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Spiritual guides take the soul by the hand << Previous Next >>
Guest author: Liz Budd Ellmann, MDiv
"Quietly, compassionately, spirit directors take the soul by the hand, helping a seeker tap deeper dimensions," writes Anndee Hochman for the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper. Here are some quotes from the article. To read the entire article, follow this link.
Spiritual directors typically meet monthly with their directees, who may or may not share the same religious background; the relationship can continue for years. Unlike psychotherapy, which is problem-based and designed to alleviate distress, spiritual direction doesn't aim to "fix" anything. Instead, it offers people a place to talk about their spiritual lives without fear of judgment. For some, that means discussing God or prayer in the context of their faith; others use language such as "the yearning of the soul."
"In this culture, it's easier for us to talk about sex than about spirituality," says Cole, whose experience with spiritual direction was so positive that she enrolled in the training program at Chestnut Hill College and, five years ago, left her parish ministry for a full-time independent practice. "I've had people come who've had a religious experience that made them feel 'odd,' and they'd never told anybody."
Liz Ellmann, executive director of Spiritual Directors International, which publishes a journal and creates ethical guidelines for practitioners, says trauma often unleashes spiritual questions: "How do I be present to pain and joy? Why do I have to be so busy that I can't enjoy my life? And who do you talk about that stuff with?"
On a Thursday evening at Mishkan Shalom, a Reconstructionist synagogue in Roxborough, a small group of women and men gather near the wooden ark that holds the Torah ...
The growth in spiritual direction - here, in the seminary-rich Philadelphia area, and around the world - doesn't surprise Ervin. "We are at a crisis in our culture - not only for how to live, but how to live with the whole world. . . . People come down with breast cancer, they lose their job, the company downsizes, everything's falling down around them. Spiritual direction is a way of grounding themselves in the midst of that and seeking meaning."
To read the entire article, follow this link.
Add your comments about the article in the reply section below.
09/23,2009, at 17:36
As a spiritual director and member of Spiritual Directors International, don't we need to be very accurate when we describe ourselves as "certified"? What does that really mean? Since there is no certifying body for the practice of spiritual direction, is it not mis-leading to use the word "certified"? If one has completed a program that gives a certificate of completion, is that called certification? I think we need to be clear about this especially as spiritual direction becomes more known in our culture. Please speak to this concern as it directly relates to the Spiritual Directors International Guidelines for Ethical Conduct III.3.a."Spiritual directors, when presenting themselves to the public, preserve the integrity of spiritual direction by: a. representing qualifications and affiliations accurately."
09/24,2009, at 13:12
Thank you for your thoughtful comments, Sharon. Indeed, Spiritual Directors International is not a certifying organization and unfortunately has no control over the language journalists use for their articles. While being interviewed, I always talk about how spiritual direction is a gift, a charism, that God or a Higher Power gives to people. Enrichment, formation and training of the gift is the responsibility of the person given the gift by God. Journalists interview many people who use varying language to describe the ministry and service of spiritual direction, and then they choose language that they believe will communicate with their readers. In the article, Anndee Hochman uses "certified spirit guides," "spiritual director," "'spotter' for the soul" "group spiritual director," among others. I also wish she had not used "certified" in the title. And I am grateful that the journalist chose a variety of terms that will hopefully describe the ministry and service of spiritual direction to the readership.
09/24,2009, at 13:38
As a writer and former journalist, I find your comments really incisive and important, Sharon. While there may be no certifying body for the practice of spiritual direction in the United States, the Government of Canada actually does certify spiritual directors through the Canadian Council of Professional Certification, which also certifies community service workers, addiction counsellors and clinical supervisors, among other professions. The information on this certification process can be found here: http://www.ccpcprofessionals.com/certified-spiritual-director-csd. And yet your point about using the word "certified" in this context is extremely important. Does certification through a particular program (large or small) allow one to call oneself certified as a spiritual director? What about through a government certification process (such as the one above that I have completed and take continuing education in order to maintain)? And if there are different standards for different programs, how helpful is the term as a whole? These are questions that I contemplate myself. I have official certification through a government body to use the term "CSD" or "Certified Spiritual Director" to describe my practice, but is this a useful term for seekers who don't otherwise know what that means? I agree with Liz's words when she expresses her gratitude that Anndee Hochman used a variety of terms to describe the ministry and service of spiritual direction. Sometimes a single term simply isn't a large enough container. Great comment!
09/24,2009, at 14:40
I spoke to Anndee yesterday. She did not write the title for her article. It was created by someone else at the paper.