Spiritual Direction
We are hungry, and we don’t know for what.
We want something, but we can’t name it.
(Margaret Guenther, Holy Listening: The Art of Spiritual Direction)
I am a spiritual director.
Sometimes we just need someone to talk to. Not just everyday conversation, but focused, intentional, heart-level stuff. That’s what I offer. That’s what I love.
An ancient practice, dating back at least as far as the 3rd and 4th centuries with the desert mothers and fathers, spiritual direction is an intentional relationship between a director and directee; a space for conversation, for questions, for honesty; a place that brings forth life. Not dependent on a particular set of beliefs (or any) it’s a beautiful invitation to categories that deeply matter; that impact every aspect of our lives.
My favorite metaphor to help others understand the spiritual direction relationship is that of a midwife (thanks to Margaret Guenther, quoted above). A midwife is present to another in a time of vulnerability, working in areas that are deep and intimate. She is a teacher in the best sense of the word, in that she helps the birthgiver toward even greater self-knowledge. She sees clearly what the birthgiver cannot see. She knows the signs. She can encourage and interpret. She knows when the birthgiver should push, hold back, and breathe deeply. She knows how and when to confront; able to give heart and even demand the seemingly impossible. And the midwife rejoices in the beauty and absurdity of new and amazing life.
It is a profound privilege for me to be in these spaces; to listen to your questions, to feel and honor your labor, to be with you in sacred and painful places – places burgeoning with life in the midst of doubt, struggle, and the unknown.
Above all, the holy listener is open to anything the directee might bring.
She is willing to hear about darkness and desolation,
the times of God’s seeming absence and neglect.
She is not frightened by another’s anger, doubt, or fear,
and she is comfortable with tears.
(Margaret Guenther)
If you are interested in spiritual direction, I have an initial questionnaire that I ask you to complete that helps me have a better sense of frameworks within which you’re working/thinking/processing…and those to which you lean/hope. For the most part, our work together will be via phone/Skype (though in person is lovely and certainly available).
Session options:
One, 60-minute session ~ $100 (paid in advance through PayPal). An opportunity to dive in deep. We’ll wrestle through questions, struggles, and hopes as well as consider ways in which you can incorporate new concepts, ideas, and practices into your ongoing pursuit of spirituality.
Three, 50-minute sessions ~ $240 (paid in advance through PayPal). A paced, over time conversation with space to explore systems of belief, how those have changed throughout time, where you are currently struggling/questioning, and casting vision for hope in regards to spiritual wholeness, movement, and freedom. Reflective/journaling work will be offered between sessions. (Discounted hourly rates are available upon completion of 3 sessions at $85.)
I am a certified Spiritual Director and a member of Spiritual Directors International (SDI). There is a large body of information available at the SDI site if you would like to know more about this practice: www.sdiworld.org
Email me: ronna@ronnadetrick.com. I’d love to talk to you further.
Complete the Initial Questionnaire.
A woman must be willing to embrace risk if she is to push out the boundaries,
find her true self and voice, and thereby grow into her own mature spirituality.
(Margaret Guenther)
