My books are open for new spiritual direction clients

Soul companionship & bearing witness to your story

Photo by Clark Wilson on Unsplash

Spiritual direction is the practice of attending to your inner life—your deep questions, your soul’s longings, that place within where you meet with God—all in the company of a trained listener whose role is to bear witness to your story and to support you in making meaning of what’s unfolding inside of you.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve moved through my days, contemplating big shifts in my relationships, vocation, sense of identity, or in my faith life, and thought to myself, It would be so nice to have someone with whom I can discuss these things. Someone who is far enough removed from the details of my life to be helpful and has experience in honoring these types of thoughts and questions.

There have been times when I’ve looked to therapy and found tremendous value in it. But the work of therapy tends to focus on psychological processes and mental health. These are great things, but not always the same as soul care and spiritual presence.

There have also been times when I’ve looked to coaching, and also found tremendous value it. Coaching tends to focus on goal setting and practical changes—also good things! But not necessarily the same as the gentle work of contemplative and prayerful listening for how the holy is unfolding in our lives.

The work of spiritual direction is fundamentally, well, spiritual. If it sounds a bit intuitive and mystical, that’s because it is.

We’re listening together for how God is present in the reality of your story.

We’re listening together for those sacred invitations to deepen in your love for God, for yourself and for others.

We’re listening together for how those places of discomfort, agitation, or unrest within might be welcoming you into new ways of being.

Spiritual direction is a container in which we increase our capacity to sit with what’s present and real, often beginning with silence before deepening into soul-level conversations about what matters most.

What Happens in A Spiritual Direction Session?

A typical spiritual direction session lasts for about 50-minutes. I prefer to begin sessions with a bit of silence, allowing for a period of transition from the activities we were doing before. This moment of silence also gives us the chance to pause and settle-in before welcoming whatever topic or question is top of mind for my client (or directee.)

Over the course of the session, the client/directee shares what is most present for them. I, as the director, listen. I ask questions. I make observations. I hold a non-anxious, non-judgmental space with prayer, openness, and curiosity. As we move through your story, we work together to maintain an openness to Love’s leading in our midst.

At times, I may recommend books or offer resources for further reflection. We may end our sessions in silence or with a contemplative exercise. I almost always ask people to share what’s shimmering for them as our session comes to a close.

As is the case with most helping professions, the depth of our 1:1 companionship grows over time as we build trust and find our footing. Given this, I recommend people commit to at least a handful of sessions to determine if spiritual direction with me is a good, long-term fit.

Where Do We Go From Here?

If you’re reading this and spiritual direction with me sounds like something you may be interested in, click here or follow the link below to read through the spiritual direction page on my website. On that page, I answer questions like,

• What happens when I join Bethaney in the practice of spiritual direction?

• What is Bethaney’s training or experience in spiritual direction?

• What if I’m not from the same Christian tradition, or religious tradition, as Bethaney? Is spiritual direction with her right for me?

• What would I have to invest in this journey, in terms of money and time?

I answer all these questions and more on my website.

After reading through everything, if the idea of working with me is shimmering for you, please email me, hello@bethaneywilkinson.com, and we will schedule an introductory Zoom call to discuss more. I can’t wait to hear from you.