My Approach
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We are always becoming, growing and changing as people. Spiritual formation is the process by which we put our attention on our becoming, choosing to intentionally work alongside our own spirit and, if you believe in a higher power, alongside the Divine to become all of who we are made to be.
I cannot claim to know who you are made to be, nor do I know your path to get there. However, in a spiritual formation approach, I don’t need to know because your spirit and the Spirit of Love are already at work deepening that which is within you. My role is simply to direct your attention to your own life again and again, trusting that as you listen within, you will find your way.
Practically this means that all of what I offer is designed to inspire greater self-reflection and awareness of your connection to yourself and to the Divine. Even when I offer content or ideas for you to engage with, the point is not the ideas in of themselves, but rather your response and what that helps you discover about your own becoming.
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Being a human is hard. None of us come out of life unscathed. The wounds we carry and the grief we hold naturally shape our experiences of faith or of our spiritual life. For some, this is a loose connection - the pain you’ve experienced isn’t directly connected to your faith practice - but for others, religion and spirituality have been used in ways that have left you wounded. No matter the source of the pain, as an ethical facilitator and spiritual director, it is my responsibility to be able to hold space for you that is supportive and not harmful.
To that end, I became certified in Strategies for Trauma Awareness & Resilience and underwent other trainings to understand the physiological components to the stress response cycle and the way trauma works in our bodies. Because of this, I am conscious of warning signs that indicate what you're experiencing may feel like too much for your system and can offer practices that support your regulation when you need them.
I have learned best practices for designing spaces that honor the pain or trauma we carry and do not re-traumatize. I am committed to your agency and encourage you to pay attention to and honor what your body needs. If something is not working, there are feedback loops to make sure that we can collaborate on making the space better. You will always know what to expect and your no is welcome.
My Guiding Convictions
At the heart of spiritual direction, there’s a premise that the director stays with what’s emerging for the person in front of them, even if it’s different from what they themselves believe. In a way, if I’m doing spiritual direction well, what I believe doesn’t matter. However, I think it’s important to name the core convictions that guide my work so that you can know what’s informing how I show up. Again, this is my language and perspective, but in space with you, I will use your language and operate within your framework.
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I find the Christian concept of the Trinity a compelling image of God: God as relationship - a union of love so profound there is no separateness and yet there is still particularity and individual expression. Anywhere there is love, there is God.
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No one earns their belovedness or has to become worthy. You matter and are more loved than you can possibly imagine just because you’re you. Each aspect of your identity holds inherent dignity and worth.
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You don’t have to find God; Love is your birthright. From this Love flows a tender compassion that cradles all of our wounding with great gentleness, that seeks to understand our actions without condemnation, and that guides us toward wholeness.
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This web is made up of our relationships to self, to God, to others, and to the land. We exist as part of this larger whole and so, each of us deeply matter as our actions contribute to and have impact on the whole. And yet, we are also small in the way that awe makes all seem small. Nothing is yours to shoulder on your own because you are always connected.
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Our connections are sacred and tending to them is our most primal human vocation. Working toward healthy and whole relationships with self, others, the land, and God brings deep fulfillment and draws us into awe and wonder at that which is bigger than us.