Cheryl A. Giles

On leave
Academic year 2020-21
Education
- BA, Boston College
- MDiv, Harvard Divinity School
- PsyD, Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology
Profile
Cheryl A. Giles is the Francis Greenwood Peabody Senior Lecturer on Pastoral Care and Counseling and a licensed clinical psychologist. She teaches courses on spiritual care, trauma, and contemplative care of the dying.
A core faculty member of the Buddhist Ministry Initiative, Giles received training in end-of-life care from the Being with Dying program and GRACE: Training in Compassion-Based Interactions in the Clinical/Patient Encounter at Upaya Institute and Zen Center. She enjoys mentoring students who are preparing for chaplaincy, racial justice and healing ministry, and those interested in research on trauma psychology and meditation practices.
Giles is co-editor with Willa Miller of The Arts of Contemplative Care: Pioneering Voices in Buddhist Chaplaincy and Pastoral Work (Wisdom Press, 2012). Her most recent book is Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race, Resilience, Transformation, and Freedom (Shambala Publication, 2020) co-edited with Pamela Ayo Yetunde.
Giles is on sabbatical 2020-2021 and will be a Visiting Research Scholar in the Department of Sociology at Brandeis University, where she will focus on innovations in chaplaincy training and education.
Selected publications
- The Arts of Contemplative Care: Pioneering Voices in Buddhist Chaplaincy and Pastoral Work (Wisdom Press, 2012)
Support
Divinity Hall Faculty Support Team
Email: DivinityFASupport@hds.harvard.edu
Phone: 617.998.5387
See also
- Buddhist Ministry Initiative
- Buddhist Arts of Ministry and Leadership: Teaching and Adapting Meditative Skills (PDF)
- "Stepping to the Fore: Faith Leaders Address Sexual and Gender Based Violence"
- Historic Gathering for Buddhist Masters' of Divinity Programs
- "Wisdom on Self-Care from Gregory the Great" from The Christian Century
- "Self-care for the Beloved Community" from The Christian Century
- "What We Want at the End of Life" from UU World
- Chaplaincy at a Distance: The Art of Spiritual Care During COVID-19
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