During the Christian season of Lent, followers of Jesus hope to renew their spiritual lives. One way to support your spiritual growth is to work with a spiritual director. With Lent beginning on February 14, perhaps this is a good time to consider working with a spiritual director. This video explains what it’s like to work with a spiritual director.
The following is a text version of this posting.
One of the things I recommend to people who want to integrate the spiritual dimension with the other aspects of their lives is to work with a spiritual director. Because this is something unfamiliar to most people, I want to talk more specifically today about what takes place in spiritual direction. As I get started, be sure to subscribe to this channel and click the bell.
Spiritual direction, which is also called spiritual companionship, is a practice of working with a person trained and qualified to provide spiritual direction. It’s most often done one-on-one but can also happen in groups.
Based on my experience, people often seek out a spiritual director for one of two reasons. The first is that they are looking to learn more about what spirituality means in their life. I don’t mean this in a general sense. People can read a book and understand some things about spirituality. But working with a spiritual director gives you the opportunity to be with someone who can provide a perspective that’s tailored to who you are. It’s much like working with a fitness trainer. A fitness trainer is going to make sure that you do the exercises that are right for you, your body, your goals, and so forth. A spiritual director works with you as an individual.
The second common reason that people seek out a spiritual director is that they are trying to discern whether their path in life is right for them. Are they engaging in what they are called to do? In this case, it’s not about coming up with an answer about what to have for dinner or what clothes I should wear. Instead, it’s discerning whether one’s life trajectory is the right path. For example, I’ve worked with people who wondered if they should leave high paying jobs to work with the underprivileged or whether it’s right for them to consider a vocation to some kind of ministry. Often times in major life transitions, like at midlife or retirement, working with a spiritual director can be part of answering the question, “What’s next for me? What would be meaningful to me?”
When meeting with a spiritual director, an individual will make an appointment. Many spiritual directors today work with people on platforms like Zoom or Skype. Some prefer to meet in person. When you actually meet, many spiritual directors begin with a moment of silence or with a prayer to help both people focus their attention on the time they will be together. Most spiritual direction sessions last about an hour.
As for the content of the session, while each spiritual director has their own personality, you should expect that you’ll do most of the talking. The spiritual director will mostly listen, ask questions meant to help you think further about what you said, comment in ways that draw connections, and on occasion make some suggestions and recommendations. A spiritual director isn’t going to tell you that you have to do something. Instead, the spiritual director will support you in finding clarity about what’s important for you to consider or to be aware of. If you are interested in specific spiritual practices, the spiritual director can help you understand and integrate those practices in your life.
There are some spiritual directors who have some preferred ways of doing things. For example, there are spiritual directors who work with dream interpretation. There are others who like to use a personality inventory called an enneagram. If you’re not comfortable with something like that, say so. Or if you’re looking for that, be clear about it. Remember that the time with a spiritual director is your time and for your growth.
Most people see a spiritual director about once a month. But sometimes, meetings happen once a quarter or once every six months. There’s someone I’ve worked with for several years. She likes to touch base a couple of times a year and that works because at one point, we worked more closely for a couple of years.
Yes, there is typically a fee involved for spiritual direction. Depending on where you live, that fee can vary a great deal. Many spiritual directors also have some sort of sliding scale based on income.
There is an international professional organization for spiritual directors called Spiritual Directors International. Many spiritual directors belong to this group, which has a code of ethics for the practice of spiritual direction as well as an online directory for referrals. There’s lots of information on their website about spiritual direction. Just do a web search for Spiritual Directors International and you’ll find more about the organization.
I am glad I read this so I can now understand spiritual direction better. Best wishes this year in your helping people in this important part of their life journey.