Upcoming events
Encountering People with Jesus: Exploring Spiritual Direction through Gospel Encounters
This workshop invites Spiritual Directors to explore the practice of Spiritual Direction through the lens of Jesus' encounters with individuals in the Gospels. Participants will examine these biblical interactions as models for their own work, drawing insights and inspiration from Jesus' approach to spiritual accompaniment.
Praying with the Elements: Exploring the use of Breath prayers in Spiritual Direction
This workshop invites participants to explore different ways of using breath in prayer, connecting with the elements and creation through meditation, imagination, and chants. Attendees will gain hands-on experience in praying with the Elements using breath and imagination, broadening their understanding of prayer and learning how to incorporate these practices in Direction sessions. This holistic approach draws from various spiritual traditions and offers fresh perspectives on connecting with the divine through our bodies and the natural world.
Working with an Autistic Directee: Understanding and Adapting Practice
As awareness of autism increases, more autistic individuals are seeking Spiritual Direction. This workshop aims to equip Spiritual Directors with the knowledge and skills to effectively accompany autistic directees on their spiritual journeys. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of autism, focusing on individuals of average or above-average intelligence who are verbal.
Spiritual Voices, Spiritual Struggles and Spiritual Direction: Navigating Mental Health in Spiritual Accompaniment
This workshop explores the intersection of mental health and Christian spirituality within the context of Spiritual Direction. Focusing on two main themes - hearing voices, demonic, and divine (whether or not associated with a mental health diagnosis); and spiritual struggles, especially as related to mental health. The session aims to equip Spiritual Directors with a better understanding of these complex issues.
No-one is an Island: Integrating Family Therapy Insights into Spiritual Direction
This workshop delves into the intersection of Spiritual Direction and family therapy, offering rich insights for Spiritual Directors. Participants will discover the vital role of psychological contact between Director and directee, and how both are influenced by the larger 'systems' they're part of, shaping their experiences and perspectives.
Working with Singleness in Spiritual Direction: Embracing a Unique Spiritual Journey
This workshop explores the unique blessings and challenges of singleness within the context of Spiritual Direction. Marriage or being partnered is often seen in our culture, and indeed in the Church, as being the ideal way of life. This can leave single people feeling that they are missing out or are in some way inadequate. Yet the biblical narrative affirms the single life and Christ promised life in abundance to all, whether we are married or single. It feels important to reflect on how we can hold the space for directees and their questions and challenges (and joys!) arising from their life as a single person.
Kindly Light: Lenten Reflection
This Lenten workshop invites participants to explore the theme of light, drawing inspiration from St. John Henry Newman's beloved hymn.
Gratitude for Creation: Ignatian Spirituality & Ecological Conversion
This workshop explores the profound connection between Spiritual Direction and our relationship with God's creation. As Spiritual Directors, we are called to cultivate a greater awareness of God's presence not only in ourselves and our directees but also in the world around us.
Walking in Their Shoes: Accompanying the Journey of Those Who Struggle with Addiction and Recovery
This workshop focuses on the intersection of addiction recovery and Spiritual Direction, offering insights and practical guidance for accompanying individuals on this challenging journey. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of various addictions and the recovery process, with a particular emphasis on how spiritual themes relate to addiction recovery.
Letting Go: Embracing Release in Spiritual Direction
This workshop explores how Spiritual Directors connect with the process of letting go, whether in preparing for a session, during, or afterwards. Letting go is considered a vital component of self-care and care for those they accompany. Through this practical and interactive session, participants will gain a deeper awareness of the 'letting go' process and acquire practical insights and practices, both ancient and modern, for their journey as spiritual directors.
How do you solve a problem like the clergy? : Spiritual Direction for those who are ordained, training for ordination, and working in Christian Ministry.
In this workshop, we'll explore the unique challenges faced by those in Christian ministry, including managing public expectations and personal vulnerabilities. We’ll explore potential barriers to spiritual wellbeing, together with some of the particular issues that can emerge, and aim to help Spiritual Directors feel more equipped and empowered to walk alongside their directees.
Direction and the Contemplative Tradition: Exploring Ancient Wisdom for Modern Practice
This workshop delves into the contemplative tradition, with a particular focus on ‘The Cloud of Unknowing’, to form guidance for a young contemplative to get a sense of the landscape we are considering, and how that might offer suggestions for direction today. The session will also explore together some of the challenges that contemplative prayer may present and how Direction can support.
Mental Health and Wellbeing: Talking About God in the Midst of Suffering
As spiritual directors, we are uniquely positioned to listen to the layered descriptions of a life of faith and mental health challenges. In this workshop, we'll explore the benefits of talking about God and mental health and create a safe, non-judgmental space to consider how we can maintain our own mental wellbeing while accompanying others
Seeing with the Eyes of the Heart: Contemplative Photography in Spiritual Direction
This interactive workshop introduces contemplative photography as a powerful spiritual practice and tool for Spiritual Direction. Participants will explore the theory behind this practice and have ample opportunity to experience it firsthand. The session aims to equip Spiritual Directors with a new approach to help directees slow down, see differently, and deepen their spiritual awareness through the lens of a camera.
Drawing Fruit from Our Ministry: Preparing for supervision as a spiritual practice
In this workshop, we'll explore the unique challenges faced by those in Christian ministry, including managing public expectations and personal vulnerabilities. We’ll explore potential barriers to spiritual wellbeing, together with some of the particular issues that can emerge, and aim to help Spiritual Directors feel more equipped and empowered to walk alongside their directees.
Shadows Hidden in Light: Exploring Spiritual Abuse
This workshop delves into the complex and sensitive topic of spiritual abuse. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of what constitutes spiritual abuse, its psychological underpinnings, and its impact on individuals' spiritual journeys. The session will equip Spiritual Directors with the knowledge and skills to create safe spaces for those who have experienced spiritual abuse, and to navigate the delicate process of accompaniment for directees grappling with church hurt or spiritual abuse in their lives.
The Knowledge for Spiritual Directors: Mapping the Journey
During this day, we'll explore whether the Christian tradition offers maps that, like The Knowledge, we can internalise to help with making sense of where a directee is and where they might be going, as well as the multiple ways of getting there.
Visio Divina: Discernment Through Imagery
A day which will include space for our own reflection as well as discovering resources for our spiritual direction practice.
Drawing Fruit from Our Ministry: Preparing for supervision as a spiritual practice
In this workshop, we'll explore the unique challenges faced by those in Christian ministry, including managing public expectations and personal vulnerabilities. We’ll explore potential barriers to spiritual wellbeing, together with some of the particular issues that can emerge, and aim to help Spiritual Directors feel more equipped and empowered to walk alongside their directees.
How do you solve a problem like the clergy? : Spiritual Direction for those who are ordained, training for ordination, and working in Christian Ministry.
In this workshop, we'll explore the unique challenges faced by those in Christian ministry, including managing public expectations and personal vulnerabilities. We’ll explore potential barriers to spiritual wellbeing, together with some of the particular issues that can emerge, and aim to help Spiritual Directors feel more equipped and empowered to walk alongside their directees.
Embracing Playfulness: Play in Spiritual Direction
When you hear the word ‘God’ what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For us, it’s ‘play’ or, to use a descriptor employed by ancient theologians: ‘dance’.
Play is sacred. When we are at play we are curious, open and fully present - ripe for encounter with the Divine Presence. Embracing our playfulness and embracing our spirituality compose entwined invitations on life’s path.
The Enneagram of Harmony: Exploring Our Stories of Origin and Destiny
Having explored the three centres of intelligence in the traditional ‘process’ way in our last Enneagram workshop, we return to look at them again, this time using the Harmony Triads. As we bring the full wisdom of all three intelligence centres to each Enneatype, we will discover fresh clarity and depth in our stories of origin and destiny and in those of our directees.
Sitting with Broken Pieces: A Lenten Reflection
Join us for a reflective morning during Lent as we sit with broken pieces of hopes, dreams, lives, and things we have built. Through a blend of poetry, creativity, and lament, we will explore how to creatively engage with Lent. Come prepared to rest, reflect, and explore.
Praying with the Body: Exploring Embodied Prayer
When we pray we instinctively use our bodies because as children we were taught to put our hands together and shut our eyes. What if we could develop that early learning, not just for those times when there are no words, but bringing all of ourselves into prayer?
Restorative Practices: Healing Shame and Supporting Spiritual Direction
In this workshop, we delve into the theory of restorative practices and its profound impact on healing shame and conflicts
Mental Health and Wellbeing: Talking About God in the Midst of Suffering
As spiritual directors, we are uniquely positioned to listen to the layered descriptions of a life of faith and mental health challenges. In this workshop, we'll explore the benefits of talking about God and mental health and create a safe, non-judgmental space to consider how we can maintain our own mental wellbeing while accompanying others
Carmelite Spirituality and Spiritual Direction: Nurturing the Intimacy with God
Drawing inspiration from the riches of Carmelite Spirituality, this contemplative workshop explores spiritual direction from a Carmelite perspective. Through the wisdom of mystics such as Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, and Therese of Lisieux, we'll delve into the beauty and potential of the human person and our intimate connection with God.
Those who Wait in Hope: A Reflective Space for Advent
In this Advent reflection, we invite you to pause amidst the busyness of the Christmas preparation period and reflect on waiting with hope.
Not the ****ing Examen again!: Rediscovering the Examen
In this thought-provoking workshop, we'll explore why the Examen as as outlined in “The Spiritual Exercises” is at odds with how it is presented and practised.
Dreamwork in Spiritual Direction: Listening to Divine Wisdom
Unlock the power of dreams in spiritual direction with this immersive workshop. Together, we'll explore how, as John Sandford says, “dreams serve as a forgotten language through which God communicates with us”
Breath of Life: Exploring Breath as a Path to Wholeness
Breath is our very source of life. Scripture says that we live and move and breathe and have our whole beings in Christ. During this workshop we will explore the importance of breath in our practice as spiritual directors and explore ways of breathing that invite us into closer connection with the presence and movement of God for a more embodied rhythm in our lives and in our ministries
Exercises that Reconnect: Ignatius & the Environment
How can we face the uncertainty of our times, accept the likely consequences, and also be part of the healing of the Earth that is our home and mother? By bringing Ignatius into conversation with Joanna Macy’s Work that Reconnects, Annette will offer some thoughts about this, as well as exercises to help us engage with what we see happening around us.
And then the heav'n espie: Visio Divina in Spiritual Direction
A day which will include space for our own reflection as well as discovering resources for our spiritual direction practice.
Streams in the Desert: Spiritual Direction as Prophetic Practice
This workshop will look at how we as spiritual Directors use prophetic imagination to inform our practice.
Women, Men and Spiritual Direction
Some female directors are “wary about taking on men as directees because of a sense of ‘otherness’ and feeling ill-equipped to work with them.” Some male directors regret “the limited number of men involved in spiritual direction. These are complex, delicate, risky, and stimulating issues.
The Treasures of Darkness: Working with the Shadow
What is our Shadow? What do we do with those sides of ourselves that are not so easy to include in our spiritual journey? How does the Shadow relate to our inner freedom and fullness of life?
At the Roots of the Mountains: Attending to the Sign of Jonah
As we reach the hinge-point between Lent and Holy Week, we will consider the story of Jonah as a ‘sign’ of the Paschal Mystery.
We always light a candle: How can the seasons inform our practice?
How can we use the great gifts in the rhythms of both the liturgical calendar and the seasons. Helping directees to engage with where God is in the present.
This will be a creative and practical morning, helping us grow in what we offer as spiritual directors being informed and enhanced by the liturgical year.
Men, Women, and Spiritual Direction
Spiritual direction is a contemplative space where a compassionate inquiry can be made into such matters. This workshop won’t give all the answers, though Julian will draw on his experience to help open the questions behind these remarks and look at being different genders together in spiritual direction, with each other and with those who come to talk with us.
Spiritual Direction Mental Health and Self Care
What does Christian spiritual direction have to offer those who are struggling with their own mental wellbeing? This workshop will look at some of the specific gifts, and tools spiritual direction has to offer and some of the research around spirituality and mental health.
Faith Shift: Walking with Directees Through Deconstruction
Deconstruction refers to the dismantling of religious beliefs, where deeply held doctrines are re-examined and sometimes jettisoned. Although this process is nothing new, it has gained new attention in the past few years as more and more people make that deconstruction process public, particularly in online spaces.
Whole Body Discernment
In Spiritual Direction, we accompany others towards finding God in all things and living in harmony with God, themselves and others. Our bodies intuitively know how to find God and sense harmony through breath, movement and energy. Our bodies are the home of the Holy Spirit and speak God’s voice all the time. Yet, many of our directees live unaware or disconnected from their physical bodies.