What Does A Direction Session Look Like?

Spiritual direction is an entirely new territory for many people, so this is a common question. Here I will attempt to lay the ground work for what to expect in a spiritual direction session.

Director

A spiritual director specially trained in the art of listening, discernment, and spiritual formation/development brings their whole self (experiences, training, spirituality) to direction. A director holds a welcoming space for the directee as they partner with the directee to notice the movements of God in the stories and experiences shared by the directee. The director speaks very little and encourages silence. A director also has an ongoing pursuit of deep relationship with God and continues in professional development. A spiritual director is not a teacher or mentor and has not "arrived" with any level of expertise at a spiritual destination.

"The task of the spiritual director is to be positioned, like a campfire in the wilderness, welcoming sojourners from all corners of life to stop, relax and yarn for awhile. A place where tired bodies and spirits are warmed by the fire and refreshed. A friendly atmosphere where stories of the road are shared amongst travellers. The job of the spiritual director is to keep the fire burning because one never knows when a traveller will come to sit. It doesn't matter where on the journey the traveller has been exploring or how long they have been walking, if they come in peace to sit on a log by the campfire, they are welcome." -Simon Brown, Mission and the Art of Spiritual Direction

Directee

The directee is a person who desires to have a deeper relationship with the Trinitarian God (God the Father, God the Son/Jesus, and God the Spirit/Holy Spirit). Directees bring their whole selves to sessions but are encouraged to steward their vulnerability and share only what they choose to. Within that sharing the topics can range from daily life, spiritual life, prayer, work, family, longings, to personal history.

The Session

Spiritual direction sessions last approximately 1 hour and are often scheduled once a month or as needed. Sessions may be in person or via zoom.

Hospitality is a high value in direction. Comfort and welcome are critical elements to the space. A great deal of this has to do with the physical set up and presence in the room. Directees are encouraged to bring their whole selves to their session, recognizing that God is in and throughout all aspects of their lived experience. In session with me, there will be some physical representation of the presence of God in our conversation. Typically a lit candle to represent the flame of the Holy Spirit or perhaps an empty chair as an invitation to acknowledge God's presence.

Spiritual direction sessions can begin with silence and breath, a reading, or prayer. The directee chooses what helps one best center oneself and fully "arrive" for the session. Out of the silence that follows, the directee has an opportunity to share whatever they want to bring to direction. Direction focuses on the relationship between creation (directee) and Creator (God) with the intent of encounter. Directees get to choose how much they want to share and when. Directors provide a safe, non-judgmental context for exploration of the movements of God, encouragement, support and deep listening. When the conversation begins to wind down toward the end of the session, directees are offered a moment to express anything left unsaid. If referrals are needed, this is a really good time to talk about that.

Finally, the way the session closes depends upon what best serves the directee. It can be the reading from the beginning read again, a prayer may be spoken or unspoken (by the directee or director), a passage of scripture read, or simply silence.

At the end of the session, directees are invited to schedule another session or reach out when they are ready.

A final note about referrals: should something come up that is outside the realm of spiritual direction, referrals may be offered. A director is not a therapist, counselor, life coach, financial advisor, or lawyer.

Interested in scheduling an introductory meeting? Email me at kari.mirro@gmail.com