MY JOURNEY

how I Became a Spiritual Director

 

My services in Spiritual Direction are born out of my own spiritual yearning and desire for inner healing. Read on for my journey and how you can join me.


 
 

Seeking Guidance


I first sought out Spiritual Direction in response to a deep yearning in my spirit. Maybe you can relate—you may have an inexplainable longing, an emotional or spiritual wound that needs healing, a question you are asking, a decision you are making, or a desire for inner growth.

 

Finding Transformation


Receiving Spiritual Direction taught me to listen to the Spirit within me, my words, and my silence. Over time, I saw significant shifts in my life. I found myself turning to God before external sources, having the ability to self-direct in my life’s decisions, and feeling more grounded internally. As I became more attuned to my inner process, I began to sense God all around me. That is me hugging a tree.

VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST MONK

“When we respect our blood ancestors and our spiritual ancestors, we feel rooted. If we find ways to cherish and develop our spiritual heritage, we will […] become whole again.”

—Thich Nhat Hanh

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Rooting in Tradition


I was raised in a Christian evangelical church, but as I grew up and came into my own consciousness, it no longer aligned with my growing understanding of God. As a young adult, I wrestled with not knowing where I belonged. At the same time, Christianity had been my path to know God from a young age, and I knew God was still meeting me in the religion I had been born into.

 

Coming Home


During seminary, I was confirmed in the Episcopal Church, and was immediately swept up into an ancient narrative. I discovered the deep traditions and rituals of my Christian heritage. I began patterning my life after the liturgical calendar and regularly encountering Christ through the Eucharist. I experienced inner rest through contemplative practices, and freedom in embracing the mysteries of faith. Enfolded into Christ’s mystical body of saints, I was welcomed home.

BELOVED CATHOLIC PRIEST

“When we bind one another's wounds and work for the healing of one another's bodies, we witness to the sacredness of the human body, a body destined for eternal life.”

—Fr. Henri Nouwen

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Needing Healing


While I had found a church home, I still needed additional inroads to healing. After decades of dealing with depression and anxiety, I needed a way to reach the emotional wounds I was naming in therapy, release the traumas I carried in my body, and build resilience in my brain’s chemistry. I longed for God’s shalom (wholeness, wellbeing, and peace) in my innermost being.

 
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Embodying Wholeness


My longing for healing and wholeness led me to adopt embodied spiritual practices outside of my religious tradition. Mindfulness and Compassion Cultivation taught me to be present in the moment through engaging my senses. Yoga taught me to be “at one with” my body and breath. Reiki awakened my energy and brought deep inner healing all the way down to the cells of my body. Each empowered me to let go of attachments, surrender to God, and see more clearly all of creation’s inter-connectedness.

14TH CENTURY PERSIAN POET

“I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the Astonishing Light of your own Being.”

—Hafiz


Discerning My Calling


Equipped with firm roots in my faith tradition, and spiritual practices to nourish me, my vocational path led me to work as a writer for a religious nonprofit, an interfaith Hospital Chaplain, and a professor of theology, become a Reiki Master, and pursue ordination in the Episcopal Church. Becoming a Spiritual Director was a natural progression of my vocational and spiritual journey, uniquely allowing me to accompany others in a more focused and on-going way.

 
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Sparking Divinity


Now I offer services in Spiritual Direction that are informed by my own practices, knowledge, and lived experiences. I meet with Christians, people of other faiths, or of no faith at all. My role is to hold space for each person’s sacred journey and beloved being to be uncovered and restored. As your own Spark of Divinity ignites, you will come to know God’s Spirit as your ever-present Healer and Guide.

Learn More About Receiving Spiritual Direction