I offer spiritual consulting, spiritual education and supervised spiritual direction for people who seek to grow in their connection with spiritual reality in their everyday life. As part of my ongoing training in spiritual direction I’m offering free online spiritual direction for a few more people – see below for more details!

“Why the photo?”  In our dim light God’s kind love sometimes leads us by unfamiliar paths, to unexpected way-stations. But in the end, it’s joyful and beautiful. Learning together to follow that kind love – that’s what I want to do.

For so many of us, life is stressful, hectic, scary – we’re trying to pay the bills, and not sure how long we can stay on the treadmill. Even when we fill up on the fruits of prosperity, life can taste empty, boring, meaningless. Our daily path in the world can be dry, spirit-less, and we’re hungry and thirsty for “more” – even when we’re not sure what “more” is. Well, that’s what the songs and the blogs and the movies say: Billie Eilish asks, “What was I made for?” Joshua Hyslop muses that “there’s something burning behind the light.”

What do you say?

What would you do with an hour of focused attention as you seek meaningful answers to your deepest heartfelt questions? What would you do with several hours of it?!

I work with all kinds of people who are searching for answers – especially: 

• “non-religious” but “spiritually-interested” people. For you, my work is to hear you and together with you to find your bridge into awareness of your ongoing relationship with the spiritual dimension of living. Expect to discover new ways to think and feel, on your path to change and new wholeness.
• formerly religious people who have suffered because of bad experiences in your religious context. For you, my work means listening well, sharing your burden and helping you discover your spiritual path forward toward healing and wholeness. 
• currently religious people who know the words, but not the experience the words talk about – people who feel more empty than the words they say. There’s more to your story. Let’s work on it together.
• people of all kinds who simply want to grow: my work is to hear you and provide resources that guide you into responding to the spiritual realities calling you forward. And you are being called forward.

“What are ‘spiritual consulting,’ ‘spiritual education,’ ‘spiritual direction’?”

They’re different kinds of conversations – sometimes with gentle homework – completely focused on you and your spiritual life. Spiritual life begins with what you’re paying attention to, and it grows as you pay more attention. 

In “spiritual consulting” and “education” I listen carefully to you and share relevant information and instructive tasks that can help you build a framework for growing your understanding and for opening your life up to connection with God.

In “spiritual direction,” I don’t tell you what to do. Instead, my task is to listen carefully to you as you bring different felt needs, different values, different life experience into our conversation, and to companion with you as you change the direction of your attention toward God’s “here and now” work in your life. There’s more of that than you think!

Why don’t you call it “spiritual formation?”

I suppose I could. But let’s be very clear: I’m not trying to form you in my image! I draw especially on resources and experiences from ancient Judaic and earliest Christian traditions, along with some others. My focus isn’t to make you become like me, but to serve you as a companion, as you discover your own experience of the realities behind these traditions and practices – as you’re formed by your interaction with God.

“How is your work different from coaching, counselling and psychological help?”

My work supplements theirs, and sometimes cooperates directly. 

Coaches, counsellors and psychologists help us deal with specific problems, challenges, opportunities. Here in spiritual consulting, education and direction we begin with where you’re coming from, what you seek, and we bring spiritually-rooted resources to meet your questions and opportunities, to grow into something much greater than ourselves.

Think of it as dealing with the “big picture” of your life, creating a whole refreshed “context of life” in which to encounter life’s challenges, opportunities, and joys.

In spiritual direction we enter into a quiet, unhurried space and time where you can talk openly, to experience more of God’s Presence, and to grow in your own exploration of God’s nearness to you, and what that means for your life.  Think of it as growing from the inside, out.

I have over 45 years of formal career experience and training in various aspects of personal spiritual consultation, and a 60-hour Masters degree in Theological Studies from Regent College in Vancouver, BC. Click here and here for more about that.

I myself receive spiritual direction, training, and supervision under the auspices of the SoulStream Initiative. Click here for SoulStream’s description of spiritual direction. I am presently offering spiritual direction for a few people as a part of my training, and so I’m not charging a fee for this service. If you’re interested in receiving spiritual direction and helping me learn how to offer it well, get in touch and let’s talk about it!

I offer a free, no-obligation one-hour initial consultation meeting – so that we can get acquainted, and so that we can determine how what I offer can meet your questions and needs.