Frequently asked questions
Who are Spiritual Directors?
Spiritual directors have been called to their ministry. There is a yearning for "connectedness” in this human life. God calls us through interaction with other persons and we are meant to share our sacred stories. To do that, we often need someone with the gifts and wisdom to listen and to hear the holy truth underneath our story line. A spiritual director is first and foremost called, and gifted, and then seeks the training, knowledge, and skills to wholeheartedly respond to God’s prompting to be someone through which God’s Spirit can work.
Spiritual directors may be lay persons, clergy, or members of a religious community. They can be male or female, married, or single, of any religious denomination. Qualities most evident in good spiritual directors are listening skills, compassion, the ability to both challenge and
encourage as well as an ability to integrate their faith with everyday life. A Christian spiritual director will ideally have a good knowledge of today’s Church as well as a solid grounding in the tradition of the faith, especially sacred scripture. They will be able to draw from the wisdom of the Christian mystical tradition, spiritual guidance as practiced in the community of the world's religions, and the insights of psychology, the arts, and social justice.
Seekers will wish for a trustworthy companion with a mature faith who is also on their own sacred journey, yearning for God, always growing and learning. Your spiritual director will keep strict confidentiality. This is vital as it enables you to share openly what is on your mind and in your heart.
How are Spiritual Directors trained?
Although spiritual direction is practiced within many faith traditions and around the world, no standardised certification process exists. There are however many training courses that teach the skills and understanding necessary to be an excellent spiritual director. I have an Honours degree in Psychology and my extensive experience as a relationship counsellor which although quite different, provided a good basis for many of the skills used in spiritual direction. I have a strong personal faith and I completed a three month intensive formation and training programme with two residential periods at the Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction based at the Redemptorist Renewal Centre in Tucson, Arizona.
I have my own spiritual director who I meet with monthly and I regularly engage in on-going formation and enrichment that keeps me growing and developing in my ministry.
What Spiritual Direction is not
Spiritual direction is not psychotherapy, counselling, or any other type of therapy. It is not a dependent relationship in which your director holds all the wisdom and answers to your problems. Your director will not “tell you what to do”, but rather helps you to discern what God may be calling you to be or to do. God is already at work in your life. You come to your session ready to be still, and together with your director, in the presence of the Holy Spirit, to listen to the truths of your story as God reveals God’s self through the everyday happenings of your life.
What happens in a Spiritual Direction session?
A spiritual direction session typically lasts one hour and is held in a space prepared by the director. Ordinarily I see people in a quiet
room in my home. The room is a place that lends itself to quiet, prayer and contemplation, set apart from the 'busyness' of daily life. You are invited to enter a safe and caring environment in which you can be heard and the sharing is confidential. However during the Covid 19 situation I am happy to meet with directees by phone, Zoom or Skype.
I will usually begin the session by suggesting a quiet moment to allow us to enter into the sacred time and space and invite you to start your sharing whenever you are ready. As the session unfolds, you bring the story of your lived experience into the light of prayerful reflection. My role
is to mostly to listen attentively, witness, and occasionally help to clarify or at times challenge, and help you to draw out the “God thread” in your story.
I often don't have a great deal to say during a session as we frequently find that the directee hears God's voice for themselves in the quiet of the moment. This is the power of the spiritual direction practice.
Generally, as the session draws to a close, I will often summarise what I have heard in your story or I may emphasise an insight the Spirit has brought forth in the session. Both of us may then sit in silence for a few moments in the presence of God, before ending the session.
Will everything we discuss in spiritual direction be confidential?
Spiritual directors are ethically bound to confidentiality. This helps the directee to feel safe and able to share their deepest feelings and most important life experiences. There are however some important exceptions to keep in mind.
Everything is absolutely confidential except where there are issues of current or potential harm to children, young people or vulnerable adults. In these circumstances I would refer to the relevant statutory agency.
Additionally my code of ethics requires me to have supervision from a trained spiritual direction supervisor. Although some general content from a session may be discussed, no names or identifying characteristics will be shared so that the content of my supervision is kept in the loop of confidentiality.
How do I end a commitment with a Spiritual Director?
Not all seekers and directors are a good fit for each other. Experienced, qualified directors are very aware of this. It is always best for both parties to be honest when one or the other senses the relationship is not life-giving or has come to a natural end. The seeker/guide relationship is grounded in mutual respect and so the “ending conversation” usually turns out to be a graced time that is not as difficult as anyone might anticipate. There is something to be grateful for in every relationship whether it has lasted a short or a long time. An individual may need different directors for different stretches of their journey. Spiritual directors are attuned to that reality and so ending the relationship at the right time is a perfectly acceptable decision.
For more information have a look at the Spiritual Directors International website: http://www.sdiworld.org
Spiritual directors have been called to their ministry. There is a yearning for "connectedness” in this human life. God calls us through interaction with other persons and we are meant to share our sacred stories. To do that, we often need someone with the gifts and wisdom to listen and to hear the holy truth underneath our story line. A spiritual director is first and foremost called, and gifted, and then seeks the training, knowledge, and skills to wholeheartedly respond to God’s prompting to be someone through which God’s Spirit can work.
Spiritual directors may be lay persons, clergy, or members of a religious community. They can be male or female, married, or single, of any religious denomination. Qualities most evident in good spiritual directors are listening skills, compassion, the ability to both challenge and
encourage as well as an ability to integrate their faith with everyday life. A Christian spiritual director will ideally have a good knowledge of today’s Church as well as a solid grounding in the tradition of the faith, especially sacred scripture. They will be able to draw from the wisdom of the Christian mystical tradition, spiritual guidance as practiced in the community of the world's religions, and the insights of psychology, the arts, and social justice.
Seekers will wish for a trustworthy companion with a mature faith who is also on their own sacred journey, yearning for God, always growing and learning. Your spiritual director will keep strict confidentiality. This is vital as it enables you to share openly what is on your mind and in your heart.
How are Spiritual Directors trained?
Although spiritual direction is practiced within many faith traditions and around the world, no standardised certification process exists. There are however many training courses that teach the skills and understanding necessary to be an excellent spiritual director. I have an Honours degree in Psychology and my extensive experience as a relationship counsellor which although quite different, provided a good basis for many of the skills used in spiritual direction. I have a strong personal faith and I completed a three month intensive formation and training programme with two residential periods at the Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction based at the Redemptorist Renewal Centre in Tucson, Arizona.
I have my own spiritual director who I meet with monthly and I regularly engage in on-going formation and enrichment that keeps me growing and developing in my ministry.
What Spiritual Direction is not
Spiritual direction is not psychotherapy, counselling, or any other type of therapy. It is not a dependent relationship in which your director holds all the wisdom and answers to your problems. Your director will not “tell you what to do”, but rather helps you to discern what God may be calling you to be or to do. God is already at work in your life. You come to your session ready to be still, and together with your director, in the presence of the Holy Spirit, to listen to the truths of your story as God reveals God’s self through the everyday happenings of your life.
What happens in a Spiritual Direction session?
A spiritual direction session typically lasts one hour and is held in a space prepared by the director. Ordinarily I see people in a quiet
room in my home. The room is a place that lends itself to quiet, prayer and contemplation, set apart from the 'busyness' of daily life. You are invited to enter a safe and caring environment in which you can be heard and the sharing is confidential. However during the Covid 19 situation I am happy to meet with directees by phone, Zoom or Skype.
I will usually begin the session by suggesting a quiet moment to allow us to enter into the sacred time and space and invite you to start your sharing whenever you are ready. As the session unfolds, you bring the story of your lived experience into the light of prayerful reflection. My role
is to mostly to listen attentively, witness, and occasionally help to clarify or at times challenge, and help you to draw out the “God thread” in your story.
I often don't have a great deal to say during a session as we frequently find that the directee hears God's voice for themselves in the quiet of the moment. This is the power of the spiritual direction practice.
Generally, as the session draws to a close, I will often summarise what I have heard in your story or I may emphasise an insight the Spirit has brought forth in the session. Both of us may then sit in silence for a few moments in the presence of God, before ending the session.
Will everything we discuss in spiritual direction be confidential?
Spiritual directors are ethically bound to confidentiality. This helps the directee to feel safe and able to share their deepest feelings and most important life experiences. There are however some important exceptions to keep in mind.
Everything is absolutely confidential except where there are issues of current or potential harm to children, young people or vulnerable adults. In these circumstances I would refer to the relevant statutory agency.
Additionally my code of ethics requires me to have supervision from a trained spiritual direction supervisor. Although some general content from a session may be discussed, no names or identifying characteristics will be shared so that the content of my supervision is kept in the loop of confidentiality.
How do I end a commitment with a Spiritual Director?
Not all seekers and directors are a good fit for each other. Experienced, qualified directors are very aware of this. It is always best for both parties to be honest when one or the other senses the relationship is not life-giving or has come to a natural end. The seeker/guide relationship is grounded in mutual respect and so the “ending conversation” usually turns out to be a graced time that is not as difficult as anyone might anticipate. There is something to be grateful for in every relationship whether it has lasted a short or a long time. An individual may need different directors for different stretches of their journey. Spiritual directors are attuned to that reality and so ending the relationship at the right time is a perfectly acceptable decision.
For more information have a look at the Spiritual Directors International website: http://www.sdiworld.org
