Feeling Lost? Look for Spiritual Direction

Nov 29, 2018 10:08AM ● By Claire Rabe

We can travel the country and even the globe with a GPS, but there’s no navigation system for life. So when the way ahead seems unclear, spiritual directors can help lead us onto the right path.

Spiritual directors are not therapists, mediums or psychics. They are spiritual companions who walk the path with us, holding a flashlight to shine on the road ahead. Spiritual direction does not endorse a particular faith or doctrine. Rather, the objective is deep listening. Whatever the questions—medical, legal, career or relationship oriented—a spiritual director listens without judgement and asks guided questions to beckon us to go within for guidance. There are no details or life events too big or small to be shared, and all sharing is kept confidential.

Who can benefit from spiritual direction? Those at a transition point in life—whether starting or ending a career; beginning a new relationship or family; facing loss through death, divorce or a move—or one yearning for a deeper connection to a higher power.

Spiritual directors don’t accept insurance and are paid on a sliding scale, determined by the client and director together prior to the first meeting. Appointments are usually made monthly.

Patricia Martin is a spiritual director based in Sun City West. A former special needs teacher with a master’s degree in education, Martin felt a spiritual calling as she shepherded her young charges through their daily challenges. Several years ago, Martin knew that decision time had come. She enrolled in a two-year spiritual direction training program through Wisdom’s Way, an interfaith school in Phoenix. Martin has found her new vocation gratifying as she walks a spiritual path with others.

The internet is a great tool, but there’s no app for the human connection. In today’s impersonal, hurry-up world, spiritual directors like Martin fill a much-needed void. There’s no doubt this field of healing therapy will expand as our world becomes more fragmented and tech heavy, for we will never outgrow the need for an in-person, deeply spiritual connection.

Claire Rabe is a Phoenix-based author, journalist and writing coach who has written health, lifestyle, career and business features for more than 20 years. She has written two nonfiction books, ghostwritten and edited several others, and led writing workshops for new authors. Connect with her at [email protected]. For more information, visit ClaireRabe.com.