September - 2016

Welcome to Reflections on the Spiritual Life

Here you will find articles on spiritual direction, psychology and spirituality, contemplative practice, and the deeper movements of the spiritual life. Drawing on decades of experience in psychospiritual work and spiritual accompaniment, these reflections explore themes such as shadow material, struggles in spiritual practice, images of God, dreamwork, and the emotional dynamics that shape the spiritual journey.

Whether you are seeking support in your own inner life or resources for spiritual direction practice,

I hope these writings offer clarity, depth, and encouragement.

Venn diagram on a chalkboard showing "Spirit," "Body," "Mind." Central area labeled "HEALTHY" in colorful blocks, symbolizing balance in the psychospiritual journey.

Psychological Ways We Can Undermine Our Spiritual Transformation

On the spiritual path, we often assume that our deepest desire is for transformation — to become more open to God, more loving, more whole. Yet many people discover, sometimes with confusion or self-judgement, that alongside this longing there is also resistance. Change can feel unsettling, even threatening, to the familiar sense of who we are, and this tension is not a sign of spiritual failure but a deeply human reality. This reflection explores some of the psychological wa

A vivid blue eye with a cross and a figure in front. The iris has yellow and blue patterns. The mood is contemplative depicting the idea of the images of God we can hold in our inner eyes.

Healing Our Distorted Images of God

In my earlier article on the Spiritual Life & Our Images of God I looked at how our inner images of God (as opposed to beliefs about God) can impact on our spiritual journey. These images often lay buried deep within us and, because our distorted images often begin to form early in life, we may not even be aware of them. Why Our Images of God Matter Because our images of God operate largely beneath conscious awareness, they can quietly shape our spiritual life in powerful wa

Rough-textured brown brushstroke forms a circle on an aged, yellowed background, creating an abstract and spiritual feel of the Zen symbol for wholeness.

Wholeness & Our Unconscious

Much of our spiritual life unfolds beyond the reach of conscious intention or effort. Beneath our prayers, beliefs, and spiritual practices lies a deeper inner world that quietly shapes how we experience God, ourselves, and others. In this article, I explore how our unconscious life plays a vital role in the journey toward wholeness, and why spiritual growth so often requires us to attend to what lies hidden as well as what is known. Wholeness, Selfhood, and the Spiritual Jou

Stone labyrinth with flower design at center, surrounded by light brown textured tiles. The pattern gives a sense of calm and symmetry.

Praying with the Labyrinth: Journeying to the Centre and Back

The labyrinth has re-emerged in recent years as a quiet but powerful aid to prayer and reflection. Used across cultures and spiritual traditions, it offers a way of engaging the body, imagination, and inner life together. For many, it becomes not simply a practice, but a living symbol of the spiritual journey itself. The Labyrinth as Symbol A labyrinth is an ancient symbol of wholeness . It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful pa