Definitions

Bill Haley wrote: “the spiritual director is one who, most simply, walks alongside another person helping them to listen to what God is saying in their lives and recognize God’s actions.

 

He or she is not a counselor, who ‘listens to a person on God’s behalf’, or a teacher primarily transferring information like a jug to a mug…in other words, spiritual direction is not so much about ‘diagnosis of the other’ but rather ‘discernment with the other’, and with the Holy Spirit who is, as Thomas Merton notes, “the True Director.”

​

Spiritual direction is a cousin to other caring professions, including pastoral care, counseling, and chaplaincy. I strive to recognize when I may be straying into  these professions, and stay within my role as a spiritual director.