What Is Spiritual Direction?

Another word for spiritual direction is spiritual friendship and it involves the art of holy listening. Spiritual direction includes companionship between two people who trust each other. One of those people is usually trained as a guide, or as the Celtic tradition says an anamcara (soul friend), while the other person shares his or her life's journey. The director pays attention to the story of another's journey in order to help discern the work of the Spirit in the life of the directee. That Spirit is actually the true Director who uses the listening skills of the one who listens. One chooses a spiritual director that she respects for her walk with God. The directee is on the journey to a deeper sense of prayer and awareness of God's presence in his or her life. The spiritual director or friend helps the directee to recognize this presence and claim it as genuine and good.

When one goes to visit a spiritual director, the session should always begin with prayer. A little time spent in silence allows both the director and the directee to focus on God's guidance. One important note is that spiritual direction is not pastoral counseling nor therapy. A person who enters spiritual direction is answering an inner call to live life more abundantly. Talking about one's prayer life with a trusted friend is a way to enter the prayer more deeply. A usual schedule involves a once a month meeting of about an hour's length.

When looking for a spiritual director, it is important that the director be a person of prayer and that he or she has his or her own spiritual director. The St. James Center for Spiritual Development can aid you in finding a spiritual director here in the greater Greenville area. Simply email us or ask one of our advisory board members.

For more information, visit Spiritual Directors International.

The love of our neighbor in all its fullness simply means being able to say,
"What are you going through?"

Simone Weil

Look here for a video that discusses the use of a spiritual director.