What is spiritual direction?
Spiritual direction is a space of prayerful listening and companionship. It’s a place to slow down and notice God’s presence and activity in your real life—your relationships, your questions, your longing, your grief, your formation.
It’s not about fixing you. It’s about helping you become more attentive to love: God’s love, and the way that love is shaping you over time.
Is spiritual direction the same as therapy?
No—though they can complement each other beautifully.
Therapy often focuses on clinical goals, mental health symptoms, trauma processing, relational patterns, and psychological healing.
Spiritual direction focuses on your relationship with God and the movement of the Spirit in your life: how you’re being formed, what you’re discerning, where you feel resistance, where you feel invited.
If you’re in therapy, spiritual direction can be a supportive companion practice. If you’re not, we can also talk about whether therapy might be a wise support alongside direction—especially for acute anxiety, trauma, or crisis.
Do I have to be a Christian to meet with you?
No. You are welcome if you’re:
- actively Christian,
- cautiously Christian,
- deconstructing,
- spiritually curious,
- unsure what you believe right now.
What matters most is that you want a space for honest reflection and spiritual listening. I will always respect your agency, your story, and your boundaries.
I’m deconstructing / burned by the church. Is this still for me?
Yes. And you don’t need to tidy up your faith before you come.
Many people come to direction carrying grief, anger, confusion, or distrust toward Christian institutions. Spiritual direction can be a gentle place to separate Jesus from the harms you’ve experienced, to name what you’ve lost, and to explore what might still be true—without pressure.
What happens in a session?
Most sessions are simple and spacious. Typically, we:
- begin with a moment of settling (silence, breath, prayer),
- listen to what’s stirring in your life,
- notice where God might be present or inviting you,
- explore gently through questions (not fixing, not forcing),
- and sometimes end with a practice to carry into your week.
Some sessions feel quiet and contemplative. Others hold tears, laughter, grief, relief, and clarity. All of it is welcome.
Will you tell me what God is saying or what I should do?
I won’t tell you what to do—and I don’t position myself as the “expert” on God’s will for your life.
Instead, I help you grow in discernment: learning to recognize what is of God, what is not, and what might simply be your nervous system needing care. We listen together—with humility, curiosity, and consent.
I’m not good at prayer. Is that a problem?
Not at all.
If prayer has felt confusing, pressured, or disappointing, spiritual direction can actually be a safe place to rebuild trust—slowly. We can explore prayer styles that fit your season and capacity (including very simple practices that don’t require “getting it right”).
How long are sessions, and how often do we meet?
Most people meet 1x per month, but the rhythm can be adapted to your needs, capacity, and season.
How long do people stay in spiritual direction?
It varies widely. Some people come for a specific season (3–6 months). Others stay for years because the relationship becomes a steady support for ongoing formation.
You’re never locked in. We’ll check in regularly about what’s helpful and what you need.
What kinds of topics can I bring?
All of your life is valid material for spiritual direction, including:
- anxiety, burnout, and overwhelm
- decisions and discernment
- relationships, marriage, parenting, singleness
- grief and loss
- shame, perfectionism, people-pleasing
- prayer dryness, doubt, spiritual numbness
- church wounds, leadership fatigue, deconstruction
- calling, work, creativity, transition
- sensing God’s presence (or not sensing it)
Nothing is “too small” or “not spiritual enough.” God meets us in the ordinary.
Do you incorporate charismatic or Spirit-led listening?
Yes, with gentleness and discernment.
I make room for the Holy Spirit to speak and guide—but I’m not interested in pressure, hype, or certainty that overrides your agency. If words, images, Scripture, or impressions come, we hold them with humility, test them with wisdom, and notice their fruit: peace, love, clarity, steadiness.
Is spiritual direction confidential?
Yes. What you share is held with care and confidentiality, with the usual exceptions: if there is risk of harm to self or others, or abuse of a child/elder, I’m obligated to take appropriate steps to keep people safe.
What does it cost?
Individual sessions are $75 per 60 minute session. Payment is due at the time of session. I do not accept insurance.
Do you offer in-person or online sessions?
I offer sessions via Zoom and in-person based on your location. My office is in Bend, Oregon.
How do I get started?
A simple next step is to complete the contact form. I will reach out to schedule your first 30 minute complimentary session.
You don’t need to be sure. You just need to be willing to begin.