Community Life

The experience of a student extends beyond the classroom here at Claremont School of Theology. Our groups, events, commitments, and resources reflect the diverse, multicultural and interreligious community that we strive to create.

Students at Claremont, whether on campus or in one of our many hybrid degree programs, have opportunities to connect, grow and be transformed by each other. There are many active student organizations that provide spaces for students to interact on common ground, learn from their differences, and build community.

The Office of Student and Community Life also provides resources to students with disabilities and those interested in gaining skills and knowledge during their job search.

The CST campus provides space and time to talk, eat, pray, and play together and support one other. A number of events are planned throughout the year to build community at CST, from the New Student Orientation Program to regular Community Conversations that bring together current students, staff and faculty for meaningful discussion about many topics, particularly the intersections of our identities and issues related to being a diverse, multicultural, and interreligious community.

There are opportunities for face-to-face discussion as well as times where various technologies are utilized to reach out to hybrid-program, commuter, and other students whose scheduling demands keep them off campus during community-building time.

Student Life

Spiritual Life

Spiritual Care Network

Students interested in speaking with someone to discuss issues related, but not limited to, topics such as identity, vocation, ordination, formation, or other concerns about school, work, family, etc., may find assistance through our spiritual care network.

Spiritual Direction

Spiritual Direction is a helpful resource for both ongoing vocational discernment and for reflecting on one’s spiritual life with a trusted companion. Spiritual Direction can be short-term (one or two sessions) or it may develop into a long-standing monthly practice. The cost varies. Contact Spiritual Formation Professor Frank Rogers at (909) 447-2569, for information about trained spiritual directors in your area.

Spiritual directors are not functioning as therapists, nor are they available for intensive therapeutic help. If you think you need counseling or other mental health support, here are some options:

Personal Health Insurance: Please contact your primary care physician for a referral to a mental health professional.

The Clinebell Institute provides high quality, low cost, professional spiritual care, pastoral counseling, and psychotherapy to persons in the greater Pomona Valley area. For more information please contact (909) 451-3690. TCI is located on the Claremont School of Theology campus and the Claremont United Methodist Church next door to CST.

Other locations for mental health services are below—most will provide support to people of all faiths, though they are supported by a particular religious tradition. Please contact them directly.

ACCESS California (Muslim)
Anaheim (800) 287-1332

Umma Community Clinic (Muslim)
Los Angeles (323) 789-5610

Samaritan Counseling Center (Christian)
Upland (909) 985-0513

Jewish Family Services of Los Angeles
(877) 275-4537

Vista Del Mar (Jewish)
Los Angeles area (310) 836-1223

Coloring Mental Health Collective
https://coloringmhc.com/contact-us/

Coloring Mental Health Collective (CMHC) advocates and organizes for the mental wellness of Black and Brown people; it also seeks to dismantle oppressive ideologies and behaviors that cause emotional suffering. CMHC does this through innovation and creativity to foster safe and transformative spaces for communities to dialogue, imagine and re-imagine, and create a new future for Black and Brown people to more fully embody healing, freedom, and life-giving relationships.

Internal Family Systems Practitioners

*Information that is shared with a member of the Community Life team is kept confidential unless you give permission otherwise. Exceptions to this would include reports of child or elder abuse or when a person is in danger of harming self or others. If you have any concerns about the conduct of a team member, please contact Aizaiah Yong, Associate Dean of Students at ayong@cst.edu.

**CST does not endorse any specific professional within this list but instead seeks to offer a few organizations to begin inquiry. Each student is responsible to do research before committing to any spiritual care relationship.

***List updated December  2022