Three reasons for spiritual direction
This ordinary life with all of its questions is sacred, and sometimes we need a companion to journey with us. Here are three reasons I think spiritual direction is beneficial:
Discernment
Life is nothing if not a series of questions, big and small: Questions about meaning, God, vocation, why things happen the way they do, why things don’t happen the way we think they should. The list goes on and on. A spiritual director is someone who journeys with you through these mysteries. A spiritual director is someone who listens without judgment and provides space and contemplative tools for you to explore your own story and cultivate a rich inner life.
Grief & loss
Juniper House is a physical and metaphorical space offering spiritual direction and space to heal. When I look back on my own journey through loss, this is what was missing.
Friends, church, therapy: Sure these places were there for me in different ways, but there were no spaces or people to simply be with me on my journey without answers, fixes, or opinions.
That’s exactly what spiritual direction provides, and it’s why I believe it has something to offer those experiencing grief and loss. As Francis Weller says in The Wild Edge of Sorrow: “Grief work is soul work.”
Soul care at work
There is a growing recognition that spirituality is an important component of human health and wellness in workplaces and that spiritual direction can help connect employees to their purpose and values. With a professional background in industries from retail to media and nonprofits to corporations and international development, I have a keen interest and passion for the role of soul care at work.
New research from McKinsey lists spiritual health along with physical, mental, and social health when defining holistic health.
And while this research has found a connection between holistic health and employee outcomes, soul care in the workplace is also just the right thing to do. That’s because employees are whole people who deserve to be seen, valued, and cared for.
Spiritual direction could be the missing piece to your workplace wellness efforts. I offer 1:1 spiritual direction with leaders and group spiritual direction with teams, as well as spiritual direction for people seeking healing from workplace abuse and bullying.
