Karen Keen

If you have never heard of Spiritual Direction before, you are not alone. Not too many years ago, I was in the same boat. I first learned about the practice through a woman at my church who had been trained by the Mercy Center in Burlingame, California. When I began to meet with Bonnie all I knew was I needed to talk to someone about my doubts, fears, and hopes for the future. I felt uncertain about God’s involvement in my life or what direction I should go in vocationally. Even after reading a brochure on Spiritual Direction and attending the first few sessions, I still could not define exactly what we were doing. It wasn’t counseling and yet Bonnie listened so attentively. It wasn’t advising and yet I experienced so many new insights. I began to see and understand God’s movement in my life in ways I had not noticed before. It was exciting! In fact, the experience was life-changing. I found Spiritual Direction to be more helpful to me than previous experiences of seeing a therapist. It tapped into the deepest part of me, my spiritual core.

My own positive experience with Spiritual Direction led me to seek a training program so I could offer this gift to others. At the time, I was at a crossroad of deciding whether or not to return to the mental health field (after a period of working in student affairs at a university). I enjoyed listening to people and working with them through their challenges, but something always seemed missing in my previous work as a therapist. Even though I saw how crucial mental health treatment is (and still do), I felt unable to fully give attention to deeper underlying issues of the soul. I realized my greatest love was seeing people come alive spiritually and how that affected their overall well-being. Once I discovered the impact of Spiritual Direction, I had the “aha!” experience of knowing this was the right ministry fit for me. So I jumped in with both feet. I had the blessing of being trained by Faithful Companions of Jesus, Catholic Sisters in the Ignatian tradition. From the very beginning I found offering Spiritual Direction to be incredibly life-giving. I never tire of hearing people’s hearts and seeing how God is at work in their lives.

I encourage everyone to consider giving Spiritual Direction a try. For more information on what to expect during a session, you can read how I approach it in “What Is Spiritual Direction?” Other Spiritual Directors may have different emphases. It is perfectly acceptable to “shop” around for the right Spiritual Director that fits your particular needs. Find someone you can trust and feel comfortable sharing with honestly. Also consider the spiritual life of the person you are seeing and whether or not he or she is actively pursuing a close relationship with God.

To find see someone for individual spiritual direction, see this referral list.