Contemplative Spiritual Direction

1. How often does one meet with their spiritual director?

While there is no firm timeline, spiritual direction typically occurs monthly. the frequency of meetings can be arranged according to the needs of the directee.

• How much does it cost?

I am flexible with my charges, and I do not want finances to prevent any serious seeker from receiving spiritual guidance. A typical fee is $50.00 to $75.00 per one hour session.

• What makes spiritual direction “contemplative”?

What makes spiritual direction contemplative is its orientation towards inner work – exploring one’s connection with one’s spiritual center, learning and using contemplative practices and knowledge that has been developed by spiritual teachers over millennia. It is not so much a search for answers as an acknowledgement and exploration of experiences in the light of realities that transcend the material focus of our world today.

• What happens in a spiritual direction session?

There is no standard format for the sessions. It is established by the needs of the directee and the prompting of the Spirit. Direction sessions may include times of prayer, silence, readings, and discussions. We may work to identify, deconstruct, and reconstruct unhelpful spiritual beliefs from past religious teachings or experiences. I may offer spiritual practices for integration into one’s daily life to help attain a sense of spiritual grounding. We may read or pray together.

• What is the difference between spiritual direction and therapy?

Spiritual direction is not psychological counseling in that it is not a treatment for serious mental illness. I am not trained in psychological counseling. Spiritual direction is based on the premise that our physical lives have underlying spiritual foundations. Spiritual direction explores those foundations and helps to make our daily lives healthier and more gratifying by exposing, honoring, and strengthening those foundations, as needed.