{"id":490,"date":"2019-12-30T23:08:35","date_gmt":"2019-12-30T23:08:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nicolepparsons.com\/?page_id=490"},"modified":"2023-10-11T21:27:26","modified_gmt":"2023-10-11T21:27:26","slug":"what-is-spiritual-direction","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/nicolepparsons.com\/?page_id=490","title":{"rendered":"What is Spiritual Direction?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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What is Spiritual Direction?<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0SPIRITUAL DIRECTION is an ancient practice that simply means having regular conversations with someone who is listening deeply to the spiritual landscape of your life. “Direction” is far more important than destination, and this relationship is all about the journey. The goal of spiritual direction is NOT to find all the answers to life, but to live more wholeheartedly no matter what questions you are carrying or what circumstances bring.<\/strong><\/h5>
Unlike the wonderful resources of therapy or pastoral counseling, spiritual direction is not intended to resolve traumas or unwind interpersonal struggles, but rather to increasingly expand your awareness of the ongoing action of the Real in every season of your life.<\/strong><\/h5>

<\/strong>Living this way is simple, but it’s not quick or easy. Spiritual direction provides a safe place to wrestle with questions, practice new ways of praying, see ourselves as we really are, and surrender to the mystery of a loving Reality I call God. No one else can do this work for us. And doing the work doesn’t guarantee we’ll be transformed on our terms. But spiritual direction helps us stay accessible to the Spirit who makes all things new.<\/strong><\/h5><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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How It Works<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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You<\/strong> are not here by mistake. Whatever your desire for more in your spiritual life, it is on purpose. But there is no forcing in this journey. Each step is yours alone to take, when you are ready to take it.<\/p>

God<\/strong> is right in the middle of all of this, leading, guiding and directing. This God is also deeply in love with you, untamable, unpredictable, and relentlessly finding creative ways to invite you to follow.<\/p>

I<\/strong> am also on a spiritual journey, a fellow traveler who has come to deeply love the geography of the soul and the Creator of the terrain. I have been in spiritual direction myself since 2005 and was certified as a spiritual director in 2014 through the Benedictine Spiritual Formation Program in Black Forest, Colorado. I ascribe to the ESDA Code of Ethics<\/a>. \u00a0I have led occasional retreats on writing, revision, and storytelling.<\/p>

CONVERSATION<\/p>

The traditional model for one-on-one spiritual companioning is 60 minutes together, once a month. I’m responsible for opening and closing the hour, but the majority of the conversation is up to you. What should you talk about? Our growing spiritual edge always seems to be right where we are now, so you can talk about anything<\/span> going on in your life, heart or mind; nothing is too mundane or significant. Often, you find yourself at a crossroads, big or small, where you’re sensing anticipation or uncertainty. Whatever you bring, it is the very thing that can draw you closer and deeper into God’s heart.<\/p>

CONFIDENTIALITY<\/p>

Our time together will always be a kind of prayer; it is a sacred space. Everything you share with me will remain private and be kept confidential, unless there is an immanent threat of harm to you or others, which I am bound to report.<\/p>

CALENDAR<\/p>

Everyone has a unique pace. Your season in life, your daily schedule, your relationships are all part of your growth. Listen to your life as it is, and respond. You may find you want a regular time, a monthly rhythm of ongoing conversations. Make appointments for as far ahead as you are comfortable. Scheduling is available online, up to 24 hours before a session. You are also always welcome to contact me directly.<\/p>

COST<\/p>

It’s challenging to put a value on spiritual direction. We know the worth of a visit to a salon or a massage therapist to give us a fresh perspective. We pay a personal trainer to challenge our bodies. Honoring the life of the soul is perhaps even more vital than these investments.<\/p>

I offer one initial 30-minute consult together free of charge. Having that conversation will help us both know the next step. When we decide to enter into spiritual direction, my standard rate is $60 per one-hour session. However, if money is the only obstacle to your beginning spiritual direction, let me know<\/a>. We’ll discern the next step together.<\/p>

I will send an email invoice for payment after each session. I can receive payments by credit card, PayPal, or you can send me a check. \u00a0I ask that you honor the payment within 5 days.\u00a0<\/p>

CLOSURE<\/p>

Life is not static, and there may come a time when spiritual direction no longer serves your needs. We will periodically check in and review where we are and where God is at work. When a time comes to end our regular direction conversations, we’ll take a final session for closure and blessing.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tTake the Next Step<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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“Spiritual directors respect and honor all persons in society regardless of age, race, ethnicity, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, marital status, political belief, any personal characteristic, attribute, condition or status.” \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>~ ESDA Code of Ethics<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Header photos by\u00a0wearetheparsons.com<\/a>. All rights reserved.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is Spiritual Direction? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0SPIRITUAL DIRECTION is an ancient practice that simply means having regular conversations with someone who is listening deeply to the spiritual landscape of your life. “Direction” is far more important than destination, and this relationship is all about the journey. The goal of spiritual direction is NOT to find …<\/p>\n

What is Spiritual Direction?<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-490","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Nicole","author_link":"http:\/\/nicolepparsons.com\/?author=1"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"What is Spiritual Direction? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0SPIRITUAL DIRECTION is an ancient practice that simply means having regular conversations with someone who is listening deeply to the spiritual landscape of your life. “Direction” is far more important than destination, and this relationship is all about the journey. The goal of spiritual direction is NOT to find…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/nicolepparsons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/nicolepparsons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/nicolepparsons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nicolepparsons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nicolepparsons.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=490"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"http:\/\/nicolepparsons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/490\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":601,"href":"http:\/\/nicolepparsons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/490\/revisions\/601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/nicolepparsons.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}