“The contemplative journey is too hard and too dangerous to do alone… So, we need to have companions that walk with us, listen carefully to us, care for us with compassion and tenderness.”
Jeff Imbach, one of the founders of SoulStream, in What is Spiritual Direction
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What is spiritual direction?
We at SoulStream describe Spiritual Direction as:
The simple gift of sacred presence offered to another
providing a gentle but tenacious encouragement
to open fully to God’s loving Presence
and to co-discern with that person
God’s activity in every aspect of life.
The spiritual directors listed on our website:
- Affirm and resonate with SoulStream’s description of spiritual direction.
- Are committed to be in regular spiritual direction themselves
- Are committed to receive regular supervision
- Are committed to keep the focus of sacred presence foremost and not combine it with other therapies or ministries
- Adhere to the Spiritual Directors International ethical guidelines. This includes the commitment to receive supervision regularly, either in a peer group or with an individual supervisor
Finding a spiritual director
A few questions to ask yourself before you begin looking for a spiritual director:
- What brings you to spiritual direction at this time?
- What do you long for in engaging in this practice of spiritual direction?
- What qualities in a spiritual director are important to you?
- How would you prefer to meet with someone: in-person, by distance (zoom/phone), it doesn’t matter as long as you feel comfortable with the spiritual director?
- Would you prefer to meet with a spiritual director who is female, male, non-binary?
- Would you prefer to meet with a spiritual director who is affirming?
Interviewing a few spiritual directors will help you in your discernment process. Many spiritual directors offer an initial meet and greet session without cost to you.
A few questions to ask a prospective spiritual director:
- What drew you to offer spiritual direction?
- What spiritual direction training or formation do you have?
- What is your experience as a spiritual director?
- How do you attend to your life with God?
- What nurtures and sustains you?
- What do you expect from someone you meet with for spiritual direction?
- What payment do you suggest?
- The simple gift of sacred presence offered to another providing a gentle but tenacious encouragement to open fully to God’s loving Presence and to co-discern with that person God’s activity in every aspect of life.”
Spiritual Direction Testimonials
To speak, even haltingly, and to be intently listened to, opens me to actually hear my deeper, truer self and recognize parts of myself that lie buried or denied, validating my life experiences as the holy ground in which I am encountering God.
Roland B.
Parker Palmer likens the soul to a “wild animal,” a comparison that resonates with my experience. God works in me gently through spiritual direction with my director. I always feel safe and trusting with her; I have never felt the need to flee into hiding. Often one of my director’s perceptive comments has the most impact on me days after we’ve met. She seldom gets to even hear about it. We both know that the Spirit is the director, so when we get together, we’re both listening. She helps me to stay with my experience and go deeper. Whatever comes into the light is enough and is often much more than enough.
Susan D.
Spiritual direction began a transformative journey from seeking God with my head and studying the words and lives of others, to include an opening to God with my heart, noticing my common yet also somehow sacred, daily experiences.
Darryl F.
I felt invited to come in from an echoey cold and to sit in company at the hearth of love and deep listening. Here was a place where my heart could relax and widen; a time where my story and all its layers mattered. My heart/soul began to breathe deeply unlike anything I had experienced.
John K.
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