Spiritual Direction
What is spiritual direction?
You will find many different definitions of spiritual direction out there if you look. For me, spiritual direction is the process of exploring your spiritual and emotional self in partnership with your spiritual director. You could have many different goals, including enhancing your self-awareness, seeking healing, or simply growing and learning on this journey of life we are all on.
As your spiritual director, my goal is to hold space for you that invites you into greater depth of relationship - greater depth of relationship with yourself, with your joys and blessings, with your challenges and struggles, with your truth and with your brokenness, with the people in your life, with that which is sacred and holy and good.
What is your training and background?
I am an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, having served several Unitarian Universalist congregations across the country over the past 11 years. I trained as a spiritual director through the Meadville Lombard LIGHT Spiritual Direction Formation & Certification program. I bring my experience helping people explore vulnerability, shame and connection as a certified facilitator of two of Brené Brown's workshops to my spiritual direction work. I also bring my personal experience as a father of four children to my work, with some deep understandings of the challenges of complexities of parenting in our current times. Additionally, I have worked with a somatic healer for the past sixteen years, so I am comfortable and familiar talking about energy work and how our feelings and experiences can live in our bodies. I have also spent a significant amount of time exploring men's issues and well-being, which I understand to be especially important in our American culture of toxic masculinity that encourages men to shut down, avoid, and repress their feelings and sense of self.
Who are you looking to work with?
First and foremost, I am looking to work with people who want to do this work, who are willing to be present with who they are - or work towards being present with who they are, if being present feels like a challenge. My general orientation to ministry, spiritual direction, and my life is practical: I always want to how this piece of theology, or how this wisdom or insight, will help me or the people I'm working with lead a better or meaningful life. I am happy to work with people of any gender identity, and, I have particular interest in working with men who are looking to explore their spiritual and emotional path, as this can be a real challenge for men in our American culture of toxic masculinity.
How is spiritual direction different than therapy?
Spiritual direction and therapy differ in several ways. Typically, therapy occurs on a weekly or bi-weekly basis with a trained clinician, with the goal of addressing a specific or some specific psychological challenges or for help navigating a mental health diagnosis. Spiritual direction sessions are typically less frequent, usually once a month, with the goal of helping you explore what is happening in your spiritual life. While you are welcome to bring certain areas of life that you are struggling with to your spiritual direction sessions, spiritual direction is not usually goal-oriented (which also differentiates them from coaching), but rather, an exploration of your spiritual and emotional self that can look at a variety of topics over the course of many sessions. Spiritual direction is a form of spiritual practice, intended to help you grow, heal, and perhaps even over time transform your spirit a bit over time.
The word "direction" or the idea of working with a "spiritual director" makes me uncomfortable - are you going to tell me what to do?
The language of spiritual direction and spiritual director come out of the Christian tradition, and it can be off-putting to some. There is ongoing conversation in the spiritual direction community about our continued use of this language - some spiritual directors are opting to call themselves "spiritual companions" because of this very issue. What is ironic about the using "direction" and "director" to describe this work is that the role of the spiritual director actually has very little to do with directing, and a great deal to do with holding the space, asking questions, and occasionally offering gentle suggestions to the "directee" in support of the helping the directee connect with their own truths, wisdom, and insights. So no, if we work together, I'm not going to be telling you what to do at all, very much the opposite - only you know what is right and true for you. One of the strengths of Unitarian Universalism is that we encourage members and friends of our congregations to find their own cosmological truths - atheists, agnostics, and theists, and a wide variety of theological beliefs and perspectives are all welcome in our congregational life. When serving as your spiritual director, I do my best to meet you where you are, and help you navigate your truth based on your beliefs and your life experience.
Are you currently taking clients?
Yes, I am currently taking clients. However, given that I am working full time in congregational ministry, I generally keep my client list pretty small, working with two-three people at any given time. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested in having a conversation about whether we would be a good fit to do spiritual direction together.
Logistics
Generally my expectation is that we will meet once a month for approximately an hour. My fee for each session is $125.
You will find many different definitions of spiritual direction out there if you look. For me, spiritual direction is the process of exploring your spiritual and emotional self in partnership with your spiritual director. You could have many different goals, including enhancing your self-awareness, seeking healing, or simply growing and learning on this journey of life we are all on.
As your spiritual director, my goal is to hold space for you that invites you into greater depth of relationship - greater depth of relationship with yourself, with your joys and blessings, with your challenges and struggles, with your truth and with your brokenness, with the people in your life, with that which is sacred and holy and good.
What is your training and background?
I am an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, having served several Unitarian Universalist congregations across the country over the past 11 years. I trained as a spiritual director through the Meadville Lombard LIGHT Spiritual Direction Formation & Certification program. I bring my experience helping people explore vulnerability, shame and connection as a certified facilitator of two of Brené Brown's workshops to my spiritual direction work. I also bring my personal experience as a father of four children to my work, with some deep understandings of the challenges of complexities of parenting in our current times. Additionally, I have worked with a somatic healer for the past sixteen years, so I am comfortable and familiar talking about energy work and how our feelings and experiences can live in our bodies. I have also spent a significant amount of time exploring men's issues and well-being, which I understand to be especially important in our American culture of toxic masculinity that encourages men to shut down, avoid, and repress their feelings and sense of self.
Who are you looking to work with?
First and foremost, I am looking to work with people who want to do this work, who are willing to be present with who they are - or work towards being present with who they are, if being present feels like a challenge. My general orientation to ministry, spiritual direction, and my life is practical: I always want to how this piece of theology, or how this wisdom or insight, will help me or the people I'm working with lead a better or meaningful life. I am happy to work with people of any gender identity, and, I have particular interest in working with men who are looking to explore their spiritual and emotional path, as this can be a real challenge for men in our American culture of toxic masculinity.
How is spiritual direction different than therapy?
Spiritual direction and therapy differ in several ways. Typically, therapy occurs on a weekly or bi-weekly basis with a trained clinician, with the goal of addressing a specific or some specific psychological challenges or for help navigating a mental health diagnosis. Spiritual direction sessions are typically less frequent, usually once a month, with the goal of helping you explore what is happening in your spiritual life. While you are welcome to bring certain areas of life that you are struggling with to your spiritual direction sessions, spiritual direction is not usually goal-oriented (which also differentiates them from coaching), but rather, an exploration of your spiritual and emotional self that can look at a variety of topics over the course of many sessions. Spiritual direction is a form of spiritual practice, intended to help you grow, heal, and perhaps even over time transform your spirit a bit over time.
The word "direction" or the idea of working with a "spiritual director" makes me uncomfortable - are you going to tell me what to do?
The language of spiritual direction and spiritual director come out of the Christian tradition, and it can be off-putting to some. There is ongoing conversation in the spiritual direction community about our continued use of this language - some spiritual directors are opting to call themselves "spiritual companions" because of this very issue. What is ironic about the using "direction" and "director" to describe this work is that the role of the spiritual director actually has very little to do with directing, and a great deal to do with holding the space, asking questions, and occasionally offering gentle suggestions to the "directee" in support of the helping the directee connect with their own truths, wisdom, and insights. So no, if we work together, I'm not going to be telling you what to do at all, very much the opposite - only you know what is right and true for you. One of the strengths of Unitarian Universalism is that we encourage members and friends of our congregations to find their own cosmological truths - atheists, agnostics, and theists, and a wide variety of theological beliefs and perspectives are all welcome in our congregational life. When serving as your spiritual director, I do my best to meet you where you are, and help you navigate your truth based on your beliefs and your life experience.
Are you currently taking clients?
Yes, I am currently taking clients. However, given that I am working full time in congregational ministry, I generally keep my client list pretty small, working with two-three people at any given time. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested in having a conversation about whether we would be a good fit to do spiritual direction together.
Logistics
Generally my expectation is that we will meet once a month for approximately an hour. My fee for each session is $125.