Spiritual Direction provides compassionate listening as you contemplate your life realities in light of God. It’s a unique form of help different from therapy, counseling, or advising. Spiritual Direction seeks to foster a deeper relationship with God who is the source of all well-being. It’s a chance to grow in awareness of God’s abundant love for you. As you come to recognize the Holy Spirit’s voice and movements from day to day, you are empowered to make decisions and respond in ways that are truly life-giving. Below are a few things you can expect from the Spiritual Direction session:
A Listening Ear: Many people do not regularly experience someone listening to them—really listening. Spiritual Direction provides a place for you to be heard. Here you can freely share your struggles, joys, challenges, and questions with a person of the Christian faith who genuinely cares about you.
Thoughtful Exploration: As you share, the Spiritual Director will sometimes ask questions to clarify or help you process. Despite what the title might suggest, a “Spiritual Director” does not tell you what to do. Rather, she is a second pair of eyes who prayerfully observes, reflects, and shares what she notices. This exploration of what is going on in your heart and mind can lead to new spiritual and practical insights that have a tangible influence on your everyday life.
Awareness of God’s Presence & Activity in Your Life: The goal of Spiritual Direction is not to merely talk about God, but to experience God. Attention is given to experiential aspects of spirituality, including emotions, daily happenings, and tangible ways the Spirit of God is actively affecting your life. Spiritual Direction is also a place to discover new ways of engaging in conversation with God, including different forms of prayer and spiritual practices.
Discernment: It’s possible to discern and respond to the voice and movements of God. Since God is our guide, comforter, and advocate who cares about us, perceiving God’s direction has an important life impact. Spiritual Direction is a place for you to hone your ability to discern what is from God and what is not. Through this process of discernment, you are empowered to respond to circumstances and make decisions in ways that are edifying. It makes you increasingly aware of your purpose in life so that you can take action that makes a positive difference in the world.
Unconditional Acceptance: A good Spiritual Director strives to be objective and does not judge the person in front of her. If you are feeling distant from God or angry, that is okay. If you are struggling with unhealthy thoughts or behaviors, you will not be shunned. If you are confused about vocation, relationships, or life decisions, bring your concerns.
Safe Space: The relationship between Spiritual Director and Directee is founded on trust. Everything you share in Spiritual Direction is confidential. The exceptions to confidentiality are when the law requires it or when the Directee is a danger to him or herself or someone else. Safe space also means healthy boundaries between the Spiritual Director and Directee. This means the Spiritual Director will maintain a professional and pastoral relationship with you.
Interested in seeing someone for spiritual direction? See this referral list.