Welcome
ABOUT DONNEL MILLER-MUTIA
I am a Board Certified Chaplain in a hospital setting.
Shaped by many years of facilitating support groups in congregations, summer arts camps for youth, in facilities for dementia patients, graduate school students, hospice grief support groups, and spiritual care support groups in Behavioral Health, I have a deep passion for creating spaces that honor the affective, non-cognitive dimensions of healing through the integration of art, music, and poetry. Guided by the framework of theopoetics, I invite others towards a multivalent exploration of ancient myths and archetypal symbols in modern human life, drawing upon the best elements of what religion has to offer without the restrictions of dogma, valuing belonging, meaning-making, ritual, and co-regulation. This framework ensures equitable participation across the spectrum of participants: between those who hold a faith and those who don’t (atheists/agnostics), between those who are neurotypical and those who are neurodivergent. Here, we intentionally shift belief in dogma and cognitive reasoning away from the center of the group process and instead prioritize affective reflection on the shared existential human struggle and archetypal theme. At its core, this process centralizes the somatic metabolization of emotions, guiding participants to embody four universal healing salves: storytelling, singing, body movement, and breath/silence.
I hold a BA in Religious Studies with minor in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia; an MA in Art and Religion and an M.Div from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. After completing my hospital chaplaincy residency in San Francisco, I served as staff at the Office of Community Life and then as the Assistant Dean of Students at Pacific School of Religion, where I mentored seminary students for nine years. Then I slowly eased my way back to healthcare, first as grief support in hospice, and finally, back as a chaplain to provide emotional and spiritual care for hospital staff and patients.
In my spare time, I am learning new guitar chords, attending Zumba or Jazzercise classes with my spouse, or perhaps learning a new cool tiktok dance move from one of my kids.
I hope that you find the resources on spiritual care, grief, art and music useful.
I am a Board Certified Chaplain in a hospital setting.
Shaped by many years of facilitating support groups in congregations, summer arts camps for youth, in facilities for dementia patients, graduate school students, hospice grief support groups, and spiritual care support groups in Behavioral Health, I have a deep passion for creating spaces that honor the affective, non-cognitive dimensions of healing through the integration of art, music, and poetry. Guided by the framework of theopoetics, I invite others towards a multivalent exploration of ancient myths and archetypal symbols in modern human life, drawing upon the best elements of what religion has to offer without the restrictions of dogma, valuing belonging, meaning-making, ritual, and co-regulation. This framework ensures equitable participation across the spectrum of participants: between those who hold a faith and those who don’t (atheists/agnostics), between those who are neurotypical and those who are neurodivergent. Here, we intentionally shift belief in dogma and cognitive reasoning away from the center of the group process and instead prioritize affective reflection on the shared existential human struggle and archetypal theme. At its core, this process centralizes the somatic metabolization of emotions, guiding participants to embody four universal healing salves: storytelling, singing, body movement, and breath/silence.
I hold a BA in Religious Studies with minor in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia; an MA in Art and Religion and an M.Div from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. After completing my hospital chaplaincy residency in San Francisco, I served as staff at the Office of Community Life and then as the Assistant Dean of Students at Pacific School of Religion, where I mentored seminary students for nine years. Then I slowly eased my way back to healthcare, first as grief support in hospice, and finally, back as a chaplain to provide emotional and spiritual care for hospital staff and patients.
In my spare time, I am learning new guitar chords, attending Zumba or Jazzercise classes with my spouse, or perhaps learning a new cool tiktok dance move from one of my kids.
I hope that you find the resources on spiritual care, grief, art and music useful.
