We are all Mystics

"A mystic is not a special kind of human being; rather, every human is a special kind of mystic. I might just as well rise to this challenge and become that unique, irreplaceable mystic that only I can become.... If I fail to experience God in my own unique way, that experience will forever remain in the shadow land of possibility. But if I do, I will know life by the divine life within me."

Brother David Steindl-Rast, Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer: An Approach to Life in the Fullness. New York: Paulist Press, 1994, p. 86.

Who We Are

The mission of the Institute for Spirituality and Health (ISH) is to increase awareness of the role that spirituality plays in healing, in coping with chronic illness, and in the maintenance of optimal health. We fulfill our mission by offering a wide range of programs that provide a nurturing environment for collaborative education and research relevant to health, healing and spirituality. We offer four major conferences annually -- the Psychotherapy and Faith Conference held in November, a Nursing Conference in October, the John Feller's Lectureship in February, and the Rabbi Schachtel lectureship in March.

We also have monthly Grand Rounds in hospitals in the Texas Medical Center with inspirational speakers. Over 285 attended our Grand Rounds in January, 2011 and heard an inspiring address by the Roman Catholic Cardinal DiNardo. In addition, we have held Thursday afternoon lectures on the interface of science, medicine and spirituality, and our website offers downloadable articles on Spirituality and Health, as well as links to other internet sites. In September, 2011 the Institute was blessed with the addition of Kenneth Pargament, Ph.D., as our "Distinguished Scholar in Residence." Dr. Pargament is the author of two highly cited textbooks, Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy (2001) and The Psychology of Religion and Coping (2007). Currently, we are working on a Research Grant Application with Chaplains in four hospitals in the Texas Medical Center. This has brought together four TMC chaplaincy programs under the umbrella of the Institute and we are very pleased about that.

You may be notified of upcoming opportunities to participate in our offerings by adding your name and email address to our email distribution list. To do this, contact Jerri Doctor, Office Manager, at 713-797-0600, ext 109 or by email at jdoctor@ish-tmc.org.