What is a spiritual director?
A spiritual director is a compassionate, concerned observer whose task is to help people notice the ways in which God's Spirit is moving in their lives. (Why meet with a spiritual director?)
What is group spiritual direction?
Group spiritual direction includes times of silence, time to speak about your faith journey, and time to listen deeply to other members of the group. A spiritual director guides the logistics of the process and helps the group to stay in a contemplative mode.
You might seek out a spiritual direction group if...
- you want to be intentional about your faith and would like to be part of a community of like-minded people,
- you are willing to rest in God's presence on behalf of others to assist them in their ongoing discernment without trying to "fix it" for them,
- you are drawn to contemplative, quieter forms of prayer or would like to deepen that aspect of your spiritual life.
To learn more, see Rose Mary Dougherty's online pamphlet Group Spiritual Direction: What Is It?, or her book Group Spiritual Direction.
Looking for a spiritual direction group?
If you happen to live in the California Bay Area, try New College Berkeley or Mercy Center. (Know of any resources I can add to this list? Please contact me.)
The spiritual direction agreement
Typically, individual direction happens once a month for an hour, and groups meet once a month for two hours. It's customary for spiritual directors to charge a fee.
Because spiritual direction is a bit hard to define, it helps to have some kind of covenant or agreement to keep everyone on the same page. Here is an example of an individual spiritual-direction agreement that I have used.
How to become a spiritual director
Step 1
If you feel that you might have a calling as a spiritual director, the first step is to begin seeing a spiritual director yourself. What better way to find out whether spiritual direction is really what you imagine it to be?
Step 2
Consider attending some kind of training program such as the Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction (DASD) program at SFTS, a Presbyterian seminary in San Anselmo, California. The DASD program offers in-depth training, spiritual formation, and help with the process of discerning your call to (or away from) spiritual direction.
Many other seminaries and retreat centers offer training programs. These are a few I am familiar with in the United States:
- Mercy Center in Burlingame, California
- Shalem Institute in Bethesda, Maryland
- Bread of Life in Sacramento, California
Step 3
If you begin to offer spiritual direction in some kind of formal capacity, it's important to have an ongoing relationship with an experienced supervisor—especially if you plan to charge money for your spiritual direction services.
How to find a spiritual director
Ask around at your place of worship, or check the Spiritual Directors International Seek and Find Guide. Spiritual direction is not a licensed profession in any state or country, as far as I know, so it's up to you to ask questions and make sure that you feel comfortable with whomever you select as your spiritual director. Go ahead and interview potential directors: Have they received training? Do they meet regularly with a supervisor? Do they meet regularly with a spiritual director of their own? Are you comfortable with their religious tradition, approach to spirituality, and way of interacting with you? Do they charge a fee? Take time to pray and reflect on the decision, and ask your potential directors to do the same.
About supervision
Ideally, every spiritual director should be under some type of supervision. The differences between spiritual direction and therapy, pastoral counseling, friendship, and caretaking are sometimes tricky to discern, and meeting regularly with a supervisor or supervision group can help.
Are you looking for a supervisor?
I am able to meet with spiritual directors for supervision sessions in person or in some cases over the phone—or I might be able to help you find a supervisor or supervision group in your area.
Are you interested in becoming a supervisor?
I know of two training programs: Together in the Mystery, the program I recently completed, offers training in locations around the United States. Mercy Center in Burlingame, California, has a two-week residential Internship in the Art of Supervision, but it looks like that won't be offered again until the summer of 2010.
If you know of other training programs that I should add to this list, please email me (Katarina) at momently@gmail.com.
About me
I had my first deep encounter with God in October of 1985, sitting by myself on a balcony outside my dorm room at Stanford. It took me a few months to notice that the God I had met that day on the balcony was embodied exactly by the Jesus I read about in the gospels. I had become not just a believer in God, but a follower of Christ.
I am interested in silence, Christian mysticism and contemplation, spiritual formation, the theology of the Holy Spirit, and the role of music and art in spirituality. To hear a few of the songs I've written, visit my music page.
Several times a year I go on a two- or three-day retreat to nourish my connection to God and to my own deep self, and in 1998 I went on a 24-day silent retreat at Our Lady of Solitude Contemplative House of Prayer in Arizona. I have worked for a long time as an editor and writer, and I currently work part time as a technical writer.
I have been a spiritual director since 2002, and I graduated from the DASD program in 2004.
Why meet with a spiritual director?
Meeting with a spiritual director can help you grow in your faith and become more fully who God created you to be. You might seek out a spiritual director if...
- you would like someone to help you notice where God is showing up in your day-to-day life and how God is calling you to live,
- you are in transition and wonder where God fits in, or you are making a decision and need help and encouragement in your discernment process,
- you plan to go on a personal retreat and want spiritual direction before or during that time,
- you are angry or doubting or having other issues with God and don't feel free to explore it in your church or faith community, or
- you feel a pull toward spiritual direction for whatever reason, and simply want to give it a try.
The spiritual direction agreement
Recommended reading
Candlelight: Illuminating the Art of Spiritual Direction by Susan S. Phillips
Holy Listening: The Art of Spiritual Direction by Margaret Guenther
The Awakened Heart by Gerald May
Group spiritual direction process used by the Transformations Spirituality Center
Carl McColman's description of spiritual direction on The Website of Unknowing
How to contact me
To ask a question, give feedback about this page, or talk about the possibility of meeting with me for spiritual direction or supervision, email me (Katarina) at momently@gmail.com.