Spiritual Direction

Spiritual direction is the process of accompanying people on a spiritual journey.  
    
“Spiritual direction explores a deeper relationship with the spiritual aspect of being human.  Simply put, spiritual direction is helping people tell their sacred stories everyday.  Spiritual direction helps us learn how to live in peace, with compassion, promoting justice, as humble servants of that which lies beyond all names.” (Liz Budd Ellmann, MDiv, Executive Director, Spiritual Directors International)

“Spiritual direction can mean different things to different people.  Some people understand it to be the art of listening carried out in the context of a trusting relationship.  It is when one person is trained to be a competent guide who then “companions” another person, listening to that person’s life story with an ear for the movement of the Holy, of the Divine.” (Rev. Jeffrey S. Gaines, Presbyterian)

“Spiritual direction is essentially companioning someone in his or her spiritual life.  Other ways of describing spiritual direction include holy listening, spiritual friendship, sacred journeying.”  (Janna Larson, Roman Catholic)

“The whole purpose of spiritual direction is to penetrate beneath the surface of a person’s life, to get behind the facade of conventional gestures and attitudes which one presents to the world, and to bring out one’s inner spiritual freedom, one’s inmost truth, which is what Christians call the likeness of Christ in one’s soul.  This is an entirely supernatural (spiritual) thing, for the work of rescuing the inner person from automatism belongs first of all to the Holy Spirit.”  (Thomas Merton, Roman Catholic)

What Spiritual Direction is not:

Spiritual direction is not counseling

Spiritual direction is not therapy

Spiritual direction is not financial advice

I have studied spirituality at the Institute for Culture and Creation Spirituality at Holy Names University, Oakland, CA, earning an M.A. in Culture and Spirituality. 

I have also studied with noted  theologian and author, Matthew Fox, monk and author, Basil Pennington, and with enneagram authority and author, Don Richard Riso, among others.  I am a member of Spiritual Directors International.

Spiritual Direction may be combined with Reiki, a healing art in the Eastern tradition.