I provide spiritual companionship1 for individuals who are searching for meaning in their lives. These might be people of faith, people who have lost their faith, or people who are searching for faith. Very often they’ve reached a point on their spiritual journey where the old forms and practices are not working for them, and they are looking for a trustworthy path into the unknown. Companionship is not coaching, or therapy, or consulting. It is paying attention to your soul.
Typical questions
- I’m spiritual but not religious. How do I lean into this longing I feel for a deeper connection with God?
- I’m disillusioned about how other people express their faith. How do I find a faith that has integrity for me?
- How do I reconcile my faith with my doubts?
- How do I discern what God wants for me in my vocation, or in key relationships?
- How do I make peace with the past so that it doesn’t trip me up so much today?
- Where is it safe to be really vulnerable about big questions?
- How do I bridge the gap between my faith and the secular world I live in?
Process
Spiritual companionship is much less directive than coaching. Prior to our first meeting, I’ll invite you to complete a Spiritual Companionship Inventory. You don’t need to hand this in, but it provides a framework for our first conversation. In that first conversation I’ll also share the Pathways Retreat Spiritual Direction Covenant, and invite you to prayerfully consider whether you want to engage in this relationship.
If you elect to continue, we will meet about once a month. You bring the agenda for each meeting. The conversation is one sided: I do not share about my spiritual journey, except in very rare circumstances where I think it may illustrate something helpful to you in your journey. Most of the time I will be asking questions that will take you deeper into the mystery of your journey. I am listening for spirit’s movement in your life, and your response to spirit.
For more information about spiritual companionship, and to watch “taste test” videos a colleague and I produced about spiritual companionship, please visit the Pathways Retreat Spiritual Direction page.
Rates
Rates for Spiritual Companionship / Direction are set by Pathways Retreat. Pathways has an Accessibility Fund to ensure that everyone has access to spiritual companionship regardless of their ability to pay.
1Many people use the term spiritual direction instead of spiritual companionship. Sometimes I use them interchangeably. I prefer the term companionship because it better reflects my commitment to accompany people on their spiritual journey. The term direction carries some baggage that I would rather avoid in this context. At the time of this writing, I am also a co-director of Pathways Retreat. In that role, I am part of a team that is directing the day-to-day operations of our retreat center, and it is clearly the right word to use.
Evan J Miller 