Training to become a spiritual director is essential. Here are some tips for finding the right program. Before even searching for programs, ask yourself: Why do I want to be a spiritual director? What has been my experience of being in spiritual direction? (Traditionally, programs have required applicants to have significant experience as a directee). How much time am I willing to devote to training? How much money am I willing to spend to become trained? What are my... Read more
Before the teenaged Mary said YES to the angel Gabriel’s invitation to give birth to God’s son, how many young women took a pass? Consent can never be coerced. If you will be punished for saying NO, it’s not consent. So, when 15-year-old Abby considered the invitation and preferred to marry her fiancé and have his baby, Gabriel smiled and said, “No worries, Abby. If it’s not your calling, it will be someone else’s, and that’s OK. You are still... Read more
Spiritual directors are taught to notice, reflect back and ask clients about feelings they are experiencing as they share their stories. As a result, many directors become frustrated when clients, as they put it, “stay in their heads.” Personally I think it is fine for directees to stay wherever they feel safe and comfortable. But I know what the frustrated directors are trying to say. Thought Loops “I can’t stop thinking about it.” We’ve all been there, right? What does... Read more
By guest blogger Anne Randerson Like many of my colleagues, I offer online spiritual direction sessions, and each day, I realize how lucky I am to be able to work with directees living anywhere in the world. I also realize how fortunate I am to meet regularly with professionals who offer the same services as I do, even though I currently live in Belgium, and most of them reside in other countries. Earlier this month, I was in an online... Read more
Artist, poet and spiritual director Aline Lindemann offers this reflection on finding God in nature. Aline is an apprentice with the Phoenix Center for Spiritual Direction. The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. – John Muir “This!” my brother, John said making a large sweeping motion with his arm as we walked... Read more
Not everything we do needs to be so hard. When you think about what God may be asking of you, allow yourself to believe it might be the easier road. Consider ease Spiritual directors sometimes see people who assume God wants them to suffer, or at least break a sweat, when they consider God’s invitation. That could be the case, but then there’s the story of Naaman (2 Kings 5), the military man with leprosy. When his predicament came to... Read more
In many books on spirituality you see the terms True Self, Core Self or Higher Self referring to the part of us connected to the Divine. In this post, I want to share what I’ve learned from my Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist, Mike Phillips, about the Core Self (my favorite term). Internal Family Systems Therapy and Core Self IFS is a therapy model created in the 1980’s by Richard C. Schwartz, that works with various parts within us–some which... Read more
Spiritual direction has the potential to save lives. I’m not talking about religious salvation but literally saving a person from personal destruction. Listening Saves Lives What good spiritual directors do–the very act of prayerfully and deeply listening to someone as they share their joys, their challenges and suffering in life–might be all an individual needs to keep their chin up and keep going. I’m thinking especially of people who have been abused, shunned or marginalized by churches who decide “who’s... Read more
People wanting to become spiritual directors need training. So how does one find the right training program for themselves? Before searching for programs, ask yourself a few questions: Why do I want to be a spiritual director? What has been my experience of being in spiritual direction? (Traditionally, programs have required applicants to have significant experience as a directee). How much time am I willing to devote to training? How much money am I willing to spend to become trained?... Read more
An important part of any spiritual journey is remembering consolation, appreciating the joy and experiencing the gratitude we have for our relationship with the Divine. It’s also helpful to reflect on our “valley” experiences of disconnectedness from God, known as desolation. Both principles offer opportunities for spiritual growth. The terms consolation and desolation to describe our spiritual condition come from the writings of Ignatius of Loyola—cofounder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), an order of the Roman Catholic Church, around... Read more
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