By: Teresa Blythe

Teresa Blythe — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 23:44:39 +0000

I just stumbled across your blog and thought I’d attempt to answer a few of your questions. I am a spiritual director and Director of the Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction and yes we’ve had a few UU people go through our school and they are doing wonderful work in their venues.

I agree the anamchara or “soul friend” model is NOT entirely accurate–especially when most spiritual directors get some training and charge fees. We also keep boundaries that peers do not usually observe

There is no standard certification for several reasons. First, who would do the certifying? Spiritual directors International, the peer group for directors won’t touch it with a 10 foot pole. Mostly because they don’t want to over professionalize the work since many priests and nuns (especially in countries other than the U.S.) do not get training. They feel their ministry is a call from God and not a trade. Also, countries other than the U.S. are not that keen on certification. In this country, many of the psychologists who became spiritual directors say don’t go the certification route because invariably the state will get involved and then you have a secular group trying to oversee a religious practice. I personally would be up for certification but I don’t see it happening in my lifetime.

As for the ritual question, not all of us are big into rituals. Some light candles and use silence before and at the end of a session and some do not. Some directors are over the top for rituals and want to mark every stop along the spiritual journey. I think it has to do with one’s religious tradition. The Catholic and Episcopal directors are into smells and bells. The Protestant “iconoclasts” not so much. I’m UCC and I can take or leave rituals. I let the directee take the lead on that.

Also, I work with a UU person. Language is the crucial issue with UU and other traditions that are not Jesus-centered. But at the Hesychia School, we teach a type of spiritual direction that is not heavily dependent on religious language anyway.

I hope some part of this was helpful. Enjoy the quest!

Teresa Blythe

P.S. I have 4 cats so I know something about the futility of herding them.

By: chutney

chutney — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 14:45:19 +0000

Getting a cat to do what you want is near impossible (unless we’re talking about Buddy here). Herding a whole bunch of them would thus be the ultimate in futility. They can’t help it—it’s just their nature.

There was a Superbowl commercial a couple years back that showed a cowboy herding cats through the prairie. Very funny.

By: CP

CP — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 04:21:46 +0000

What is “herding of cats” anyway?

By: chutney

chutney — Tue, 30 Nov 2004 14:15:06 +0000

Thanks. Looks pretty good. I’ve added it my blogroll and my kinja digest.

By: Eric Posa

Eric Posa — Tue, 30 Nov 2004 07:07:26 +0000

One blog that may help is that of my former boss, Duane Bidwell. He directs the Pastoral Care Center at Texas Christian University’s Brite Divinity School, and specializes in the study of spiritual direction as a pastoral discipline:

http://www.spondizo.net/

Also, theres a book on interfaith spiritual direction called Show Me Your Way.

Comments on: Thinking about spiritual indirection

By: Teresa Blythe

By: chutney

By: CP

By: chutney

By: Eric Posa