Frequently Asked Questions
Is this right for me?
Often we are saddled with worries and concerns about sharing our struggles with friends or family: How much do I share? Will they keep this a secret? Will this change my relationship? Are they tired of hearing about this? These worries and concerns can keep you from getting the support you need to get unstuck.
The role of our chaplains is to listen, reflect, ask questions, and give you the gift of non-judgement while you share and process your heart concern (without the added stress of worrying about how this will affect the relationship).
There is no right or perfect way to receive chaplaincy, but here are some examples of issues that would be a good fit for our model:
A heartfelt concern
Thorny relationship issues where there is not abuse or trauma
Differing expectations or boundaries in new or existing relationships
Preparing for upcoming transitions or struggling with a new transition
When you’re having the same feeling over and over again
Prolonged period of pain or sadness, and you’re worried close friends/family have grown tired of listening
Which texts can be used as sacred?
Any text can be used as sacred. We believe that by treating a text as sacred through practices that have been used for centuries, it becomes sacred. For many of the chaplaincy sessions, you are invited to bring your own text. For other sessions, we will be working with certain texts that are familiar to both the participant and chaplain. For more information on the different chaplaincy offerings, go here.
What role does a text play in chaplaincy?
It can be hard to have a direct conversation about a difficult thing. Having a text gives you a third element through which you can talk about this difficult thing. Not Sorry Literary Chaplaincy is different from traditional chaplaincy because that third thing is a secular text, not a religious one.
What makes Literary Chaplaincy unique?
What makes this different from most chaplaincy models is that it relies on honoring a text that is sacred to you, or a favorite text that you’ve cherished and now want to use to live your values. Our participants have told us that they feel heard and validated. We think this is invaluable.
What training do chaplains receive?
All Not Sorry chaplains are masters-level divinity school graduates who have completed Clinical Pastoral Education units, a practicum course where students work as trainee chaplains to gain field experience providing pastoral care to real people. In addition to this thorough theoretical understanding and first-hand experience as traditional chaplains, they have been trained in the Not Sorry Literary Chaplaincy model.