Baya Clare ~ 651-600-5990 ~ bayathread@gmail.com
Here is some info about spiritual direction that may be helpful, which is partly adapted from the website of Spiritual Directors International:
The primary focus of spiritual direction is a person’s deeper relationship with God, or however they name God or Higher Power, and the stories or images that make meaning for them.
The purpose of spiritual direction is to look beneath the surface of a person’s life, to get behind the façade of conventional gestures and attitudes which one presents to the world, and to bring out one’s inner spiritual freedom, one’s inmost truth, which is what Christians call the likeness of Christ in one’s soul. Other traditions and spiritualities name and understand this in differing ways.
Spiritual direction is not counseling. Spiritual direction is not therapy. While it may be appropriate at times to discuss personal and relational struggles in the context of spiritual direction, I am not a psychotherapist, nor do I provide such services.
Spiritual direction is not scripture study, though sometimes scripture may be part of what we look at in a session. Prayer with and for a person during and outside of the session is usually a part of spiritual direction.
The focus is always on one’s relationship with God, however one names or understands that.
My role is to listen and reflect back what I hear.
I observe the same kinds of boundaries that most helping professionals do. Spiritual direction sessions are confidential. I abide by the Guidelines for Ethical Conduct of Spiritual Directors International.
Baya Clare, Spiritual Director 