Proverbs 1:5 NIV
“let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—”
How is Spiritual Direction different from Counseling?
In general, therapy and counseling deal primarily with problem areas of one’s life and attempt to bring healthy resolution to issues. Spiritual direction is concerned with finding and responding to God in the midst of all circumstances and situations and often include pain, questions, or disorder. As both director and directee listen deeply for the whispers and nudges of God in the midst of the directee sharing, surprising new spiritual perspectives arise, but the focus in Spiritual Direction is not on practical problem solving.
How can a Spiritual Director help me?
Spiritual Director help people mature in their faith and deepen their relationship with God so that they can become more like Christ in the world and fulfill their God given destiny.
How much do sessions cost?
Each director will determine his or her own rates. Generally Spiritual Direction is offered from anywhere $50 to $150 per session, based on the experience and demand of a Director, with the average session cost being in the $75 range.
How long are the sessions?
Typically a standard session is 60 minutes but in some instances 90 minute sessions can be a better fit.
How often does one go?
Depending on the Spiritual Director and the need, this decision is usually made at the initial orientation meeting. Most have found that once a month pattern works well. It is important to be faithful to your time together. Your commitment builds a relationship of trust between you and your spiritual director so that, together, you may be more responsive to ways God is working.”
Are sessions confidential?
Your time with your spiritual director is sacred. Conversations are held in strict confidence. Spiritual directors will not reveal the content of your conversations unless they are required to do so by law. There are situations, however, in which the law requires that certain information can be revealed without your consent. If there is any indication that you may be a danger to yourself or others, or are involved in the abusing of a minor, your information may be disclosed to appropriate mental health services or law enforcement.
Can I go to a Spiritual Director outside my faith denomination or group?
Since spiritual direction is concerned with a person’s experience with God, issues of doctrine and theology take a secondary role. In other words, the ideas that separate us are less important than discovering how the presence of God transforms us. For this reason, it can be beneficial and transformational to work with a spiritual director whose life in God and whose experience of prayer are different than our own.
How are Spritual Directors supervised and held accountable?
Most spiritual directors are encouraged to be in ongoing supervision with a personal supervisor or peer supervision group. Also, most spiritual directors are members of Spiritual Directors International and adhere to strict standards of professional ethics regrading training, confidentiality, boundaries and privacy.
Aren’t all pastors Spiritual Directors?
Spiritual Direction is a specific ministry where by one is called into a one-to-one relationship of prayer and support with another person. While pastors nurture the spiritual lives of individuals and churches, not all pastors are called to be spiritual director’s and many spiritual director’s are not pastor’s.
How long should I meet with a Spiritual Director?
This varies, some people will meet with their spiritual director for a particular season in life, and move on. Most people however find that an ongoing relationship with a spiritual director helps them to keep their spiritual life a priority and will stay with a director for many years. Most spiritual directors will have an annual review of the ongoing relationship with the directee to determine if both parties feel invited to continue the relationship.
Are there technical requirements to participate in Spritual Direction sessions?
Yes and no. Directors often conduct spiritual direction meetings in -person, as well as, over a secure video conferencing technology called Zoom but if you would prefer to do a phone call session, that is generally something you will be able to arrange with your director.
For Zoom Video Meetings:
You will need to have Zoom installed on to your computer in order to run the meeting.
Once your appointment is booked with your spiritual director, you will automatically receive an email with the link to the Zoom meeting room.
If it is your first time using Zoom, we suggest clicking the link to the Zoom meeting (which will be found in your confirmation email) 5 minutes before the start of the meeting to get Zoom properly set up on your computer. While the setup prompts are relatively self explanatory, you can also see this video for instructions on how to get set up.