Spiritual direction as a form of therapy or instruction is aimed at helping individuals acknowledge, share, illuminate and marvel at their journey in life, emotions and beliefs –– prayerfully –– in the presence of another. This form of guidance and instruction involves the art of sacred listening, carried out in the context of a one-to-one trusting relationship. It is for anyone seeking growth in his or her spiritual life, with teaching and learning also available for those who offer spiritual direction to others.
| “In the midst of a busy life, it is often difficult to notice God’s action in daily affairs. Yet, at the deepest level, all of us longfor a more conscious experience of God’s or Higher Power’s presence and love.” –– Spiritual Director’s International |
Spiritual direction is focused on growing an individual’s spirituality and relationship with God, centered around a prayerful, contemplative, inquiring or humanistic approach and lived out in the ordinariness of life. In its essence, the process is simple but the successful journey is always profound. This is not a substitute for psychological counseling, although at times both address similar areas of growth and challenge. Some of the reasons people seek a spiritual direction service such as that offered at Lourdes are:
- to experience and rejoice in God’s active, inclusive love
- to receive support when one feels distant from God
- to broaden one’s images of God
- to receive help in ways to pray
- to receive support and guidance as one grows
- to learn to discern choices in the light of faith
- to seek God’s guidance during transitions and changes
- to grow in harmony with God, self and others.
- and to live from one’s relationship with God in one’s family, community and world.
A Spiritual Director is a person trained in attending to the subtle movements occurring within a person’s or group’s spiritual life. This trained individual is neither a therapist nor a counselor, but rather a person trained to help others focus on and explore the movements of God or spirit within their individual everyday life experiences.
Everyone is called to a closer more intimate relationship with God or a higher power. Articulating one’s religious experience with another in spiritual direction heightens a person’s self-awareness, deepens spirituality and enables a seeker to experience spirit in all things. When anyone feels the need to enhance these callings and this power in his or her life, seeking spiritual direction can be the right choice. It serves as a way to go deeper in one’s ordinary life.
Individual Spiritual Direction Sessions
Spiritual direction typically involves meeting with a spiritual director once a month for about an hour. During this time, the individual shares with the director what is happening in his or her everyday life, including where he or she would like to find God or greater spirituality in everyday life.
Individual Supervision for Spiritual Directors
These sessions are offered for a spiritual director who would like to meet on an individual basis with a certified supervisor of spiritual directors for on-going growth in the ministry of spiritual direction.
Call (856) 869-8190 to schedule your appointment.
