What is Spiritual Guidance?

Spiritual guidance is sometimes called spiritual direction, spiritual mentoring, spiritual friendship, or holy listening. A spiritual guide listens deeply to help a seeker pay attention to the movement of the Sacred in the seeker's life. (Sometimes the Sacred is clothed in names such as Holy Mystery, the Divine Feminine, Family, Nature, Art, Life, or God.) Though spiritual guidance is often connected with religious institutions,  it is not necessary to be a member of any faith community to be a seeker.

Each of us is a voyager on the journey of life. For many of us, there comes a time when we seek a deeper meaning to our experiences. This seeking may be prompted by a situation such as an inner restlessness, the need to make a difficult decision, a time of transition, or a period of challenge or desolation. At such times, it can be helpful to have a companion to walk with us and guide us through this unknown land.

The role of a spiritual guide is to create a safe and compassionate space where the seeker is able to explore the experiences, thoughts, and emotions which come from navigating daily life. A guide listens deeply to the seeker's story, bearing witness to joy and suffering, contentment and longing,  frustrations and hopes. The guide walks with the seeker to gently tease out the threads of deeper meaning where the Sacred can be found.

 Catharine Mitchell, Spiritual Guide
Spiritual Direction Supervisor
​Veriditas-Trained Labyrinth Facilitator

​"My listening is different from that of many professional listeners,
in that I listen for how the holy penetrates lives.
I am there to help people discover the ways
their lives are imbued with spirituality.
​This is spiritual direction."
Susan Phillips, in ​Candlelight

Copyright © 2019 Catharine Mitchell. All rights reserved.