What is Spiritual Direction?
“Spiritual direction is not psychotherapy nor is it an inexpensive substitute, although the disciplines are compatible and frequently share raw material. Spiritual direction is not pastoral counselling, nor is it to be confused with the mutuality of deep friendships, for it is unashamedly hierarchical.
Not because the director is somehow “better” or “holier” than the directee, but because, in this covenant relationship the director has agreed to put him/her self aside so that his/her total attention can be focused on the person sitting in the other chair. What a gift to bring to another, the gift of disinterested, loving attention.”
– Margaret Guenther
– Margaret Guenther
“For us … religious experience is to spiritual direction what foodstuff is to cooking. Without religious experience there can be no spiritual direction.”
– Barry and Connolly
Christian spiritual direction is based on God’s covenantal relationship with men and women in Jesus Christ. Covenant speaks of mutual respect, trust and faithfulness and has a sacred character.
Therefore Christian spiritual direction requires a commitment to minister to a person with a Christ-like love and respect for his or her dignity, value and destiny.
More FAQ about Spiritual Direction
Membership FAQ
As is common practice in many organisations your Executive has indemnity insurance for it's role as your Executive.
Some members are covered through membership of other organisations or because they are clergy.
For those of you who need insurance, here is a link to information we have
The answer to this is yes and no. Best practice is to have a different person for each role. However sometimes local circumstances make this difficult. Care is needed in this case to make sure there is a clear boundary between roles. More on this here