The name Juniper House is inspired by the poetry of Isaiah 55: “Instead of the thorn bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.” This poetry holds the promise of life and fullness and beauty in the face of loss.

Spiritual direction is companionship for the journey. In spiritual direction, you cultivate a rich inner life.

A spiritual director or companion is someone to sit with you, to listen without judgment, and provide space for you — no matter where you are at in your journey. I encourage you to check out the Portrait of a Spiritual Director by Spiritual Director’s International.

There are many healing professions, and it’s important to remember that spiritual direction is different than therapy, coaching, pastoral care, etc.

I like how author Richard Foster describes it (italics mine):

"The spiritual direction relationship includes a director and directee, with the director often being called a ​“spiritual director” or companion.

While different directors have different approaches to their practice, typically they take an active/passive role, simply creating the environment for the direction to take place.

The director intentions to do more listening than talking, asking evoking questions as needed and appropriate. Times of silence are apropos and welcomed. There is very little actual direction given as this is commonly understood.

Rather, the spiritual director convenes a conversation during which a direction will be determined by the directee and director together, co-laboring with God or the divine as the directee understands it. Both directee and director explore together what God might be doing in the areas being discussed.”

At Juniper House, we believe that healing is different than fixing. We are a space where you don't have to find a cure for what ails you, but you can find a little respite. A refuge. A stop on the journey. Your story is sacred. Your questions are sacred. In spiritual direction, we get closer to inhabiting the uninhabitable. In so doing, we can find belonging, comfort, peace, and maybe even a little meaning.

A life coach is a type of wellness professional who helps people make progress in their lives in order to attain greater fulfillment. Coaching is results-oriented. While there may be overlaps between coaching and spiritual direction, ultimately I am not in the pursuit of results. In spiritual direction, we are cultivating a rich inner life and exploring our relationship with ourselves and the divine. This journey often leads to results such as finding meaning, healing, clarity, etc. But to use a cliche – it’s about the journey, not the destination.

I will be practicing out of Crocus Hill Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine, Saint Nicholas Episcopal Church, and can also do virtual sessions.

Crocus Hill Acupuncture and Saint Nicholas Episcopal Church are located on Dakota land, and I honor all the ancestral stewards of this land and their descendants. If you are interested in learning more about the struggle for justice in the Dakota Homeland, I recommend reading “What Does Justice Look Like?”

Typically, we meet for an hour each month. We start with a short contemplative practice such as a breathing exercise or reading. Then, it’s up to you! What do you want to talk about and explore — and how do you want to explore it? This is your time: You talk, I listen.

If you feel stuck, don’t worry! I created a set of sacred conversation cards we can refer to if needed :) I will also have contemplative tools available that we can use together in the session.

I may reference resources throughout our conversation, but I commit to never offer advice or opinions.

Our time together is sacred. I will not reveal the content of our conversations unless I am required to do so by law or court order.

Here are just a few of the tools I use:

A contemplative, lectio divina approach to poetry and other readings

Visio divina

Tarot and oracle cards (I don’t do readings, but we can always pull a card to discuss together through a contemplative lens)

A contemplative approach to collage

Centering prayer

Meditation and breathing exercises

Meditative nature walking and labyrinth walking (let me know in advance of our session, so we can arrange to meet at a nature center or labyrinth)

Ritual (we can create a ritual together based on your needs)

Fair! When I talk about ambiguous loss, I am speaking somewhat broadly about non-death losses. Infertility, divorce, chronic pain or illness, big moves, etc. That said, there are a lot of "death" losses that can be ambiguous and/or fall in the category of disenfranchised grief. Reach out if you want to talk more!

Yes! I practice by the Spiritual Directors International guidelines for ethical conduct, which I will make available upon our engagement agreement. You can find it here. I have also completed Praesidium Academy Safe Church training through the Episcopal Church.

Yes! There is a nearly universal human search for meaning. That is what spirituality explores, while religion is a set of beliefs, practices and language that characterizes a community searching for transcendent meaning in a particular way, generally based upon belief in a deity.

There are many healing professions. My commitment at Juniper House is to remain — at all times and without question — within the scope of spiritual direction and companionship (see: what is spiritual direction” above for a portrait of a spiritual director). My scope is to provide and foster a sacred space, listen without judgement, and view things through a spiritual lens (as it relates to your own spiritual practice).

It is incredibly important, especially when dealing with grief and loss, to be in therapy. Please reach out or visit the resources page if you would like a referral. In addition to being in supervision and having my own spiritual director, I am proud to partner with a variety of practitioners such as reiki masters, acupuncturists, and therapists to host grief retreats and hold me accountable to practicing within my scope.

I will not charge for spiritual direction until I am out of supervision, so until Spring of 2025, it is free! An even bigger incentive to sign up if you’ve been curious.

Each workshop and retreat costs different amounts based on a variety of factors, and the price for each workshop is listed when you sign up.

Contact me for photography rates!

I view spiritual direction, photography, and storytelling as different expressions of one vocational calling: "One of the deepest longings of the human soul is to be seen (John O'Donohue)." I have spent the past 10 years refining my photography and storytelling skills. While spiritual direction is new to the mix, I feel called to include all three in my vocation moving forward.