How to find a Spiritual Director
Finding a Spiritual Director has not always been that easy in the UK. Historically, this ancient ministry has been rather hidden away, available only to those in the know within the Church, such as priests and monastics, as I discuss in my article Contemporary Trends in Spiritual Direction . If you are exploring spiritual direction for yourself, you may also find it helpful to read more about what spiritual direction involves and how I work. You can find out more about the h
Inner & Outer Journeying: Holding the Paradox of the Spiritual Path
In my earlier post on Spiritual Landscapes I describe the contemplative places where our inner and outer spiritual journeying can come together, and in my post 'Spiritual Journeying' I reflect on the living paradox of how there both is and isn’t a journey to God. It is key to hold both understandings in mind as we reflect on our spiritual life and path. If we go to the extreme of one side, we can end up seeing ourselves as an improvement project and striving for our own whol
Spiritual Life and Listening: Learning to Hear With the Heart
Listening to the Holy, listening to others, and listening to ourselves are all vital to the spiritual life. Yet true listening requires courage and vulnerability, for deep listening does not leave us unchanged. To listen attentively is to allow ourselves to be moved, disturbed, and sometimes transformed by what we hear. Silence and the Art of Listening Br David Steindl-Rast — the Benedictine monk and writer — reminds us that 'Without silence there can be no listening.' As I
What is Prayer? Why is it important in the Spiritual Life?
Prayer lies at the heart of the spiritual life, yet it is often misunderstood, reduced to technique, obligation, or belief. Beneath these layers, prayer speaks to something more fundamental — our human capacity to turn toward the mystery that gives rise to us, sustains us, and calls us into transformation. This reflection explores what prayer is, and why it remains essential if our spiritual life is to become lived and embodied rather than merely believed. Prayer as a Human I
Contemporary Trends in Spiritual Direction: Reflections at a Time of Emergence
Today, around the world and across traditions, the ancient spiritual practice of meeting regularly with a spiritual director is growing and developing. What follows are six observations offered as reflections rather than predictions. These reflections were written in the early 2010s, drawing on conversations and articles published at the time in Presence, the journal of Spiritual Directors International, and in conference conversations among those involved in training spirit
The History of Spiritual Direction
Spiritual direction is often spoken of today as a contemporary practice, yet its roots reach deep into the history of spiritual life across centuries and traditions. This article traces the long and rich story of spiritual direction — from the wisdom of the desert, monastic and Celtic traditions, through to its contemporary rediscovery — and reflects on how spiritual accompaniment has always sought to support the deepening of a person’s relationship with God and their own inn
Spiritual Direction or Counselling?
This question is often asked as though spiritual direction and counselling are competing or interchangeable practices. In reality, the relationship between them is more subtle and more fluid than a simple comparison allows. Over the years, as spiritual direction has increasingly entered dialogue with psychology, many practitioners have found themselves working at an attentive boundary between inner healing, meaning-making, and spiritual discernment. What follows is therefore
Describing Spiritual Direction : Voices from a Living Tradition
A sacred conversation held within the life of God. Spiritual direction is often described today in careful, well-established ways — as a contemplative, supportive accompaniment that helps a person attend to God’s presence in their life. These descriptions are not wrong. Yet they are not the whole story. Across Christian history, spiritual direction has been understood, practised, and named in many different ways, shaped by context, temperament, theology, and human need. Rath
Spiritual Landscapes: Places of Journey and Transformation
There are so many landscapes we pass through, internally and externally, as we journey in life. I find that the outer and inner are often brought together when reflecting on the geographical and spiritual journeying of God’s people in the Old Testament, and how these places relate to our lives and experience now. Garden Places There are lush gardens such as the Garden of Eden, and the garden that forms the backdrop to the lovers in the Song of Songs — an almost restored par
