Spiritual Direction

What Is Spiritual Direction?

Spiritual direction (also known as "spiritual companioning" or other similar terms) encourages you to explore a closer relationship with God. In the midst of a busy life, many people find it difficult to notice God's action in their daily affairs. Yet, at the deepest level, all of us long for a more conscious experience of God's presence and love.

In spiritual direction, you reflect deeply on the experiences of your daily life. Gradually, as you contemplate, you may begin to recognize God's presence and grace in your life. You may come to realize how God's spirit is truly with you every day and everywhere. You discover that God has been waiting for you to seek this closer relationship.

Spiritual direction is really not about being "directed." Rather, the "director" is the servant of the "directee" as she/he is encouraged to notice how God is drawing him/her closer. Spiritual direction invites you into this relationship whether you attend a church, mosque, synagogue, temple, or none of these. God seeks you where you are.

You might come to spiritual direction for a variety of reasons, including to:

  • Integrate spirituality into your daily life.
  • Discern and make difficult choices.
  • Share struggles, losses, or disappointments.
  • Explore new methods of prayer
  • Grow in relationship with God, self, others, and creation.

(The above is adapted from Spiritual Directors International brochure)

My Background and Experience

I was formally trained as a spiritual director while I was a Master of Divinity student at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley. In 2001, I completed the summer spiritual direction practicum under George Murphy, SJ, and Jane Ferdon, OP, and continued in a supervisory group with them for several years. Since 2001 I have directed a diverse population of people: local parishioners, prison inmates, college students, Jesuit Volunteers, Divinity students, and retreatants making the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. I have worked with men and women from the ages of 21 - 70, who were Catholic or Protestant. In my training as a hospital chaplain (certified by the National Association of Catholic Chaplains in 2005), I regularly provided spiritual care and companioning to Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Wiccan patients, as well as others not affiliated with a particular religious tradition. My work has included companioning persons in the GLBT community, sexual abuse survivors, the chronically or terminally ill, those in recovery for substance abuse, persons struggling with depression and/or mental illness, and persons requesting grief counseling.

As well as having experience as a hospital chaplain, I completed a Masters degree in Biblical Languages after finishing my Master of Divinity. I teach scripture courses at local parishes so I bring a strong knowledge of both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament to my work as a spiritual director.

If you are interested in finding out more about how I might offer a helpful presence as you deepen your spiritual life, please feel free to contact me to set up an initial meeting at no charge.  You can reach me at: 510-521-8011.