What is spiritual direction?
St. Ignatius believed that the “Creator communicates directly with the creature.” This means you can hear the voice of God through the movements of your soul, and the feelings and experiences you have. A spiritual director is essentially a co-listener. He or she helps listen with you for the movement of God’s spirit in your everyday life. You typically meet with your director for about an hour, once or twice per month.
What to expect:
No judgement or agenda: just a welcoming presence who is there to help you discover the “life in your life.”
Someone who will listen attentively and reflect back the presence of God you are experiencing and discovering.
Reverence and respect for the spiritual movements in your life, in the context of your religious background or belief system.
Confidentiality: everything you share in spiritual direction is held in confidence.
Encouragement and hope to gently nudge you toward the wisdom and live God is already pouring into your life.
Freedom to discover your deepest desire and move toward freedom from all that distracts from that desire.
Meaningful connection to yourself, God, and others, to respond to the movements of your heart and to make choices in line with your truest self.
Support: noticing God’s action in your life and finding valuable inner peace during difficult times.
FAQs
What is discussed?
During a session, you’re invited to share ways God is present in your life. Your prayer, relationships, work, and discernment are the kinds of topics that often are addressed. The director is trained to listen, clarify, gently challenge, and nurture your awareness of God’s presence. Everything shared with your director is held sacred and confidential.
How is spiritual direction different from therapy?
Spiritual direction focuses on your spiritual desires, your relationship with God, and response to that relationship. Therapy works with thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and how they impact your life. While there is sometimes overlap, spiritual direction is not solution-focused work; it is primarily focused on your relationship with God.
Is it confidential?
Spiritual directors hold conversations in strict confidence. They will not reveal the content of conversations unless required to do so by law or court order, or unless there is a concern of harm to yourself or others.