, aiming to uncover the intersection of architecture and self-cognition. She aims to illuminate the connection between mind and heart, making the invisible visible and promoting Eudaimonia - human flourishing. Nooshin has received numerous awards, including the Lloyd & Florence Cooper Doctoral Scholarship in Mind-Body Connection in Health and Doctoral Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship (AGES). In 2023, she was also awarded the prestigious OBEL Award Teaching Fellowship—one of only three international recipients, and the only one selected for teaching fellowship in Asia. This opportunity took her on a journey to explore the Kingdom of Bhutan, where she spent six months teaching an architectural studio course "Architecture and well-being" at the Royal University of Bhutan.

Recommendations from spiritual care providers: A framework for spiritual well-being

Research Question: How do spiritual care providers describe the path to achieve successful spiritual wellbeing for older adults?

Abstract: The purpose of this qualitative study is to better understand what is essential for older adults to achieve successful spiritual well-being. Aging literature has demonstrated the importance of spirituality for older adults. Some studies have even shown the positive effects of spirituality on the physical and mental health of older adults (Coelho-Júnior et al., 2022; Koenig, 2012; Lawler-Row & Elliot, 2009). In nursing literature, there are several models that aim to provide guidance on improving the spiritual well-being for older adults (Cheng et al., 2023; Sulmasy, 2002; Wang et al., 2022). However, some researchers have argued how nurses are not the ideal spiritual care provider due to their lack of training and pre-existing burdening responsibilities (Balboni et al., 2014; Goodare, 2017; Harrad et al., 2019). Consequently, professionally trained spiritual care providers are an underutilized resource by the healthcare system, and they should be integrated in the care providing process – especially for older patients (Ho et al., 2018). Since spiritual wants differ from spiritual needs, I have decided to interview 8 spiritual care providers – representative of the major spiritualities in Canada – to discuss what older adults need to improve their spiritual well-being. This information will be collected and used to formulate a very generic model that outlines the necessities of spiritual well-being for older adults. My hope is that this framework will be used by healthcare providers to improve the quality of care they provide to their older patients.

Bio:

 Zanab Farooq is currently completing her Master’s of Arts in Health & Aging at McMaster University. She will be presenting her master’s thesis topic for this conference. Zanab completed her undergraduate major in Health Studies, with a minor in Religious Studies at the University of Waterloo. She presented her fourth-year undergraduate thesis at the 10th International Conference on Ageing & Spirituality in 2023 at Conrad Grebel Grebel University College, and the conference enabled her to publish her paper in the Journal of Religion, Spirituality, and Aging (JRSA). In her free time, Zanab loves creating art, reading, and making others laugh.

One Heart, One Consciousness: Non-Duality & Social Work Practice
In daily life, the pronoun “I” is one of the most frequently used words, pointing to an experience so intimate we often overlook its profound significance. “I” refers to Consciousness—the one who perceives. Many believe that Consciousness is located within the physical body and dependent upon the human experience of the five senses. However, deeper exploration reveals that the true nature of this perceiver is impersonal: pure presence, inherently boundless, and inseparable from Reality itself. 
From a non-dual understanding of ourself, the origin of suffering is our mistaken identification with being anything other than the unconditioned and welcoming presence of awareness. This insight is central to many ancient wisdom traditions including Advaita Vedanta, Kashmir Shaivism, Buddhism, Christian Mysticism, and Sufism. For social workers, such a deep investigation into our true nature is a powerful tool. It develops into a profound sense of unity that positively transforms how we engage with clients (Bodian, 2003; Lumiere, 2003; Ramsundarsingh, 2019). In this interactive workshop, participants will be introduced to Atma Vichara, the practice of self-inquiry rooted in the non-dual tradition of Advaita Vedanta. This will be followed by an engaging discussion on the relationship between non-duality and social work, in which attendees will explore how the practitioner’s connection to their own true nature enhances their capacity to support clients in navigating an age of disruption. Bridging the universal and the practical, this workshop demonstrates how integrating ancient spiritual wisdom into modern social work practice helps practitioners evolve and empowers clients to flourish.
Bio: 
Ursula Ferreira was born and raised in Brazil and has been calling Winnipeg home since 2014. She is a Registered Social Worker and Advanced-level student of Somatic Experiencing. She works as a trauma therapist supporting adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse and runs a virtual private practice part-time. She works from transpersonal and somatic frameworks and finds that her personal interest in philosophy is inseparable from her professional life, with the conviction that awareness, our true nature, is our common ground and the real agent of healing. In her spare time, Ursula enjoys playing the piano and writing poetry.

Mindfulness in Peer Support: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Holistic Well-Being

Emerging research suggests that mindfulness may serve as a valuable resource in transdisciplinary approaches to health and well-being, offering a holistic framework for emotional resilience, relational effectiveness, and self-regulation in addiction recovery.

As a nurse working with people struggling with addictions, I was motivated to research The Role of Mindfulness in Peer Support Practice for my masters thesis. I wanted to explore how mindfulness impacts self-care, resilience, and the supportive measures peer support workers provide to their clients. A gap in the existing literature was identified regarding how peer support workers use mindfulness to sustain their professional roles and personal recovery. Key themes emerged, including Dispositional Mindfulness, which describes an innate orientation among many peer support workers and their ability to foster compassionate, non-judgmental spaces for clients. The study also highlights Paradoxical Ideas of Mindfulness Practice, such as the coexistence of deep connection and detachment and the necessity of confronting discomfort for growth. Additionally, the theme Experiences of Alignment illustrates how mindfulness fosters clarity, confidence, and reciprocal healing, supporting both peer support workers and those they assist. The final theme examines Mindfulness Strategies Within the Peer Support Role demonstrating how these practices enhance therapeutic relationships. This conference presentation will begin with a guided mindfulness meditation, allowing participants to experience mindfulness firsthand. The session will then share the compelling insights from this interpretive description study, emphasizing the role of mindfulness in fostering self-awareness, ethical practice, and transdisciplinary collaboration in mental health and addiction services.

Bio: 

Karen Fulton is a Registered Psychiatric Nurse and recent graduate of the Master of Nursing program at the University of Calgary. With 15 years’ experience in acute care, community mental health, and addiction medicine, she brings a compassionate, person-centred approach to all aspects of her practice. Karen currently serves as a Nurse Prescriber in rural British Columbia, delivering opioid agonist therapy and mental health support to underserved communities. Her graduate research explored the role of mindfulness in peer support work, highlighting how intentional, non-judgmental presence can promote connection, cognitive flexibility, and personal growth. A passionate educator and leader, she is committed to advancing collaborative, trauma-informed care practices that honour the wisdom of lived experience. In this presentation, Karen draws from both research and frontline experience to offer a transdisciplinary perspective on how mindfulness can strengthen peer support practice and promote holistic well-being.

Investigating the Effectiveness of a Holistic Arts-Based Mindfulness Program

Many children are besieged with daily challenges that disrupt their ability to focus, relate with others, and understand themselves. It is now understood that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can improve youths’ attention, build emotion regulation, foster self-awareness, and improve empathy (Greenburg & Harris, 2012; Semple & Burke, 2018). While these interventions have proven to be effective, the work with young people can still be characterized as emerging but growing considerably over the last decade especially within school contexts (Semple & Burke, 2012). Both researchers and practitioners have encouraged using creative methods coupled with mindfulness teaching with children as these methods are engaging and relevant. In this presentation, we introduce the results of a 12-week arts-based mindfulness program facilitated with elementary school students living in Northeastern Ontario. We begin by facilitating an arts-based activity from the program with willing audience members. Next, we introduce the context of the project, the implementation of the program and research methodology, and the results stemming from this project, including the challenges that youth faced and how art-based mindfulness activities helped to develop youths’ self-awareness, resilience, and emotion regulation. We conclude with recommendations purposefully designed for practitioners, school-based mental health workers, and teachers for how to best integrate these arts-based activities into their curricula and daily classroom activities.

How Might a Social Work Practitioner Become Enlightened to Greater Inward Transformation?

Social work has started to examine practitioners’ inner transformation as key factors in effective practice: for instance, repentance in a Muslim tradition (Abdullah, 2022), Falun Gong in China (Cheung, 2016), eco spiritual or deep ecology broadly (Coates, 2003; Ferreira, 2010) or in a decolonizing perspective (Coates, 2016), or within specific traditions such as Buddhism (Lee & Northcut, 2024). But if we ask more specifically what the practitioner might do to become more spiritually inclined to inner transformation we are at a standstill, for the literature sayslittle about the actual machinations of individual transformation. For example: What spiritual practices, if any, are relevant to create and sustain transformation? Is there a theology or epistemology that puts humanity in the broader perspective of suffering, oppression, and social change, and if so how do practitioners seeking inner transformation utilize these ideas? To what extent is community important for those seeking inner transformation? Are there practices – meditation, mindfulness, prayer, living simply, or others – that are prerequisites to transformation? In short, what is the praxis of inward transformation? The present paper explores these questions. Presupposing that a practitioner requires a coherent framework, it utilizes a radical, contemplative, Christian way of being to consider major signposts of transformative being. The paperthereby considers how a practitioner might become more transformed, how they might sustain a practice of transformation, and what practices are especially helpful. The paper is relevant to the reader or listener who intends to seek, or to seek more deeply, yet wonders how to do so. Although the author argues we must land on one perspective or tradition and chase it to the core of inner light, the paper’s insights and lessons are both relevant to practitioners of a variety of faith backgrounds, and drawn from them.

Bio: 

John Graham, PhD RSW, is Professor of Social Work, UBC Okanagan, and former Director. For 17 years he was at the University of Calgary, 10 of which as Murray Fraser Professor, and was PhD Program Coordinator and MSW International Coordinator. He has published several books on spirituality and social work, and co-founded the Canadian Society for Spirituality in Social Work. Before coming to UBC he was Professor and Director, School of Social Work, Florida Atlantic University. His writing was recognized as among the top 50 most cited in the English speaking world for our discipline.

From Disconnection to Devotion: A Journey of Spiritual Reconnection Through Hardship

Growing up as a visibly Muslim person of color in a predominantly white town, I faced significant challenges related to identity and belonging. Raised in a devout Muslim household, I wore the hijab from a young age, but my connection to faith was severely tested by peers who not only looked different from me but also lacked an understanding of the identity I was navigating. This left me feeling displaced, with no sense of community. My struggles deepened when I was forced into a marriage—an event I had fervently prayed would never happen. This experience shattered my relationship with God, leaving me consumed with anger and disconnection, and causing me to distance myself from both my family and my faith. This presentation narrates my journey through disconnection, anger, and eventual spiritual realignment, illustrating how spirituality can be reclaimed in the face of profound personal and cultural hardship. A pivotal moment occurred during Ramadan, when I reached out to God in a moment of deep despair, asking for guidance and support. In that moment, I experienced divine intervention that marked the beginning of my spiritual healing. The focus of this presentation is on the impact of growing up in a religious household, the trauma of forced marriage, and the moment of spiritual reconnection that led me to rediscover my faith. Through this experience, I learned that God had always been present, offering support and direction when I needed it most. This personal narrative highlights the role of spirituality in healing and transformation, offering insights into the intersection of faith, culture, and personal growth.

Bio: 

Maleka Haider a sociology major with a psychology minor at a university. Their academic interests focus on topics such as alienation, gender dynamics, and racial issues. With a personal connection to spirituality, their work explores the intersection of personal experience and broader sociological concepts of identity and culture.

A spiritual autoethnographic approach for a Palestinian social work instructor

This autoethnography explores my lived experience within the Department of Social Work at Al-Quds University, which is divided into two parts by the Separation Wall, where I worked most of my time in its eastern part as a social work teacher and community organizer from 2009 to 2016. This study documents my personal experience there and draws lessons from it, especially at the beginning of my academic and professional career. To achieve this, I drew from 675 documents produced in my seven years of work, including funded project proposals, published reports and articles, and emails about my experience. An illustrative timeline will also be formed that chronicles the study period's political, social, and economic events locally, regionally, and globally. This autoethnography is framed according to the seven stages of self-knowledge mentioned in al-Attar's spiritual Sufi poem Conference of the Bird. These stages include quest, Love, knowledge, detachment, unity, wonderment, and self-annihilation. This approach emphasizes self-emancipation and provides a unique lens to contribute to spiritual social work. I recognize the specificity of my experience interacting within the boundaries of a complex Palestinian context, but its engagement with questions of the connection between knowledge and the self through the Sufi spiritual approach may contribute to the social work underexamined spiritual dimension and its interpretation, opening the way for social workers, whether academic or professional or both, to share and exchange their experiences to build professional knowledge aimed at preserving human dignity and rights, especially those who are “wretched on earth” among us.

Bio: 

Tareq Hardan is an Assistant Professor at the School of Social Work at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). His research focuses on social work spirituality and community-academic partnerships that emerge from community practice to address poverty, inequality, and ecological injustice.

Upholding Academic Integrity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies become increasingly integrated into academic environments, the importance of maintaining academic honesty and integrity has never been more critical. Academic integrity refers to the ethical code that governs academic life, emphasizing honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. The rise of AI tools raises questions about authorship, originality, and accountability in student work. AI can assist in research and writing by providing valuable resources and enhancing efficiency. However, reliance on AI must be balanced with the ethical implications of using such tools. Plagiarism, which undermines the essence of academic integrity, can occur when students present AI-generated content as their own without proper attribution. It is essential for social work educators to leverage the benefits of AI while coaching students to recognize that while AI can offer support, the final output must reflect their understanding and insights. This workshop will offer an overview of how one faith-based social work faculty team has used student focus groups to foster an environment of integrity, including establishing clear guidelines regarding the use of AI in academic work, educating students on the implications of misusing AI, and the importance of developing their critical thinking and analytical skills. Through participation in small groups, attendees will learn how to promote a culture of honesty, encourage responsible AI usage, and leave with a firm plan to embrace student AI use to enhance learning while preserving the core values of academic integrity.

Bio: 

My name is Linda Hash, MSSW, LCSW. My specialty is in healthcare social work/case management/care coordination. I also have many years of experience in behavioral health, private practice, and higher education. My research interests include online student engagement and best practices in online higher education.

Slipstreams and Indigenous Futurisms: Time, Embodiment, and Border Fluidity in Echidna

This workshop will introduce notions of revolutionary love (Kaur, 2020) and healing resistance (Haga, 2020) as methodologies for a more holistic, spiritually sensitive, socially just social work pedagogy and practice (Adams, et al., 2018; Finn, 2020; Pyles, 2018). We will utilize sociological theory, namely the Cycle of Socialization and Cycle of Liberation (Harro, 2018, Cycle of Socialization and Cycle of Liberation), to examine and better understand our deeply divided concomitantly interconnected society. Applying the See, Reflect, Act Circle of Insight process (Author, 2019, 2020; Finn, 2020) to Harro’s Cycles of Socialization and Liberation, participants will examine and discuss how we are socialized to fear and hate the other, thus perpetuating structural, systemic, institutional, oppression and injustice. 

Participants will consider the supposition that revolutionary love and healing resistance can serve as antidotes to oppression, injustice, polarization, and hatred. They will listen to and reflect on stories of a reformed racist, the Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story comic book, as well as learnings and insights from the author’s work with Saint Mother Teresa (Teresa, 1997) and Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (2003) as examples of the Circle of Insight in action. The Circle of Insight process will invite movement from dehumanizing cycles of socialization to liberation. Participants will then consider what the work of revolutionary love and the invitation to healing resistance means and requires of us practically in this moment, as holistic, spiritually sensitive, socially just social workers, counselors, healthcare professionals, educators, and advocates. Participants will consider how Harro’s Cycles, consistent with the Circle of Insight process, invite creative action to transform hearts and minds, and confront and liberate oppressive, unjust structures, systems, and institutions. For, “true compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it understands that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring” (King, 1968, p. 198). Together, we will ask, What do the Cycle of Socialization and Liberation, and Circle of Insight framework require of us as individuals, as society, as social workers, as educators, as citizens, as human beings? How can we use these tools to create a more just, humanizing response to societal disconnection, oppression, and injustice? In the fierce urgency of now, our world desperately needs social workers, indeed all of us, to renew our commitment to holistic, spiritually sensitive, socially just pedagogy and practice, to embrace Valerie Kaur’s revolutionary love and Kazu Haga’s healing resistance, and to engage the Circle of Insight process, to confront and break out of the Cycle of Socialization and move into the Cycle of Liberation, to commit ourselves individually and collectively to actualizing and building anew Dr. King’s beloved community. This workshop will share practical strategies and resources for doing so.

Bio: 

Iheoma Joakin-Uzomba is a Master’s candidate at the Department of English, University of Calgary. Her research interests span across border studies and world literatures. Her creative works have appeared in Rattle Magazine, Palette Poetry, The Shore Poetry, The Rising Phoenix Review, Chestnut Review, Isele Magazine, and elsewhere. In 2022, she was winner of the Lagos-London poetry contest. A Poetry Translation Center (UK) UNDERTOW Fellow, she was editor-in-chief of The Muse Journal No. 50.

CSWE and ACPE: Pedagogy as Sacred Responsibility

Social work’s code of ethics and accreditation standards acknowledge the need to include spirituality in social work practice, yet a persistent gap exists in relevant coursework and practicum experiences (Hodge, 2018; Oxhandler & Giardina, 2017), even in environments where spiritual care practitioners and educators’ partner with social workers in client care. As we consider how to meet this need, spiritual care practitioners emerge as compelling and valuable partners. Clinical pastoral education (CPE) trains spiritual care providers to explore the spiritual resources of the care receiver, relying on their openness and empathy in collaboration with their religious or spiritual identity. As such, social work and spiritual care are well-suited for interprofessional learning and partnership. Social work students who engage in collaborative learning through CPE as part of their CSWE-mandated practicum experience will be better prepared to engage in value-led care, religious multiplicity, and spiritual diversity among care receivers. At the same time, spiritual care providers benefit from the person-in-environment and strengths-based perspective of social work, and both benefit from self-reflection and identity formation. This interactive workshop will present a partnership between chaplaincy in a teaching hospital and a school of social work to cultivate relationships and connectedness between CPE and social work practicum students, educators, and practitioners. Through discussion, case presentation, self-reflection, and interactive activity, this presentation will highlight how social workers and chaplains integrate shared ethics and values such as compassion and humility and provide practical strategies to navigate ethical considerations and accountability, contributing to quality care and human flourishing.

Bio: 

Karon Johnson, MACM, MSW, LCSW, CCTP is a Clinical Assistant Professor at UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work, where she is a member of the practicum team and designs and teaches direct practice courses, including on the integration of religion and spirituality in social work practice. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Integrative Chaplaincy, at Vanderbilt University Divinity School, focusing on the integration of spiritually-informed mental health care. She enjoys gaming alone and with her husband and children, podcasts and audiobooks, and music.

Rev. Alvernia Disnew, the Associate Director for Clinical Pastoral Education at UNC Hospital. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Special Education from Norfolk State University, a Master of Divinity from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, and a Master of Science in Patient Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University. Alvernia is a Baptist mystic equipped with skills to teach ethical leadership and spiritual care that liberates and cares for all humankind.

Khloé Rowe is a Clinical Pastoral Education and Social Work Intern at UNC Hospital in the Department of Pastoral Care. She is in her final year of pursuing a dual MSW/MDiv at Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill. She is also pursuing a certificate in prison studies. Khloé enjoys spending time with her wife, friends, and family, traveling, and walking in the woods.

Promoting spiritual well-being and reducing domestic violence within collectivist cultures: A community-based well-being group for men. The Men's Well-Being Group (MWBG) utilized a community-based intervention approach and qualitative method to assess the transformative impact of well-being training on Nepali men in Alberta. The study conducted MWBG training (10 sessions), and data was collected through weekly surveys and a follow-up focus group. This training focused on mental, physical, cultural and spiritual health, integrating traditional and spiritual practices with modern wellness approaches. The MWBG is a peer-support program focused on spiritual and cultural connection, mental health, healthy relationship skills, and violence prevention, delivered by the Alberta Men's Network (AMN). Initially, the concept was developed in Calgary's Latino community, and the MWBG expanded in 2022 to include diverse ethno-cultural groups following facilitator training within these communities. 

The participants were male-identified, with various professional backgrounds and age groups, including the majority in fatherhood roles. Preliminary findings indicate that Nepali participants (n=7) emphasized that spirituality (e.g., meditation, yoga, mindfulness) plays a central role in cultivating inner peace, and it helps to foster healthy relationships with family and friends. Second, MWBG was very helpful to Nepali men in connecting their spiritual traditions and promoting self-awareness and compassion. They identified key lessons on healthy relationship skills and shared multiple benefits from participating in the group. These findings underscore the effectiveness of culturally community-led initiatives in promoting nonviolent behaviours and emotional resilience, offering valuable insights for future community-based interventions. This project was a collaboration between the University of Calgary's Faculty of Social Work, the Alberta Network of Immigrant Women (ANIW), and Action Dignity.

Bio: 

Badri Karki: MSW/RSW. Group Facilitator of Nepali Men's Well-being Group and researcher. 

Madan Nath: MSW/RSW. Founder member of Alberta Men's Network, as well as community activist.

Danial Jamal: Student (Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Calgary). Research coordinator with the Alberta Network of Immigrant Women.

Fanny Oliphant: Masters degree in clinical psychology. Fanny led the design and facilitation of the Men's Well-Being Group curriculum, training and supporting community leaders to conduct the well-being groups within their communities.

Dr. Liza Lorenzetti: Dr. Liza is an associate professor at the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary and the research lead of the Men's Well-being project.

The Meditation and Being: Tools for Holistic Education

This presentation explores the integration of meditation and the practice of present-moment awareness as transformative tools for fostering mindfulness, emotional well-being, and holistic learning in educational environments. By emphasizing conscious awareness and breathwork,

these practices help students cultivate inner calm, focus, and resilience (Goyal et al., 2014). The act of "being," central to mindfulness practices, encourages students to connect deeply with the

present moment, which has been shown to reduce stress and enhance self-reflection capacity (Zeidan et al., 2015). Recent studies have demonstrated that mindfulness practices positively

influence emotional regulation, cognitive performance, and interpersonal relationships, supporting students’ overall development (Nash & Shlomo, 2020; Mrazek et al., 2013).

This session will offer practical strategies for incorporating present-moment awareness into educational settings, aligned with the principles of holistic education and sustainable social work (Khoury et al., 2015). Participants will learn methods for integrating mindfulness into their

teaching practices, creating environments that promote both emotional and academic growth. By merging traditional mindfulness practices with contemporary educational techniques, this approach facilitates more mindful, balanced, and transformative educational experiences (Bögels

et al., 2018).

The Ajapa Chanting and Mindful Breathwork in Classrooms 

Ajapa chanting, a breath-centered spiritual practice, offers a transformative approach to cultivating mindfulness and emotional stability within educational settings. This presentation examines the integration of Ajapa chanting alongside mindful breathwork as an effective means of fostering a holistic and supportive learning environment. By synchronizing breath with mantra repetition, Ajapa chanting encourages inner calm, mental

clarity, and emotional balance (Jha et al., 2021). These practices, when introduced in classrooms, help address common challenges such as stress, anxiety, and disengagement, while simultaneously promoting self-awareness, focus, and emotional resilience (Ospina

et al., 2020). Recent studies have shown that mindful breathing techniques significantly improve cognitive function, enhance emotional regulation, and foster deeper engagement among students (Bränström et al., 2020; MacKenzie et al., 2021). The application of Ajapa

chanting and mindful breathwork also contributes to the broader goals of sustainable social work by nurturing an ecospiritual connection between individuals and their environment (Moore et al., 2019). This presentation offers actionable strategies for educators seeking to incorporate ancient spiritual practices into contemporary pedagogy, highlighting their

potential to meet modern educational and social challenges.

Bio: 

Dr. Jaspreet Kaur is an Instructor and Program Coordinator for the Post-Diploma Program in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Lethbridge Calgary Campus. With over 15 years of experience in academia and industry, her work bridges technology and spirituality, exploring how AI, embedded systems, and real-time computing can enhance human well-being. Passionate about uniting science and the soul, she integrates spiritual insight with technological innovation to foster inclusive, compassionate solutions. Her journey from a small village in India to impactful research in Canada reflects her deep commitment to equity, accessibility, and inner growth.

Spirituality in Education

Cultivating Holistic Development through Multifaith Integration Spirituality often begins to resonate at a young age, as evidenced by teenage students in my classroom who recalled first recognizing a spiritual connection or religious significance between the ages of 3 and 5. This early awareness highlights spirituality's profound impact on child development and holistic growth, encompassing dimensions beyond physical and intellectual aspects. Spirituality helps children navigate questions of identity, purpose, and meaning in life, fostering introspection into their values, beliefs, and aspirations. By encouraging this exploration, spirituality nurtures a deeper understanding of oneself and one's place in

the world, promoting resilience and ethical development. Furthermore, addressing increased student anxiety and well-being through a holistic approach that includes spiritual elements can provide a more comprehensive framework for supporting their mental and emotional health. In Canadian public schools, spirituality is not explicitly addressed due to the nation's commitment to secularism and religious neutrality. This aims to respect diverse beliefs with a neutral stance, but it may lead to limited exposure to and understanding of different spiritual practices, resulting in stereotypes and misconceptions. Explicit education on spirituality provides crucial opportunities for meaningful dialogue

and understanding among students. By promoting respectful conversations and empathy, multi-faith integration in education becomes a pivotal step toward achieving global peace. It challenges stereotypes, encourages cooperation, and celebrates the enriching diversity of religious beliefs, fostering social cohesion and global harmony. Through inclusive practices, we can cultivate a world where individuals of all faiths and no faith coexist peacefully and collaborate toward the shared goal of equity

Bio: 

Khulood Khan is a teacher in the Halton School District, a professor at Georgian College and Trent University, a counsellor, a crisis responder for the Halton Regional Services and a chaplain endorsed by the Interfaith Committee on Canadian Military Chaplaincy. She is a student in the Master of Psychospiritual Care programme at Emmanuel College. She is also an intern at the Maplehurst Correctional Complex and provides multifaith mindfulness programming at the Grand Valley Institution for Women as a prison chaplain.

Exploring the Role of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in Spiritual Realignment and Transformation 

Amidst the complexities of a rapidly evolving world, the integration of spirituality into therapeutic practice offers a critical path toward human flourishing. This presentation explores how psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) bridges spirituality and social work, grounded in a multiple case study that examines its transformative potential. 

Findings highlight the interconnectedness of physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, advocating for whole-person wellness approaches that address immediate needs while supporting long-term transformation. A relational approach emerged as foundational, emphasizing trust-based, empathetic relationships to create safe environments for clients exploring non-ordinary states of consciousness (NOSC). These states were found to possess significant healing potential, addressing trauma and fostering profound personal and spiritual transformation that transcends conventional mental health paradigms. 

Practitioners identified spiritual knowledge and comfort in discussing spirituality as essential to effective practice. They emphasized the need for broader inclusion of spirituality within social work, advocating for increased capacity to engage in spiritual conversations both in PAT and the field at large. The study also calls for challenging norms within this emerging therapeutic space, encouraging critical dialogue to refine and innovate practices. This presentation aligns with the conference’s focus on spirituality in transformation by offering actionable insights into how practitioners can ethically and effectively integrate spirituality into their work. Audience participation will be encouraged through interactive polling, storytelling, and a collaborative brainstorming session on strategies for advancing spirituality in social work and beyond.

Bio: 

Lorena Koenig is a Registered Social Worker working in private practice, specializing in evidence-based and holistic mental health approaches. Her research focuses on psychedelic-assisted therapy, the topic of her MSW thesis. Lorena is passionate about advancing innovative, ethical practices and interdisciplinary collaboration to improve mental health care.

Connection and Flourishing: Growing Spiritual Health in Frontline Spiritual Care

Health care research literature has increasingly demonstrated the importance of engaging and addressing patients’ religious and spiritual concerns as routine parts of frontline care. Yet despite several consensus building exercises about how to define spirituality, it remains difficult for frontline practitioners to mobilize these definitions clinically. One potential reason for this is the complexity of the territory: philosophers, theologians, and religious studies scholars themselves often disagree on what is meant by spirituality. There is also ongoing confusion about whether spirituality is a phenomenon that is separate from or connected to religion, despite more and more numbers in general populations identifying as “spiritual but not religious.” It is therefore becoming increasingly urgent to establish clinically efficacious definitions of both spirituality and spiritual health. In this presentation, the presenter will offer a response to this need stemming from his forthcoming book on spirituality, holistic spiritual health, and the delivery of frontline spiritual care in health care. Arguing that healthy spirituality enables people to manifest flourishing relationships with all of interconnected and entangled reality, the presenter will discuss how spirituality is an inherent part of human existence that integrates all aspects of human existence into its concrete manifestations. Furthermore, because spirituality invites all people into relational flourishing, there are six traits of spiritual health that frontline practitioners can measure and assess in clinical settings. All this will be offered to sensitize practitioners from numerous disciplines to the holistic and integrative spiritual concerns experienced by those receiving their care. Ample discussion time will be offered at the end of the presentation to solicit feedback and engagement from session participants.

Bio: 

Simon Lasair is the Robert Steane Holistic Research Chair at St. Paul's Hospital in Saskatoon, and Visiting Researcher/Research Associate at St. Thomas More College in the same city. His research focuses on how best to integrate spiritual care and arts-based services onto the frontlines of health care, and has a book coming out with Routledge this fall wherein he articulates a theory of spirituality, spiritual health, and spiritual care.

A Fine-grained Analysis of Mystical Experience

In this presentation I’ll give a brief survey of empirical studies of mystical experiences and their lasting effects. Prospective studies involve inducing experiences, examining them as they occur, and monitoring their effects over time. Retrospective studies solicit participants who report having had mystical experiences and gather information about the experiences as well as their causes and perceived effects. There is broad consensus among these studies that mystical experiences tend to be beneficial, sometimes extremely so. But a question arises as to whether these benefits arise from the experience inducing or reinforcing a nonphysicalistic metaphysical belief, such as the belief that individual consciousness does not cease with the death of the body. Existing studies have offered little insight into which aspects of mystical experiences are correlated with which types of effects. I will shortly be launching a new retrospective study designed to probe these fine-grained correlations. In this presentation I will be discussing the aims of this study and hopefully have some preliminary results to report. It will be a research presentation followed by Q&A. I am happy for the session to be recorded. The presenter will be Noa Latham from the Department of Philosophy, University of Calgary

Bio: 

Noa Latham is Emeritus Associate Professor of philosophy at the University of Calgary. He has published on causation, laws of nature, fundamentality, the mind-body problem, rationality, free will, consciousness, and meditation.

The Transformative Power and Potential of Contemplative Practices

With a focus on holistic education/honoring the whole student and the union of mind, body, spirit and heart, the benefits of contemplative practices and pedagogies have been well-documented (Berila, 2016; Lavoie & Katz, 2019; Magee, 2018; Wong, 2018; Wong & Vinsky, 2021). The transformative power and potential of contemplative practices and pedagogies can be seen at the individual level and beyond- such as inspiring and/or deepening realignment, re/connection, relationship-building/relationality, critical reflection and collective care; honoring various ways of knowing, doing and being; and challenging traditional academic norms- such as disrupting the mind/body(heart) binary that privileges cognitive/rational ways of knowing over embodied/affective ways of knowing, doing and being.

In striving for a more embodied ontology and w/holistic epistemology in social justice teaching, the presenter has found that creative and contemplative practices and pedagogies in social work education hold great promise. Against the backdrop of the presenter’s teaching experiences and doctoral research that infuses and examines these practices and pedagogies in social work education through a critical, decolonial, anti-oppressive practice, social justice lens, the four-fold objectives of this interactive session are to:

• illuminate the transformative power and potential of contemplative practices and pedagogies,
• highlight implications and considerations for on-campus settings and online (synchronous, asynchronous and blended/hybrid) formats- including challenges and dilemmas,
• share key learnings- including learning activity examples,
• engage in collaborative conversations and exchange collective practice wisdom about the use of contemplative practices and pedagogies in teaching for social justice within a critical, decolonial, and anti-oppressive practice framework

Bio: 

Tracey Lavoie (she/her) is an Associate Teaching Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Victoria and a lifelong learner.  With a keen interest in and engagement with social justice and contemplative practices, she seeks to infuse the two in and out of the classroom.

Navigating Life Changes: Buddhist Women's Strategies for Coping with Death in Late Medieval

The experiences of Buddhist women, both historical and contemporary, often demonstrate fundamental similarities in navigating life changes through Buddhist practices. This study examines how Buddhist women in late medieval China (c. 600–1000 CE) coped with drastic life transitions, particularly related to death. How did these women find solace and support in Buddhism after the loss of loved ones? Why did some choose funerary rites that diverged from conventional social norms when facing their own deaths? What religious and social objectives were they aiming to fulfill through these practices? Drawing on epigraphic and archaeological evidence, this study explores the religious commitments of four Buddhist women in three dimensions: (1) identifying the major life changes that drove these women to embrace Buddhism; (2) analyzing the specific Buddhist practices and teachings they employed for spiritual and social support; (3) reconstructing the original contexts of their religious activities to understand their ultimate aspirations, highlighting their efforts to transcend worldly concerns in pursuit of spiritual attainment, such as an ideal afterlife or rebirth. The life paths and religious devotion of these Buddhist women offer valuable insights into their strategies for coping with life changes and their use of Buddhist practices as a healing method in response to loss and death within the historical context of East Asia. This investigation also broadens our understanding of the spiritual experiences of female Asian minorities in present-day Canadian society.

Bio: 

Lan Li is a sessional lecturer at the University of Toronto Scarborough. She obtained her PhD from the Department of Religious Studies at McMaster University in 2024, specializing in Buddhism and East Asian religions. Her research focuses on donative epigraphy and religious patronage in medieval China, as well as the relationship between funerary practices, gender, and family in Chinese Buddhism. Her current research centres on integrating textual records and epigraphic resources to explore the religious and social lives of donors while also reconstructing the dynamic history of Buddhist practices during late medieval China.

The Healing of Mind, Body and Spirit Through Artistic Expression

Transforming systems and societies for the better can be likened to the chrysalis transitioning to the butterfly. We acknowledge and respect the holistic synergy of body, mind and spirit, first going inward to enact changes that transform the self, then emerging with new vitality to offer outward to the world. 

Through the process of creating art, we have a tangible means to delve deeply into the interconnected realm of body, mind and spirit. Creative art-making provides deeper insight into the challenges we face daily; trauma from stress, anxiety, abuse, toxic relationships and environments. Guided art-making sessions help facilitate healing for individuals, groups and whole communities. Sana Corda’s team offers two creative workshops, each would provide a welcoming space for participants to make art in guided sessions with supplies included. Spiritually Expressive Art: Experiencing Peace Through Expressive Art (VL Parker) Participants are guided to create a spiritually expressive abstract art piece, with calming music and time for reflection and discussion. Spiritually expressive art is a cathartic, holistic practice. It helps people in distressed states experience peace and find new perspectives by engaging mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual dimensions through subconscious creation, release and reflection. 

Making Marks: Rethinking Paradigms and Practice of Creating Art (Char Loeppky)

Participants are guided through simple drawing exercises to focus inward, connecting with memory, thought and emotion. Therapeutic arts help individuals rethink perspective on creative expression, shifting away from expecting product to embracing experience and process.

Bio: 

VL Parker and Char Loeppky of Sana Corda Community Services Char Loeppky is a certified Master Practitioner of Therapeutic Arts with an extensive background in performing and expressive arts.  As a teacher, theatre director and trauma group facilitator, her passion is to offer compassion and creativity to her work with clients for each unique healing journey.

The Cosmic Coherence Theory: A Unifying Framework for Consciousness Evolution

The Cosmic Coherence Theory (CCT) proposes a unifying framework to understand the evolution of consciousness across individual and collective scales. By integrating quantum mechanics, neuroscience, psychology, and cosmology, this research explores how resonance phenomena at the sub-quantum level (involving photons, phonons, excitons, and polaritons) propagate through multidimensional fields to drive coherence across physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and cosmic dimensions.

This study employs a mixed-methods approach, including mathematical modeling, quantum simulations, and empirical designs for future validation. Mathematical models, such as multidimensional resonance functions, quantum phase transitions, and models incorporating topology and differential geometry, are developed to map coherence dynamics and dimensional transitions. These models describe how consciousness navigates through different dimensions, represented as manifolds, and how resonance fields influence these transitions. This is captured in the refined total resonance function:

Ψ_total = A ⋅ ∫_{d1}^{d2} [Σ_i p_i |Ψ_i(x,t)><Ψ_i(x,t)|] dx

Empirical methodologies are conceptualized to include biophoton detection, EEG coherence studies, and resonance-based interventions using sound and light therapies, aiming to investigate coherence amplification, neural integration, and their hypothesized relationship to altered states of consciousness.

The theoretical findings suggest that small-scale quantum interactions generate feedback loops that amplify coherence, influencing transitions into higher-order dimensions. Resonance-based practices are anticipated to significantly enhance neural coherence, biophoton emissions, and subjective experiences of dimensional awareness. These insights offer a robust foundation for future experimental research into CCT.

CCT’s implications are far-reaching, offering transformative applications in therapy, education, leadership, and societal coherence. By bridging empirical science and psycho-spiritual traditions, the theory advances a dynamic unifying framework for personal and collective transformation, addressing fragmentation and fostering alignment with universal coherence. This research contributes a pioneering perspective to interdisciplinary studies, inspiring future exploration of consciousness as a coherent, multidimensional phenomenon.

Bio: 

Peter Luxruel, MBA (Hons), is a visionary researcher and transdisciplinary thought leader dedicated to advancing our understanding of consciousness and human potential. As Founder of PsychoRegenesis and a PhD candidate in Psychology at Meridian University, he integrates business strategy, emerging scientific insights, and psycho-spiritual traditions to drive personal and collective transformation. His work on Cosmic Coherence Theory employs innovative quantitative methods and empirical studies to explore how subtle resonance phenomena catalyze change. Peter’s research challenges traditional paradigms and offers practical frameworks for leadership, education, and social work, promising to significantly enhance mental health, community resilience, and overall.

The Object of Our Creation

Pure Non-Dualism teaches there is no separation between God (Cause) and You (Effect). The phenomenal world is an illusion that was imagined and dismissed instantaneously in the Mind of God.

Every aspect of what you label OTHER, whether it be another being, another animal, another plant, another chair, a distant star -everything which you call “other” is, indeed, your Self. For you have become your friend. You have become your enemy. And neither of those sentences makes any sense. For you have merely become your Self. JBW p. 65

There is also no separation between you and your experience.

What would happen to you if you actually did that?...If you opened to the realization you ARE your experience? – if you opened to that with celebration, what would you find?

What you would find as you opened to the celebration of the experience of your life is simply this – you would find Love. And that is all. I promise you, even in your space and time, and what you call the human condition, when you open to, and embrace – without resistance – without the belief that it is apart from you – when you truly open to every experience, the only thing you will find is Love. TOV pp. 222-223

Bio: 

James Miller has been seeking to answer the question, “Who am I?”, since he can first remember becoming aware of himself. The search has led him to Timothy Leary; Transcendental Meditation, the Bible, the Gita, Sri Ramana Maharshi, Tolle and A Course in Miracles.

Born on the Day of the Dreamweaver (May 15) he feels “that many quiet years of training are necessary to establish one’s own inner discipline, because it is most important not to lead others astray once successful. Those born on this day are thus loathe to seek positions of power until they have first fully prepared themselves and paid their dues while forming ideas and attitudes which can have such an impact on other people.”

Exploring Spiritually Informed Supervision as a Tool to Mitigate Psychological Stress Injury among Child Welfare Workers.

Child welfare is considered one of the most challenging and demanding frontline professions in human services. Child welfare workers (CWWs) often work with individuals and families who are victims of trauma. Numerous research studies have linked trauma exposure to symptoms of secondary traumatic stress (STS) and psychological stress injury (PSI) among CWWs. Recent research has suggested that spiritually connected exposures to moral injury, emotional labour, and disenfranchised grief are frequently linked to STS and PSI but often go unrecognized. Unaddressed emotional burdens can erode one's sense of meaningful work, creating internal cynicism and diminishing one's professional self-concept. Ongoing PSI exposure without support can lead to low morale, mental health concerns, absenteeism, illness, spiritual distress and a desire to leave one's employment. Existing research has suggested the importance of supervision in reducing the rates of PSI among CWWs. While supervision is mandated support within child welfare agencies, it has been criticized for being too technical. It has been recommended that supervisors adopt a more emotional, reflective and supportive approach to supervision. Yet, supervisors often face time barriers, work demands and limited opportunities to engage in more meaningful supervisory relationships. This presentation highlights thematic findings in the literature exploring spiritually informed approaches to supervision to promote resilience, professional growth and positive coping among frontline professionals. These findings will offer a context within which the results of a mixed-method study of supervisors within a child welfare organization will be shared. 

Bio: 

Terianne Mychasiw is a master of social work student at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Terianne is currently conducting research alongside Dr. Jo-Ann Vis in the areas of occupational stress injury, moral injury, and employee well-being, with a focus on working to develop meaningful strategies in support of frontline Child Welfare Workers.

The Circle of Insight: Fostering Revolutionary Love and Healing Resistance

This workshop will introduce notions of Revolutionary Love and Healing Resistance, Cycles of Socialization and Liberation, and the Circle of Insight process as tools for helping social workers consider and actualize our commitment to promote a more holistic, spiritually sensitive, and just social work pedagogy and practice. This workshop will introduce notions of revolutionary love (Kaur, 2020) and healing resistance (Haga, 2020) as methodologies for a more holistic, spiritually sensitive, socially just social work pedagogy and practice (Adams, et al., 2018; Finn, 2020; Pyles, 2018). We will utilize sociological theory, namely the Cycle of Socialization and Cycle of Liberation (Harro, 2018, Cycle of Socialization and Cycle of Liberation), to examine and better understand our deeply divided concomitantly interconnected society. Applying the See, Reflect, Act Circle of Insight process (Author, 2019, 2020; Finn, 2020) to Harro’s Cycles of Socialization and Liberation, participants will examine and discuss how we are socialized to fear and hate the other, thus perpetuating structural, systemic, institutional, oppression and injustice. Participants will consider the supposition that revolutionary love and healing resistance can serve as antidotes to oppression, injustice, polarization, and hatred. They will listen to and reflect on stories of a reformed racist, the Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story comic book, as well as learnings and insights from the author’s work with Saint Mother Teresa (Teresa, 1997) and Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (2003) as examples of the Circle of Insight in action. The Circle of Insight process will invite movement from dehumanizing cycles of socialization to liberation. Participants will then consider what the work of revolutionary love and the invitation to healing resistance means and requires of us practically in this moment, as holistic, spiritually sensitive, socially just social workers, counselors, healthcare professionals, educators, and advocates. Participants will consider how Harro’s Cycles, consistent with the Circle of Insight process, invite creative action to transform hearts and minds, and confront and liberate oppressive, unjust structures, systems, and institutions. For, “true compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it understands that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring” (King, 1968, p. 198). Together, we will ask, What do the Cycle of Socialization and Liberation, and Circle of Insight framework require of us as individuals, as society, as social workers, as educators, as citizens, as human beings? How can we use these tools to create a more just, humanizing response to societal disconnection, oppression, and injustice?

Bio: 

Dr. Nicotera serves as Assistant Professor at Seton Hall University and Director of NYU’s Post-Master’s Certificate Program in Spirituality and Social Work. He has been practicing clinically and teaching for over 25 years. He has published book chapters and scholarly journal articles on the Circle of Insight framework, a process he created to foster the practice of peace, justice, and transformative love. He helps lead the Fellowship of Reconciliation-USA. With Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, he produced the award-winning film The 5 Powers Revolution. He worked with victims of war in Latin America and in India with Saint Mother Teresa.

A Spirituality of Sustenance in Hard Times: Narratives From Rwanda.

Since ancient times, Rwandans have held a deep spirituality and worldview centered around the belief that Imana (God) has a special favor for Rwanda. This belief is encapsulated in an old proverb: "Imana yirirwa ahandi igataha i Rwanda," [God spends the day somewhere else and comes home to sleep in Rwanda]. In addition, the name "Rwanda" itself translates to "the universe," further emphasizing its significance in the local traditions. These ideas have shaped and continue to influence many Rwandans' spiritual beliefs, wisdoms and practices. In our respective doctoral studies, we looked at: 1) how young people respond to childhood experiences of intimate partner violence (CEIPV) and 2) self-management barriers among type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. As a couple of Rwandan researchers, we were surprised to notice spirituality themes in seemingly very different topics. In this paper presentation, we share spirituality-related narratives as storied in how participants respond to CEIPV or T2D.

Our two qualitative studies employed thematic analysis to examine participants' accounts and reflections from interviews and storytelling circles. In each study, spirituality emerged as an essential factor in fostering resilience even when hardships are not passed. It helped participants find meaning in their suffering. Spirituality also encouraged sharing testimonies, promoted collective care, and created new spaces of belonging. It played a crucial role in coping with fear and despair, enhanced endurance and flourishing, and instilled a sense of purpose and hope. In conclusion, spirituality emerged as a significant force that sustained participants through their CEIPV or T2D

Bio: 

Serge Nyirinkwaya is a mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) practitioner-researcher, narrative therapist and community development worker. He is currently a PhD Candidate at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, and a graduate of the Master of Narrative Therapy and Community Work at the University of Melbourne and the Dulwich Centre. With over 15 years of experience in child protection, family strengthening, and MHPSS in Rwanda and other African countries, Serge's practice and research interests include mental health wellbeing of children, youth and families, domestic and family violence in African households, Africentric storytelling and culturally responsive practices.

Dr. Marie Claire Uwamahoro is a healthcare professional and researcher specializing in nursing, community health, and healthcare disparities. Currently a postdoctoral associate at the Cumming School of Medicine, their work explores the experiences of Black with multimorbidity in Alberta’s healthcare system. With a PhD in Nursing from the University of Witwatersrand, they bring expertise in health care, and education. Their research focuses on diabetes, chronic conditions, health literacy, and patient-reported outcomes, aiming to improve healthcare delivery for multicultural communities. Dr. Uwamahoro is dedicated to advancing equitable healthcare through interdisciplinary, culturally sensitive approaches and advocacy.

Conscious Raising & Empowerment: Bridging Social Work & Spirituality

What do social work and mediumship have in common? Huh? Given dominant materialist and mentalist paradigms informing social work, one might have a difficult time finding any commonalities. Social work has been informed by many helpful perspectives which provide a limited understanding of reality and consciousness. The presenter, an Emeritus Professor In Social Work and an ordained minister in the Spiritualist Church of Canada, will outline a new model of consciousness that is informed by Jungian analysis as well as complexity and quantum theories. He will also share his experiences in the realms of clinical social work practice and mediumship and to explicate this model. Participants will also be invited to participate in some exercises to deepen their understanding of the model.

Bio: 

Dr. William Pelech, Professor Emeritus of Social Work, served in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary for nearly 20 years. Dr. Pelech continues to conduct research and practice group work and currently holds a major national tri-council grant, which focuses on how practitioners utilize diversity in their group work practice. He led a team that developed and delivered the BSW Virtual Learning Circles Program. Dr. Pelech was presented the Killam Award for Innovation in Education and the University of Calgary Teaching Excellence Award for Educational Leadership. He was ordained as Minister in Spiritualist Church of Canada in 2015, and currently provides part-time counselling and group work training at Calgary Counselling Centre.

Helping the Whole You: Working at the Intersection of Clinical and Indigenous Practices

What has happened to you? What have you survived? Experiencing trauma and wanting to heal from these experiences is a process that has been addressed by societies and has evolved into countless ways of thinking and approaches to this process. What ancient cultures and now modern day neuroscience have shared with us is that we must help the whole person in order to experience lasting peace. In serving folks who have experienced trauma and in the healing space for years, we have come to appreciate three critical things that have pushed us to develop programming that is designed to work in partnership with traditional clinical interventions. The first critical issue is that learning and the processing of information cannot occur when someone's nervous system is in fight or flight mode; that is, until we support and acknowledge the impact of an individual's own trauma experience, they are not fully capable of learning, processing and retaining new information effectively. In practice, this means that we can be utilizing the best of the best curriculums or interventions and still not be as effective as we can be without a mind/body approach. We must offer an individual tools to heal their nervous system. The second critical thing is directly related to the first, in that it also relates to a person's nervous system and level of reactivity. Having knowledge is the first step but being able to integrate it into our daily lives is another. It is one thing to know something intellectually and another thing to be able to embody those tools and strategies. It is not enough for us to offer psycho-education and expect the most effective results. We must offer tools to decrease reactivity, maintain a healthy nervous system, and form spiritual identities. The third critical thing that we would like to highlight is that healing does not happen in isolation. We are human beings and everything we do is relational. Because of this, forming meaningful relationships and the experience of being seen, heard and developing a sense of belonging is critical in supporting long-term change. When we are connected in a meaningful way, we can use the tools we have learned more effectively. Join us as we offer a brief overview of our model and then invite you to experience how this can live in your practice and become a tool for the folks you support.

Bio:

 Tamaris Princi, LCSW. As a clinical social worker and claircognizant, Tamaris has worked at the intersection of trauma, somatic interventions and spirituality for over twenty years to support folks in holistic healing. Merging her lived experience as a survivor and Taino indigenous wombman, she has developed curricula for non-profits and court systems. 

Suey (Zee) Mendez. As an intuitive clairaudient healer, Suey is able to access ancestral & generational pain and trauma, and preview future possibilities, in order to bring long term healing. Through their own healing practices of Reiki, meditation, breathwork and ecstatic dance, and by reading and channeling information from their own Akashic Records.

Introduction to Kundalini Yoga: Kriya for Elevation

Kundalini Yoga is framed as a householder’s practice, in which the yogi lives a full, relational life as she learns to observe, control, and challenge the body, mind, and soul’s various systems and develop their ability to recover, heal, relax and consciously connect with Universal Mind or Spirit. Practitioners use breath (prana), sound (mantra), meditation (simran), and sets of physical postures (kriyas) to connect with themselves and each other, develop intuition, and maintain flexibility of body, mind, and spirit.

In this 90-minute workshop, I will first introduce participants to some of the techniques that they will need to understand in order to access the longer set of postures (known as a Kriya). These include specific instructions about breathing, eye focus, and posture, as well as a brief introduction to the history and purpose of Kundalini technology and some reminders about self-care. Next, I will lead participants through a warmup, a classic Kundalini Kriya (The Kriya for Elevation), and a sound meditation (Long Ek Ong Kaar).

I am not a woman. I am not a man. I am not a person. I am not me. I am a teacher. 

Over my long teaching career, I have developed pedagogies aimed to engage individuals in remembering, recognizing, revising, and re-presenting their lived experiences through making art – a form of identity work that can be both challenging and intense as students learn to relax the ego’s iron grip on repressed, ignored, or charged material. Over the years, I have concluded that the pedagogical key to unlocking these treasures is not to offer freedom (write about anything!), but rather structure in the form of enabling constraints – exercises that are proscriptive rather than prescriptive, allowing freedom within simple confines (say length, or point of view) rather than demanding certain outcomes (Robson, 2020). Recently, I completed a rigorous eight-month teacher training program offered by the Kundalini Research Institute (KRI). Rather than an ascetic discipline, Kundalini is framed as a householder’s practice, in which the yogi lives a full, relational life as she learns to observe, control, and challenge the body, mind, and soul’s various systems and develop their ability to recover, heal, relax and consciously connect with Universal Mind or Spirit. As student teachers, we used breath (prana), sound (mantra), meditation (simran), and sets of physical postures (kriyas) to connect with ourselves and each other, develop intuition, and maintain flexibility of body, mind, and spirit. Though these pedagogical models seem very different at first glance – one founded in traditional Eastern practice, and the other in contemporary Western liberalism, there are key similarities in terms of pedagogical structures, which I will explore in this presentation.

Bio: 

Dr. Claire Robson is a writer, researcher, arts activist, and KRI certified teacher of Kundalini Yoga. A widely published writer, her awards include Xtra West Writer of the Year, the Joseph Katz Memorial Scholarship (for her contributions to social justice), and the Lynch History Prize (for her contributions to better understanding of gender and sexual minorities).

Karma Yoga 

Evolution is preceded by dissolution. Without dissolution, there is no evolution. The theme for this conference, “Evolving and flourishing in an age of disruption: The role of spirituality in realignment and transformation,” is a perfect candidate for the greatest of all yogas: Karma Yoga. 

The word Karma means Work and is derived from the Sanskrit word kri, which means to do. In metaphysics, it is called cause and effect. In the Vedas in Sanskrit, it simply means Work. 

The goal of humanity is Knowledge: knowledge of the universe and how it works for ultimate bliss. This begins with knowledge of the Self. That is the North Star of our being, which is called Gyana and in the Vedas, it is called Gyana Yoga, from which the English word, Gnostic is derived. The goal of Karma Yoga is to gain knowledge and learn how work needs be performed for the attainment of happiness and pleasure in all action. Gyana Yoga is a corollary to Karma Yoga and Karma Yoga is the instrument for the pursuit of happiness. 

In this presentation, we will facilitate audience participation and interaction through discussion and contemplation exercises to understand karma yoga. We will uncover the secret of karma yoga, how efficient work can be performed without stress and anxiety, and how to embrace excellence.

Bio: 

Master Teacher Tulshi Sen is an internationally acclaimed author, poet, composer, entrepreneur. He is Founder and CEO of Tulshi Sen Consulting and authored Ancient Secrets of Success. His scientific principles are the blending of Eastern and Western philosophies. He is a visionary. He lectures internationally on the creative process in the individual and has applied his background in law and commerce to work with First Nations of Canada coast to coast since 1997. Master Sen gave a keynote address for the National Indigenous Sexual Abuse conference and conceived the first Indigenous cultural pavilion with First Nations of Canada.

Dr. Indrani Margolin is the first female Professor in the School of Social Work and part of the graduate faculty in Women's & Gender Studies and Health Science at the University of Northern British Columbia. She is a long term member on the CSSSW board. Northern FIRE (Feminist Institute for Research & Evaluation) is also an important part of her work. Dr. Indrani is a proud recipient of the 2025 UNBC Teaching Excellence Award, which recognizes her curricular contributions to spirituality in higher education. With nearly 50 peer reviewed publications, her international spiritualist research and teaching program concentrate on creativity, Vedic (Mahavakyam) Meditation, girls' and women's wellbeing, and arts-based research. Her roots are as an initiate in Mahavakyam Meditation from a long lineage of Himalayan masters and trained in the Tulshi Sen Consulting Train the Trainer system.

Growing Up and Waking Up: Operationalizing Integral Theory

The Integral Theory framework is the most comprehensive map that exists to understand the evolving spiritual paradigm. 

We are operationalizing Integral Theory at Clear Sky Meditation and Study Foundation and I will share the success of this living experiment. It is a case study illustrating an exciting way to realign and transform how we live. 

The planet demands that we evolve, work together and get it together. Putting Integral Theory into action facilitates learning how to develop and evolve spiritually (and other ways) as individuals and as groups. The driving aspiration of Clear Sky Meditation and Study Foundation, its leaders and community members is an active contemplation, how can what we do help people? 

We use each other for learning and practice. We live a life that is completely inclusive, not leaving anything out. We are conscious that the system is evolving and not perfect. 

Integral as the best system we have found so far for mapping the human experience. We experiment in real time in person together, as well as virtually. We recognize this “quest” as a hero’s journey that can be scary, difficult and rewarding. Reality is what we are co-creating together consciously with the intention to benefit all beings. 

My presentation will introduce the participants to the Integral Theory system and offer a glimpse of how to operationalize living the evolution we find ourselves in. Participants will explore the core aspects of Integral Theory and how it can be applied to their lives and social work practice through small group discussion and exploration of case study examples. I will share some ways we have found that are most likely to lead to joy and flourishing in an oftentimes challenging process.

Bio: 

Maureen Smith, MSW, RCSW, works as a clinical social worker and lives at Clear Sky Retreat Center. For over 20 years she has benefitted from and witnessed the power and healing potential of engaging in the practices and operation of this Center.

Power in Numbers: Communal Rituals for Healing & Transformation

This session will explore rituals as a type of sustaining practice in an age of

uncertainty, upheaval, and rapid change. Specifically, the history and meaning(s) of communal rituals will be explored across various people groups and traditions. Research on the impact of communal and community-based action and ritual will be explored,

particularly that which is spirituality oriented. Finally, participants will be engaged in small groups to develop potential communal ritual activities in response to a current reality-

based scenario. These small group ideas will then be shared with the entire group, further brainstormed and enhanced, and considered for potential future action.

Bio: 

Haslam Straughan, Clinical Associate Professor, coordinates the MSW/Theology dual-degree, and Introduction to Human Behavior & the Social Environment course. Research interests include the US’s history with enslavement of people from Africa, colonization and impacts on Indigenous People, transracial adoption, foster care, child welfare, and spirituality within social work practice.

Parenting in a new homeland: The Influence of spirituality and faith communities

The  decision to settle in a new country can be a daunting one, and newcomer families must find ways to build a life in a new setting that is marked by transformation and change from the world they knew. This is even more marked in the evolution of parenting in a new land. This presentation examines the role of spirituality and faith communities in the parenting practices of African immigrants in Canada as they work through navigating the differences between their culture and the culture of their new homeland. Qualitative interviews were held with parents from the African immigrant community living in Canada. The findings emphasize the importance of personal spirituality and building supportive relationships with a faith community in navigating the difficulties associated with settling and raising children in a new homeland and culture. It is recommended that intentional efforts be made in collaborating with faith communities to support newcomer families.

Bio: 

Cynthia A. Sottie, PhD, RSW, Associate Professor, Booth University College, Winnipeg MB, Canada. Cynthia is an Associate Professor and the director of the Social Work program at Booth University College. She has over two decades of experience teaching in higher education and was a former director of the Department of Social Work at the University of Ghana. Past research includes policies related to education access and outcomes, mental health and stigma, and social workers’ personal reflections on religion and spirituality and their influence on practice. Current areas of research include topics in international social work and immigrant and newcomer issues. 

Buetta Warkentin MSW, RSW, MTS – Associate Professor, Booth University College, Winnipeg MB, Canada. Buetta is Associate Professor of Social Work and Field Education Coordinator with Canadian Mennonite University. She has spent almost 2 decades in social work education, teaching widely, building relationships with community agencies, and supporting students in field placements. Buetta has taught courses on spirituality and social work and through research has explored the impact of social workers’ own spirituality on their practice, and the role of spirituality with newcomer parents. Buetta is on the board of the Canadian Society for Spirituality and Social

Indigenous Needs in Sexual Assault Services: Spirituality, Culture, Connection

The struggle to understand one’s identity is deeply related to the cultural and community disconnections forced onto Indigenous peoples as well as from feelings of isolation that result from living in hostile communities or institutions. One facet of this disconnection has resulted in disproportionate rates of sexual violence against Indigenous individuals. While there is an abundance of research on Indigenous healing in the context of residential schools and intergenerational trauma in Canada, very little has been written specifically about community-based sexual assault services providing Indigenous-specific supports for survivors of sexual assault. Through a research partnership with one of the few mainstream sexual assault centers (SAC) in northern Ontario providing culturally specific supports to Indigenous women, men, and Two-Spirit people we used photo voice and other forms of storying with Indigenous clients of the SAC. In our thematic analysis of the visual and verbal storying of the participants, we highlight pathways to healing through Indigenous spiritual beliefs and practices, connection to lands, communities and cultures as vital components for the wellbeing and growth of the participants. We will share the key ideas and themes that emerged and invite the attendees to participate in a guided exercise in a sharing circle to reflect on how these are reflected in their own experiences and practice. Participants will be invited to consider how deconstructing their colonial lenses in practice can contribute to supportive allyship with Indigenous communities and clients in practice.

Bio: 

Nancy spent most of her career as a counsellor and program coordinator with Indigenous mental health and women’s services in Ontario and the Yukon Territory. Concurrently, she taught as a part-time post-secondary instructor in Indigenous social work and human service programs. As a woman of Kaien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) and European descent, and as an adoptee, Nancy has a deep interest in the intersections of identity, trauma, and healing. She did not grow up connected to her ancestral culture, but through her role as a helper and through her education, has been heavily influenced by Anishinaabe teachings and practices.

Christians' ideal selves: shaped by god concepts, oriented altruistically

Humans are inherently growth oriented, aspiring towards an ideal self. For many, their desire for change is not only personal, but directed towards facilitating social and systemic transformation: their ideal selves are altruistic. What shapes the content of one’s ideal self? For Christians, the theological idea that people are made in the image of God can help explain their personal aspirations. Three empirical studies were undertaken, investigating whether there is a relationship between Christian’s god concepts/images and their aspirations towards an ideal self. A grounded theory PhD interviewed recent converts about their motivations for becoming Christians (n=9). Online questionnaires explored aspirations and god-concepts with recently baptised adults (n=17), and with a larger general Christian population (n=100). The first study revealed the importance of new converts’ desire to be a better person, and a connection between their personal aspirations and appreciated attributes of God (God’s love, patience, acceptance and forgiveness). Recently baptised adults also showed matching ideal selves and god concepts, with the greatest number of matches relating to a desired contribution to a wider good. [Data gathering is ongoing for the third study.] This research highlights the importance of religious beliefs for how Christians define their ideal selves: they aspired to display attributes of God. For those in caring professions, exploring the content of such beliefs with careseekers might help motivate transformative change as a healthy ideal self is defined and aspired towards. Those engaged in social transformation might appeal to God attribute-aspiration matches as they seek collaborative partners. 

Bio: 

Dr Lynne Taylor is the Jack Somerville Senior Lecturer in Pastoral Theology at the University of Otago and a Fellow, Psychology for Theologians (Cross Training), University of Birmingham. She teaches and researches in the areas of contemporary faith formation; spirituality and well-being; congregational studies; pastoral care; chaplaincy; and research methodologies in practical theology and missiology. Dr Jessica Bent is Lynne’s Research Assistant for the Birmingham project. She is based in Cambridge, UK, having completed her PhD in Theology at the University of Otago where she brought Biblical Studies and Practical Theology into dialogue through the lens of spiritual family language.

S. Thomas, L. Lorenzetti, V. Chirino, L. Haile, J. Farkas, N. Alcaraz, M. Donley, & C. Bertsch

Stories from Social Work Activists on Sustaining Hope and Staying Engaged

Around the world, the socio-political climate is increasingly characterized by polarizing policies and the boldness of ultra-right-wing groups. It is within these contexts that practicing social justice becomes more difficult, and it becomes critical to understand how social justice movements are sustained. Within literature and common discourse, hope is intrinsically linked to enacting social justice. However, there is limited research and practical knowledge on how social work activists experience and sustain hope. In response, this qualitative narrative inquiry provided space for seven social work activists from the Alberta Assembly of Social Workers to share their stories, eliciting narratives on hope and activism. Through narrative analysis, four resonant threads emerged: 1) Conceptualizations and Reconceptualizations of Hope; 2) Ethico-Onto-Epistemological Positionings; 3) Active Care for Activists; and 4) Sharing Social Justice Movement. These threads document and promote relational practices and community-building that sustain hope amidst the challenging sociopolitical context in Alberta, Canada, reflective of trends across western nations. These stories offer insights into how we think about and practice hope as social work activists and underscore the role of hope in situating social justice as a professional ethic.

Participants will be invited to consider their own relationships to hope, the community/ies that can sustain the needed work over the long-term, and reflect on their roles in social justice activism. Further, through facilitating a conversation circle, we hope for a generative and stimulating discussion where facilitators and attendees will share their insights and engage in collective meaning-making around sustaining hope in activist practices.

Bio: 

Sarah is an emerging activist scholar, feminist, and aspiring ally for gender, race, and ani-colonial justice and reconciliation. Sarah has over 6 years of experience in grassroots community organizing and community-based research. Her current areas of interest include knowledge mobilization, ethical relationship building, and mutual aid engagement.

Cultivating Resilience and Flourishing in Everyday Life: A Workshop

Background: The All Our Families Study, a prospective cohort of over 3,200 “City”, Alberta mother-child dyads, has studied resilience, flourishing and ways to support positive health despite adversity for over 15 years. Through study findings and extensive literature synthesis, three evidence-based strategies have been developed and incorporated into a workbook to provide approaches to help with stress to promote physical and mental health and well-being; these strategies are the 3Rs of Routines, Resources and Relationships.

Learning Objectives: To introduce the brain science of stress, resilience and flourishing; and to invite participants to identify strategies that minimize the influence of stress and to support well-being.

Workshop Overview: Habits, actions and strategies that improve well-being enable us to manage our stress responses; this includes reducing ‘wear and tear’ in our bodies and minds, and enhancing our sense of belonging and life satisfaction. The 3Rs are evidence-based approaches that promote resilience and flourishing. This workshop will provide an overview of what each of the three strategies are, the science behind why they work, and will enable opportunities for participants to consider how these strategies can be incorporated into their daily lives.

Implications: Actions inspired by the 3Rs, such as creating routines, connecting briefly with people, using our community resources, or assessing the resources around us can improve well-being.

Bio:

 Dr. Suzanne Tough is the Principal Investigator of the All Our Families Study and a Professor with the Departments of Pediatrics and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. Dr. Tough is also Faculty for the Max Bell Public Policy Institute.

Dr. Jessica Walsh is interim Program Lead of the All Our Families Study, and has an MSc in Medical Sciences, and a medical degree from Trinity College Dublin Ireland.

Dr. Zahra Clayborne is an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary, and received a PhD in Epidemiology and a CIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Spirituality in African Epistemologies: Implications for Africentric Practice

This paper proposes to examine the centrality of spirituality in Sub-Saharan African indigenous epistemologies and its practical implications for social work practice with Black and African Canadian communities. Studies have shown a disproportionate number of Black children in child protection services (Boatswain-Kyte et al., 2020), barriers to access to mental health services among Black communities (Fante-Coleman & Jackson-Best, 2020), and the impact of racial discrimination experiences (Cénat et al., 2024). Drawing on a West African myth of creation (Cissé, 1981), and on insights gained from ethnographic fieldwork with African immigrants in Quebec, the paper proposes concrete examples of social work interventions, based on African indigenous knowledge frameworks that align with these epistemologies. Adopting a cognitive justice-informed approach (Visvanathan, 2009; Ndlovu-Gatsheni, 2021), the paper highlights how the interweaving of African spiritual traditions and social work practice can facilitate both postcolonial cognitive rehabilitation and the pursuit of social justice (Mathebane & Sekudu, 2018; Aihiokhai, 2020) for Black and African diasporic people in Canada. This perspective offers a renewed understanding of the role of spirituality in shaping social work approaches that are responsive to the biopsychosocial needs of African communities in a diasporic context. By foregrounding the centrality of spirituality in African epistemologies, I hope that my paper contributes to recovering socially and culturally anchored social work interventions, in a social-, Black-, and cognitive-justice perspective.

Bio: 

Diahara Traoré is a professor at the Université de Montréal's School of Social Work. Her research interests focus on Black African women's spiritualities and religiosities, non-Western epistemologies in social work, group work and wellness in Black communities, and the place of religion and spirituality in social work. Her work focuses on cosmologies, beliefs and practices within African communities in Quebec, gendered knowledge within these communities, and their implications for social work training and research. As a socio-anthropologist, she attaches great importance to narratives and orality.

Wondering in Nose Hills: Poetry and Place

My proposed paper is a creative exploration of the relationship between place and poetry within the context of spirituality. In this paper, I will reflect on how Nose Hills, Calgary, a place I usually frequent, reconnects me to the transcendental and the mystery of creativity. In analyzing some of my poetry, I demonstrate that such a place provides an ambience of solitude and serenity that revitalizes one’s inner being while enabling them to negotiate past struggles and reconcile vulnerabilities through creative expression. The selected poems I will study are not spiritual in theme but illustrate how a place can stimulate introspection, equanimity, and attunement, underscoring poetry as a creative response to engage the inexpressible and mystical. Drawing upon Tina M. Campt’s discussions of quiet “as a profoundly expressive sonic environment” (135), this paper argues for appreciating the divine through the interconnections between poetry and place.

Bio: 

Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike is an assistant professor in the Department of English, University of Calgary, Canada, and the 2025-26 McCready Emerging Fellow at the Calgary Institute for the Humanities and the 2021 winner of the Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism. His critical work has been published in the Journal of Literary and Cultural Disability Studies, Journal of African Literature Association, Metacritic, Men and Masculinities, Journal of African Cultural Studies, amongst others. An award-winning creative writer, Umezurike is the author of there’s more (2023), Double Wahala, Double Trouble (2021), Wish Maker (2021, 2025), and co-editor of Wreaths for a Wayfarer (2020).

Mental Health Promotion for Racialized Adolescents by Spiritual Youth Leaders

Mental health is a necessary component of overall health and a universal human right (WHO, 2022). Racialized adolescents’ mental health is of particular concern due to them potentially being exposed to systematic inequalities and discrimination (Abdi et al., 2023; Chaze, et al., 2015). At the same time, spirituality and religion have shown positive and negative influences on mental health and play a central role in spiritual and religious interventions (Aggarwal et al., 2023; Hodge, 2006). Despite the need to inform these interventions, there is a gap in the literature on the spiritual and religious intervention outcomes on Canadian racialized adolescent mental health (Aggarwal et al., 2023; Salami et al., 2022). The study addressed this gap by exploring the role of youth group leaders in promoting youth mental health within a Christian church by using a qualitative approach and case study design. Non-probability sampling methods and semi-structured interviews were applied in data collection with six youth leaders. The identified themes, using thematic analysis, included: (i) challenges youth face and (ii) youth leaders’ responsive and supportive role to challenges youth face. The study highlights the critical role of the church in the development of racialized youth in the Canadian context and recommends that they are included in tackling youth mental health.

*The presentation will have interactive elements/activities to engage the audience.

Bio: 

Ajwang' Warria (PhD) is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary (Canada) and a Research Fellow at the University of Johannesburg (South Africa). She holds a UCalgary Research Excellence Chair, is an Institutes of Transdisciplinary Scholarship co-lead for Cities and Societies and a co-chair of the Olympic Refuge Foundation Think Tank. Her research interests are focused on violence, child protection and youth wellbeing, and transnational migration (and communities). She is a co-editor of the book The Palgrave Handbook on Modern Slavery. The lessons on reciprocity, appreciation and finding strength in adversity continue to guide her and are a constant reminder of the richness and depth of her African roots.

Christopher Jost is a second-year undergraduate student in the Faculty of Arts, Department of Psychology, and minoring in Health and Society at the University of Calgary. Christopher was recognized on the 2024 Dean’s list for his exceptional academic performance and seeks to pursue an Honours degree in Psychology. Under the supervision of Dr. Ajwang’ Warria and with funding from the 2024 Program for Undergraduate Research Experience Award, Christopher conducted a research study investigating the role of church youth leaders in promoting youth mental health among racial minority groups. His research interests are child and adolescent mental health, spirituality/religion, clinical psychology, and psychological disorders. Since September 2023, he has volunteered at a church as a youth group leader, where he leads, advises, encourages, and supports youth in grades 7-12 in games, discussions, and other activities. His drive for youth mental health and well-being motivates him to strive for excellence in all of his roles.

Spirituality, global systems, social justice, and social transformation in a changing world

Spirituality in a changing world" is often expressed by its synonym "Spirituality in a secular society". As a theological practitioner in Central Europe, this forms the basis of my reflective presentation at the conference. In this presentation, I will use the situation in France as a case study, since it is considered the prototype of a secular society in Europe. These considerations emanate from France’s social and democratic principles since 1905 and its law of laïcité in force since 1940. From a theological view, secularization appears reflexively as the antithesis of one's own point of view. Historically, secularization was initially about the state taking over former church property. This also seems to correspond to forms of spiritual and intellectual dispossession. Politics seems to have borrowed heavilyfrom the Christian context or reproduced the practices of the latter for its own benefit. Human rights in the sense of freedom of religion, belief and conscience are examples of this in relation to let us say, social justice.This principle of solidarity is primarily derived from the religious Christian principle of solidarity, the 'clausula Petri' (Acts 5:29: “We must obey God rather than men”) as a democratic impulse. 

“How does spirituality become a meaningful experience in a secular environment?" is perhaps the most pressing question. Indeed, a critical transdisciplinary reflection on the 'degree' and form of secularity in our own environment, as well as on our own spirituality, has the potential to help discover, challenge, unlearn and re-learn new ways of looking at and talking about spirituality in the ever-evolving contexts.

Bio:

I’m Dr. Dan Warria, originally from Kenya, theologically educated in Tanzania and Switzerland, which profoundly shaped my understanding of spirituality, faith, and community. With 30 years of experience in pastoral care and spiritual guidance, I am passionate about creating inclusive environments where individuals feel valued and supported on their spiritual journeys. I believe faith is a powerful tool for resilience, healing, and hope. I strive to inspire others to explore and embrace their own paths to spiritual fulfilment. I am a pastor in the Swiss Reformed Church at Dietikon, Zurich, Switzerland. In my spare time I like to go walking."

The Universal Soul: Spirituality’s Role in Harmony and Healing

Spirituality is a vibrant, ever-evolving force that nurtures individual growth while weaving connections that bind us as a collective. Rooted in the deeply personal act of aligning with our inner selves, it simultaneously enriches relationships, cultivating a sense of harmony within our shared communities. Beyond rigid definitions, spirituality thrives as a fluid and unique expression of how individuals discover strength and purpose. Its transformative power lies in its capacity to spark empathy and nurture understanding. This 60-minute interfaith panel gathers voices from diverse faith traditions to explore spirituality as a bridge toward unity and healing. The conversation will examine questions such as: How can spirituality address the human desire for both inner and outer connection? What do spiritual experiences offer us to foster harmony, integration, and fullness in an increasingly divided world? Throughout the dialogue, panelists will share insights from their own spiritual practices, highlighting how these traditions cultivate resilience, a sense of belonging, and deeper meaning. They will also reflect on universal threads running through spiritual experiences, exploring how these shared elements resonate across diverse paths. This discussion seeks to reframe spirituality as a dynamic force that transcends boundaries, revealing our differences in practice as variations of the same profound human yearning to connect, flourish, and live with purpose. Ultimately, this panel aspires to inspire a richer understanding of spirituality as a source of our shared humanity, guiding us toward a more compassionate, harmonious, and ethically grounded world.

Bio: 

A CRC minister, Rev. Paul Verhoef has worked at University of Calgary as a Christian Reformed Chaplain since 2004. A pastor in the way of Jesus, he has been a member of his church for 20 years. Through his work he aims to foster thoughtful Christian academic community.

Dr. Harjot Kaur Singh is a member of the Calgary Sikh community and Chair of the Sikh Advisory Committee of UCalgary's Faith and Spirituality Centre, Alberta Health Services Spiritual Care Advisory Committee and the Calgary Foothills Primary Care Network. She is also an integral part of Calgary Women in Spirituality.

Rabbi Cantor Russell G. Jayne has served Beth Tzedec Congregation for nearly a decade. Throughout his career, Rabbi Russ has demonstrated a deep commitment to his faith and to serving the Jewish community through music and the promotion of life-long learning.

Allan Donsky, former pediatrician and a child and adolescent psychiatrist for 28 years, is clinical associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Calgary. As an active educator who specializes in fostering wellbeing, his interests are at the intersection of psychiatry, contemplative practices, and spirituality.

Abigail Williams is in the final year of a PhD in Educational Research at the University of Calgary, specializing in Language and Literacy. Her interdisciplinary approach has led her to explore spirituality, driven by curiosity about how fostering inner literacy enables individuals to connect to their diverse ways of flourishing.

Disenfranchised grief: Exploring the importance of spiritual processing for culturally diverse

Personal Support Workers (PSWs) and other front-line employees in Long-term Care (LTC) homes regularly provide multidimensional care to residents. Due to the involvement of attending to residents' needs, the relationships between staff and nursing home residents can be extremely close and long-lasting. Yet, when a resident dies, the grief of front-line staff often goes unattended, resulting in grief that has been disenfranchised. Cumulative deaths can create emotional tensions that lead to low morale, mental health concerns, absenteeism, illness, spiritual distress and a desire to leave one's employment. 

In Canada, over the past 20 years, the share of immigrants employed in LTC has grown more than any other occupation. Various research studies have concluded that most of the global population is spiritual or believes in God or a higher power. However, very little is known about immigrant PSWs' experiences concerning the spiritual and cultural differences related to death and dying. Addressing the spiritual needs of PSWs following the death of a resident provides an opportunity for growth, support and healthy processing of grief. 

This presentation will explore the spiritual and cultural relevance for immigrant PSWs experiencing grief and loss following the death of a resident within LTC. Thematic analysis of current literature concerning disenfranchised grief in health care providers, particularly related to PSWs, will be explored. This analysis will provide context for the review of survey and focus group data exploring the lived experience of immigrant PSWs' process of addressing grief and loss within an LTC setting.

Bio:

Ms. Kay-Lynn Woilford is a Master of Social Work Specialization in Gerontology student at Lakehead University holding an Honours Bachelor of Social Work from Lakehead University as well as an Honours Bachelor of Arts Specialization in Gerontology from Laurentian University. She has a passionate interest in gerontology and providing education and resources to health and social care workers and clients of the healthcare system. Her current and past education and research are focused on palliative care, grief, and dementia care.

Spiritual Care Methods for Frontline Team Solidarity and Lateral Violence

Frontline social service workers face burn-out, trauma, grief and loss, and moral injury frequently in their work. The emotional and spiritual impacts of these stressors often contribute to worsening conflict, tension and lateral violence within frontline teams, causing a breakdown of trust, collaboration and efficacy (Black et al 2023; Kopacz 2015; Yildirim, D. 2009). This presentation explores the role of spiritual care models in frontline solidarity-building as essential components for sustaining social work teams. Drawing from the author’s graduate study research focus on moral injury in social work (Black 2023), lateral violence in organizing and justice spaces (Brown, 2017; Spade 2020), and interfaith spiritual care models for social work teams (Canda & Furman 2010), plus professional experience as a worker wellness consultant for non-profits and social work teams, I propose that fostering spiritually-informed support and solidarity-building within teams can mitigate negative impacts of burn out, conflict, and lateral violence on team health and efficacy. By integrating principles of spiritual care—including ethical commitments, personal theologies of suffering and injustice, and meaning-making—into team dynamics, social work organizations can strengthen communal bonds, support individual well-being, and encourage sustained engagement in the work. 

This presentation will utilize participatory methods such as a) non-denominational exercises to map personal and team-based theologies of suffering and injustice, and b) spiritual care interventions for solidarity building to equip participants with implementation tools for their workplaces and communities. 

Bio: 

Juno Zavitz (they/them) is an MDiv and MPS candidate at Emmanuel College, University of Toronto. With over a decade of experience in social services as a frontline worker, manager and consultant, they specialize in moral injury, conflict resiliency, and solidarity-building for social service providers. More information about their work can be found at aporrai.com.