Spiritual Direction
“We are like sponges trying to mop up the ocean, we shall not be able to explain God but we can apprehend God more and more.”— Everlyn Underhill
What Is Spiritual Direction?
Spiritual Direction is one of the ancient, mystical practices of the Christian tradition. Rooted in the early centuries of the Church, providing care and discernment for seekers and hermits who journeyed into the desert to deepen their union with God. It has remained a quiet, faithful presence in the life of the Church for generations.
At its heart, Spiritual Direction is a relationship of sacred companionship, a slow, listening conversation that helps you attend to the presence and movement of God in your everyday life. It is not about being “directed,” but about being accompanied with reverence, curiosity, and care.
Why Seek Spiritual Direction?
People are often drawn to spiritual direction when their inner life begins to shift and expand. You might find that familiar definitions of God no longer fit, or that your spiritual practices no longer feel alive. You may be looking for a safe and non-judgemental space to voice your questions, doubts, or longings.
You may be:
Craving a deeper, more spacious experience of the divine
Navigating change, grief, vocation, or transition
Deconstructing or evolving in your faith
Seeking guidance in prayer, dreams, or spiritual practice
Wherever you are, spiritual direction invites you to slow down and listen deeply to yourself, to the world, and to the invitational presence of God within all.
The Role of a Spiritual Director
“A spiritual director is one who helps another to recognise and to follow the inspirations of grace in their life, in order to arrive at the end to which God is leading them.”
— Thomas Merton
As a spiritual director I’m a fellow pilgrim, formed through life, intentional study, and contemplative community, I offer presence, deep listening, discernment, and prayer. I help you name and notice the deeper movements of your soul and gently hold space for you to recognise the unique pattern and rhythm of spirit within the landscape of your story and situations. I invite and assist you to articulate your experiences, savour them slowly and integrate them over time.
What Happens in a Session?
Sessions are usually an hour long and held in a regular rhythm. You are encouraged to bring the raw material of your life, your hopes, griefs, questions, doubts and desires, into the present moment and be with them gently. Our time together is contemplative, spacious, and shaped around your current experience and may include:
Listening conversation
Silence and stillness
Gentle questions
Creative or embodied reflection
Moments of prayer
What Are the Gifts of Spiritual Direction?
Awakening to God’s presence in everyday life
Freedom to be honest with God in doubt, desire, and disruption
Exploration of spiritual experience — in prayer, scripture, creation, dreams, symbols
Growth in discernment, self-awareness, and groundedness
Capacity to live with paradox and mystery
Cultivating joy, peace, and authenticity
Deepening love for self, others, and the world
Why was I drawn to this work?
I first engaged a spiritual director as a Christian leader with a longing to nourish my own space with God as I gave to others. In those sacred conversations, I felt liberated, freed to listen more deeply to the loving invitations of God in my own story.
At the same time, I was growing increasingly uneasy with one-size-fits-all, linear models of discipleship. I longed to offer others the kind of spiritual companionship I had received, spacious, attentive, non-directive, and full of grace.
I've discovered that the spiritual journey is not a straight path, but a spiral. There are no dead ends yet as we walk sometimes the winds and curves can leave us feeling like we are going in the wrong direction. Spiritual Direction invited me to trust the path and to walk it with intention, gratitude and curiosity