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My mission ~ that is to say my purpose and joy ~ is to work with individuals and to evoke in them:

 

• Greater awareness and appreciation of their inherent beauty and wholeness

• The realization of their natural alignment with Spirit

• Connection to Highest Good within themselves that leads to living a meaningful and satisfying life

 

As I do my work walking with individuals as a Spiritual Director, Counselor and Life Coach, I carry with me the ones who have been my greatest spiritual guides and who continue to help me to know myself, to know God and to feel beloved.

 

I have found particular resonance in working with young adults ages 18 to 40 as a Spiritual Director, coach and counselor as well working with those in theological discernment, training and practice.

 

SPIRITUAL DIRECTION & COUNSELING

"The spiritual director is concerned with the whole person, for the spiritual life is not just the life of the mind, or of the affections, or of the ‘summit of the soul’- it is the life of the whole person." ~ Thomas Merton

 

Spiritual Direction is becoming increasingly popular around the world and across traditions and differs from counseling/therapy in that it isn’t as focused on identifying problems and gathering insights from the past as it is about developing and maintaining a strong connection to Spirit and a sense of being guided -- whether it by guided what may be called relationship with God, the Holy Spirit, the Highest Truth, the Underlying Connection to the Universe, your Authentic Self, Individuation or other words and ideas that express the wholeness that we humans long for.

 

People come to Spiritual Director for many reasons, including a passion for growth in relationship to the Spirit and the self or the desire for help in discerning a major life decision or transition.

 

Spiritual Direction may include:

 

• Soul companionship: Mentoring, teaching, deep listening, witnessing through the struggle, the beauty, the achievements, and ups and the downs of this life’s inner and outer day to day journey

• Discernment: Assistance with sorting and uncovering the alignment to Spirit in making (major) life decisions and changes.

• Sacred conversations: Leisurely and thorough explorations for helping a person clarify his or her directions in life.

 

Our sessions may include working with the Enneagram, active or silent ways to pray, or other creative ways to evoke spirit. Spiritual Direction sessions are generally a leisurely 75 minutes or so, allowing to our time together to move organically. Most often we meet every 2-4 weeks, although each relationship is, and thus timing, is unique.

 

The Spiritual Direction experience may be short-term. Or, when one is seeking help with a given discernment or concern, may be long-term, perhaps years or even decades.

 

Counseling is at the heart of everything I do and is core to me and my work of helping others navigate the minor and major dilemmas of life across the age span through caring connection and deep listening.

 

LIFE COACHING

"If you do not express your own original ideas , if you do not listen to your own being, you will have betrayed yourself." ~ Rollo May

 

Life Coaching is a more directive and specific form of one-on-one counseling. As a Life Coach, I work with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.

 

I honor my clients as the experts in their own lives and work and believe every client is creative, resourceful and whole. Following the standards let by the International Coach Federation, it is my responsibility to help my clients:

 

• Discover, clarify, and align with what he or she wants to achieve

• Encourage self-discovery

• Elicit self-generated solutions and strategies

• Hold those I coach responsible and accountable

 

Coaching is frequently sought out when an individual is fully ready inside to move forward in self-improvement or career development action. This process helps them to dramatically improve their outlook on work and life, while improving leadership skills and unlocking potential. 

 

ENNEAGRAM CONSULTATION

"The first condition of humane-ness is a little humility and a little diffidence about the correctness of one's conduct and a little receptiveness." ~ attributed to Mahatma Ghandi

 

The Enneagram is a theory and tool that I use to help individuals understand where they fit within the nine basic personality types of human nature and their complex interrelationships.

 

While there are subtypes and variations within the nine fundamental categories, I find that exploration of the territory of the Enneagram's outlined "personality types" is a wonderful and useful tool for those seeking personal understanding and growth.

 

The Enneagram is also a symbol that maps out the ways in which the nine types are related to each other. This mapping helps people to recognize and understand an overall pattern in human behavior. External behaviors, underlying attitudes, one's characteristic sense of self, conscious and unconscious motivations, emotional reactions, defense mechanisms, what we pay attention to, our spiritual potentials and much more—are all parts of a complex pattern that forms each personality type.

 

For congregational leaders especially, the Enneagram is a useful tool toward working together more effectively and creatively. By typing each member of the staff and leadership team and teaching the group to understand and utilize Enneagram during a scheduled retreat or enrichment day, relationships, understanding, and therefore the work environment, can be greatly enhanced. For more information on the Enneagram, click here.