Spiritual Care, Spiritual Companionship, Spiritual Support, Spiritual Coaching, Spiritual Direction, Spiritual Guidance, Hashpa’ah…
What is Spiritual Direction?
“Helping people discover and grow a relationship with the spiritual aspect of being human.”
Tending your relationship with the Sacred
Nature, God, the Universe, the Holy, the Mystery, your Inner Knowing, the Divine, [insert your words here]
With theWhat, now?
Every person’s version of spirituality is a little bit different, and the ways we talk about it are naturally different as well. While I have my own understanding of the Holy, what matters in our work together is yours.
Whatever words you choose to name the more, my role is to help facilitate your relationship.
It’s OK if you don’t have words that feel good yet, or if you don’t know what you think. We can work through that together! And you can change your mind as many times as you need to.
When pressed for a quick answer to the question “what does a spiritual director do?” I sometimes irreverently refer to Spiritual Direction as “relationship counseling with The Holy.”
While Spiritual Care is not therapy or counseling in a literal sense, the space I hold for you and Gd is much like that of a relationship counselor.
I listen. I reflect. I give you space to vent and name all of your feelings. I offer compassionate, unconditional support, and I bring my own learning and tools as gifts you may or may not choose to receive.
And it is all in service of strengthening your relationship.
I love to work with Tarot and creativity as a way to access the inner knowings that can be hard to find on a day to day basis. I specialize in supporting the deconstruction and reconstruction of systems of belief and practice, from concepts of Gd to language for that which is sacred, to discovering the spiritual practices that best support your life. And I am 100% a nerd for text study of any sort, including explorations of the bible, the talmud, your favorite pop culture novel or movie, etc.
Or we can just sit together with some hot tea and chat about what’s going on.
In fact, this is often the best starting place!
Just like the Divine, this work goes by many names. The most traditional is Spiritual Direction, but you might also hear practitioners referred to as a Spiritual Companion, Spiritual Guide, Mashpia, Spiritual Director, Spiritual Coach, Soul Friend, or something else.
I usually refer to myself as a Spiritual Companion and the work I do as either Spiritual Care or Spiritual Direction.
Spiritual Direction is a safe place to be heard, a place of uninterrupted time for exploring life’s Big Questions (who am I? what am I doing with my life? why are we here? what is the point?), considering your identity, to examine your inner landscape, and to develop your own concept of yourself as a spiritual person.
Spiritual Direction is a time in your month to breathe.
I am particularly passionate about accompanying
members of the queer/poly/kink/LGBTQIA+ community
Jews (especially Jewish converts and their partners, as well as anyone who feels connected to Judaism but struggles to feel or find belonging in Jewish spaces)
those whose sacred texts arise from popular culture
people seeking a sacred rhythm as they move through the year
exvangelicals and others exploring what it means to them to step away from a tradition that has been important to their life (in positive or negative ways)
people searching for authentic language for and connection to divinity
If you’re seeking freedom, direction, and a little support while you find your soul’s calling, I hope you will consider working with me.
If you would like to know more about me, or about spiritual direction, or if you'd just like to see what our relationship might look like, please contact me to schedule a free consultation and we’ll chat!
I prefer to consult via Zoom, though if you are local, in-person consultations can be arranged.
Sessions can take place in-person at a mutually agreeable location or via Zoom videoconferencing.
During our conversation, you can ask any questions you like, tell me a little bit about yourself, and we can go from there!
Alternatively (or additionally), Spiritual Directors International has a great FAQ section that covers some of the basics, and if you find my style doesn’t meet your needs, SDI lists spiritual companions and directors across the country you might reach out to.
What does a spiritual direction session look like at Selah Spiritual Care?
We will meet together once or twice a month, for 60-90 minutes.
My Spiritual Guidance meetings begin with a few minutes to get settled in together: I light a candle, and we might breathe together or pull a tarot card, read a poem, or listen to a song.
You’ll decide each session what feels right for you.
The heart of the Spiritual Care session is your time. You might discuss how the changing seasons are affecting your connection with nature. You might wonder how you can honor both your traditions and your partners’. You may need to vent about how your mom can’t (won’t?) get your pronouns right and explore how that connects to your values and experiences. You might explore what prayer means to you as someone who doesn’t believe there’s a Gd “up there” listening. You might bring a question that needs your attention and want to do a tarot reading to sort it out. Some other things we might do:
Delve into your dreams and explore what your subconscious might be revealing
Wonder about the Big Questions (there are a few that seem universal, and there will be some that are just yours)
Explore your values, and ethics and explore how you can best live them out
Discuss and create rituals and spiritual practices for deepening your relationship with your inner voice
Explore the role of spirituality and divinity in your life
Explore stories and myths that have shaped your life and determine which to keep and which could use a rewrite
Look at your passions and commitments and make sure that you are contributing to justice work in a way that feels sustainable and life-giving
Take a deep dive into your relationships and work on developing meaningful communication and authentic boundaries
Just breathe
The last 5 minutes of the Spiritual Support session are a quick debrief:
What will stick with you from our conversation today? Is there something different you’d like to try next time? What do you want to explore more or try out in the coming weeks? How can I keep you in my heart until we meet again?
What does Spiritual Direction cost?
Spiritual Direction with me costs $100 for 60 minutes.
It is important to me that Spiritual Care professionals are compensated for their time.
I also feel strongly that spiritual care should be available to everyone no matter what their means, so I have sliding scale spaces, as well as an opportunity to contribute to a scholarship fund by paying more for a session.
