Frequently Asked Questions


* What makes spiritual direction different from counseling or life coaching?

Spiritual direction does give room to explore your past or look to future goals and expectations. But unlike counseling or life coaching, spiritual direction focuses on staying fully in the present without needing to establish certainty or action items for you to accomplish later. It provides ways to safely explore beliefs in God, life’s purpose, what happens after death, or any other spiritual question you may have, and is unique in that the place of not yet knowing is considered deeply rich and rewarding. Spiritual direction allows you space to listen not only to your own inner voice but also to listen deeply to what another voice within you - God, The Divine, The Universe, Jesus, The Holy, whatever you call it - may be inviting for you. A spiritual director’s task is to accompany you and listen with you as you connect with that which is sacred to you at the deepest level of being.

* What if I’m spiritual but not religious?

I believe our truest selves have come from and are already connected to Something bigger and more lasting than our understanding and the limits of our finite lives. In seeking to grasp that connection, some people pray, others meditate, still others look for a practice that hopefully leads to transcendence. If you are considering spiritual direction, it’s likely you are already called to know more about Something or Someone and about how he/she/it connects to you — with or without the traditional labels of society or religious affiliation. If you are currently in a faith community, that’s wonderful. If not, that’s wonderful too!

* How much does spiritual direction cost and how often do we meet?

Sessions are one hour, once a month. My sliding scale is $30-70 and I won’t charge on the initial visit. I accept Venmo, Zelle, and checks.

* If I’m in counseling, can I be in spiritual direction, too?

Yes, you can. I appreciate knowing if you are currently in counseling. I have the highest regard for mental health care professionals and encourage anyone who wants counseling to get it. Part of my promise to my directees is to be honest with them and advise them to seek mental health care professionals if they need it as part of their journey.


* What if I try this and find it’s not what I want?

The contract between a director and directee requires transparency, integrity and honesty. If you find that spiritual direction is not what you’re looking for at this time, you are under no long term contract to continue.

* I notice that you are Christian. Will that be a issue if I am not?

The role of a spiritual director isn’t to convert you to their beliefs, it’s to help you be more aware of what God might be calling you to within your own. I might reference my own faith from time to time, but the purpose of spiritual direction is to give YOU the space and support you need for your own soul. I am committed to respecting your journey and not requiring you to adjust to mine.

* How old do you have to be for spiritual direction? Is there a minimum/maximum age?

Many people under the age of 25 are generally still working hard on figuring out their external roles in society - preferences of jobs and relationships, short and long term goals, and other ways in which they define themselves in the world - and that’s fine! Most people who are interested in the deeper exploration that is unique to spiritual direction are between the ages of 25 and 99. But I realize that every person is one of a kind, and you might be outside this general age range, big as it is!

* Is this a trend that’s going to go out of fashion? How long has this been going on?

Almost all faith traditions have had some sort of direction process; in the Judeo-Christian traditions with which I am most familiar, it’s found throughout the Bible in both Old and New Testaments. Throughout the book of Acts and in the letters of Paul we see apostles giving spiritual direction to groups and individuals, guiding them not only with general principles, but also with specific advice and words of encouragement. The form of Christian spiritual direction in which I am trained originated in monasticism, in the writings of leaders such as St. Basil, St. Benedict, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbess Hildegarde of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, St, Ignatius of Loyola and others, as far back as 379 AD. Spiritual direction in Buddhism and other Eastern faiths has gone back even farther than that. So it has been around for a very long time.