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Spiritual Direction
What is Spiritual Direction?
“Spiritual Direction is the exploration of a persons’s spiritual path with someone trained in listening, deep reflection, and discernment” – Theresa Blythe.
It is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship to the Divine and to discover, attend to, and savor the presence of the Divine in every-day life. Other reasons to seek spiritual direction:
- Discern important decisions or life changes
- Explore their purpose or calling in life
- Integrate spirituality and practices into
their daily life
- Heal from past spiritual related wounds
and hurts
- Uncover true-self- the person who God designed
What does a typical spiritual direction session look like?
If it suits the seeker, I like to begin each session with the ringing of a singing bowl or chime and a time of silence. When they are ready, the person seeking spiritual direction (seeker) shares stories of their encounters with the Divine and/or of their every-day life experiences while I listen, reflect, and along with the seeker notice where the Divine's presence is in those stories. In my role as spiritual director, I do not direct a person’s path, but rather, direct their focus and attention. Depending on what the seeker desires, we may open and close the session in prayer. These conversations happen gradually over time.
How is Spiritual Direction Different from Counseling?
Counseling and Spiritual Direction have different purposes but are complimentary to one another. While the subject matter may be the same (our every-day life experiences) the focus is different. In counseling the focus is on the ego or those things that keep us from becoming our true selves. In spiritual direction the focus is on God. Counseling helps individuals work through and resolve problems in their lives and in their relationships. It focuses on a persons’ feelings, thoughts, behaviors, and past experiences and how they may be contributing to the problem or conflict they are facing today. Spiritual Direction is focused on growing and deepening one’s relationship with the Divine and noticing and discerning the movement of the Divine in every-day. Lastly, in counseling, the relationship that fosters healing is between the counselor and the client. Spiritual Direction recognizes that there is always a “third chair” in the room. In other words, it is the Divine that is the true Director.