Spiritual Direction
Spiritual Direction
What is Spiritual Direction?
Spiritual direction is a practice dedicated to deepening and strengthening your connection with God. Participating in spiritual direction involves meeting with a trained and discerning listener called a spiritual director, usually for one hour a month, to focus on the spiritual dimension of your everyday life. Spiritual direction is not therapy, counseling or coaching, and is unique from these in that it’s fundamental purpose is to be attentive to the loving presence and activity of God within and around you.
Spiritual direction is an ancient spiritual tradition and has a long history in Christianity. In Christian spiritual direction you seek to better know and experience God, based on His trinitarian revelation of Himself in the Bible as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Together, with a spiritual director, you take time to listen and look for God, the Spiritual Director.
About the term Spiritual Direction…
“…to direct is to be a companion with a very specific agenda: to help the other direct heart and mind to listen to the one most needed, Christ Jesus.”
Gordon T. Smith
Spiritual direction is a safe space to:
- Come to know God, yourself and others more intimately
- Explore your life experiences, emotions & thoughts, desires, questions, and struggles
- Increase awareness of God’s presence and action in your life, and how you respond to Him
- Explore contemplative spiritual practices
- Receive empathy and grace
- Receive gentle guidance, encouragement, and prayer towards your spiritual growth
- Celebrate God’s work in your life
Our lives are not problems to be solved but journeys to be taken”
Henri Nouwen
spiritual direction
- Experience of God (or lack of felt experience)
- Experience of prayer & spiritual disciplines
- Self knowledge & awareness
- Honoring relationships
- Emotional honesty
- Life Experiences & Transitions
- Alignment of life experience and the Bible
- Discernment in decision-making
- Practicing the presence of God
- Many topics can be brought into spiritual direction
Frequently Asked Questions
What occurs during a spiritual direction session?
- Each meeting typically starts with some informal conversation and then prayer, a brief time of quiet in God’s presence, and/or a spiritual practice such as a meditative reading. The opening activity is chosen based on what you feel comfortable with.
- The remainder and majority of the meeting is open to whatever you bring to the meeting to explore. Typically, this consists of important life experiences related to your relationship with God.
- The spiritual director may recommend resources or spiritual practices to consider, and the director typically closes the meeting with prayer.
How often do spiritual direction meetings happen?
- SD sessions are typically an hour long and occur once a month, however, the meeting frequency and duration are flexible and can be established on an individual basis.
- Some people meet for SD for a particular season of life, and some find it a helpful ongoing practice in maintaining and deepening their relationship with God.
Where does spiritual direction occur?
Southwest Soul Care SD meetings are currently offered online. Email Shannon at [email protected] for information on potential in-person options.
How much does spiritual direction cost?
Southwest Soul Care offers SD for $60 a session. Please feel free to email Shannon at [email protected] with any questions about pricing and payment.
How is spiritual direction different from and similar to counseling, therapy and coaching?
- Spiritual direction, therapy and coaching all aim to support aspects of personal growth. They can have overlap, but they differ in focus and methods. Below some of the general differences are highlighted:
- Spiritual direction focuses on increasing awareness of God’s presence and strengthening your relationship with Him, through spiritual companionship and spiritual practices. Spiritual direction is not focused on solving life problems, but rather looking for God’s activity within your life, including within any problems.
- Counseling focuses on addressing immediate, specific problems, life challenges, or goals through therapeutic guidance, strategies or coping skills.
- Therapy can be very similar to counseling and can additionally focus on treatment of longer-term mental health issues and provide diagnosis of mental health disorders.
- Coaching focuses on setting and accomplishing specific goals related to personal and professional development. Coaching is generally performance and outcome based.
- Each of these are valuable, and within each you can discuss your life circumstances, struggles, and hopes and expect to receive empathy, confidentiality, new insights, and support for making positive changes in your life.
- Christian counselors, therapists, and coaches incorporate Christian faith and connection with God into the care they provide.
- Spiritual directors may refer people to therapists, counselors, coaches, or other mental health professionals.
- Some people meet regularly with a spiritual director in addition to a counselor, therapist or coach.
What is a spiritual director?
- A spiritual director is a trained listener who partners with you as you seek to deepen your relationship with God. Spiritual directors do not give advice or impart direction for a person’s life, but rather view God as the One that provides loving direction uniquely to each individual. Spiritual directors assist and companion people in directing attention to God’s presence in, and guidance for, their lives.
- Spiritual directors are deeply committed to growing and developing their own unique relationships with God. They have a history of receiving spiritual direction as a part of their journey with God. They typically hold a certificate in spiritual direction, and receive ongoing training and supervision to provide quality care.
How can I learn more about Southwest Soul Care spiritual direction?
- To learn more about Southwest Soul Care spiritual direction, view the ‘About’ page, here.
- Before beginning spiritual direction Shannon offers a free introductory session to help determine if this seems like a good fit. Email [email protected] to schedule.
Whether you are experiencing a time of darkness and grief, rest, healing, growth, and/or flourishing, receiving spiritual direction may help you become more closely connected and aligned with God.