What is Spiritual Direction?

"In tasting and seeing and hearing the goodness of God, you move to a deepening sense of the Mystery of God." 
John J. English, SJ

The falling leaves always tug at my heart, offering a profound sense of the inevitability of change.  The awareness is at once mournful, tender, and gently wrapped in golden hues of autumn.

As a spiritual director, I walk with people through the seasons of their lives.  I listen as they share stories of relationships, struggles and joys.  Together, we look at everyday events, and place them in sacred context... How is God present?  What is being called forth?  How are they, as persons of faith, called to share themselves with the world?

Spiritual direction is a process of accompanying individuals on their spiritual path. Someone desiring spiritual direction meets one on one with a spiritual director, someone with extensive training in this ministry. The spiritual director helps the person become aware of God's presence in the events, circumstances, and feelings of everyday life. During a session, those seeking spiritual direction may talk about their longings, their struggles, their doubts, their prayer... Increasingly, in prayerful conversation with their spiritual director, they become attentive to the Mystery present in their lives each day. Together, director and seeker pray that the Spirit will move them towards greater authenticity, towards becoming the people God created them to be.

"Spiritual direction" is part of an age-old tradition.  Today, this ancient tradition is alive and available to anyone with the desire to deepen their faith life.  Many faith traditions now practice spiritual direction, and lay men and women, as well as sisters, brothers, and ordained religious leaders, offer and receive spiritual direction. 

Who is Spiritual Direction for?

It's for anyone serious in their desire to deepen their awareness of God (Spirit, Higher Power) in their life. For some, it's a "still point," a place to go each month where they can speak about their innermost spiritual life. For many, it's a time to recollect, to slow down, to prayerfully reflect on the previous month with a trained, empathetic listener.

What's a session like?

In spiritual direction, you meet with a director on a regular basis, usually once a month. The session is completely confidential. What to bring to the session? Well, the stuff of your life, whatever rises up as being important...your struggles, doubts, sadness, gratitude. What has your prayer been like? The director will listen, and help you notice ways in which God might be calling you to shift, to grow, to move in a different direction...or perhaps just to sit in gratitude.

Spiritual direction is not counseling or psychotherapy. It is not aimed at solving problems or changing behaviors. It is prayer. It is about growing in awareness of God's presence, and living with greater authenticity and joy.