What is Spiritual Direction?
Spiritual direction is a phrase that is so difficult to define that many "spiritual directors" use other terms to describe what they do. "Soul nurturer," "Soul growth coach," "Spiritual doula." This is okay, except that different titles take us to such different places in our mind, and we really want to have a nice box for "spiritual direction." And, we need to know that spiritual direction comes in many forms, and so you need to find what works for you.
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I am a partner on a path, a companion on your journey through your soul, your unconscious, your heart, however you see it. Through what Quaker writer Douglas Steere called "Holy listening - to listen another's soul into life" and a box load of tools and resources, I travel with you to where you need to be at the pace at which you can go. I am also a traveler, and my road may be very different from yours. And that's wonderful, because, really, this is YOUR WORK.
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We are all on our roads to spiritual unity, or as Carl Jung said, individuation. This is a lifelong process of seeking spiritual and psychological wholeness. An ever evolving education. A journey, not a destination.
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How did I become a spiritual director, a companion on a journey? I am a person who people talk to: on the street, at a bus stop, in a waiting room. I listen to stories without judgment because stories are interesting and judgments aren't. Frankly, I don't want to be judged myself. Didn't someone say something about that? If you want to know some of the stories, please visit my blog page.
My background is mainly Christian, although I came from a non-religious family. I am now an Episcopalian, although I am interested in spiritual ideas of many faiths and religions, as well as secular humanitarians. I am not a clergy person or a counselor. I am versed in spiritual listening, through Haden Institute, Courage to Lead, and Listening Hearts Ministries. I am trained in Godly Play, a learner-centered faith education model, and certified as a Family and Youth Formation Leader through Forma, the Episcopal Formation Organization. I have been a public school teacher and am interested in learning styles and moral and educational development.
Most of all, I am a story listener and a story teller. Stories are everywhere and we are all better if we hear them.
