What is Spiritual Direction?
If you've found your way here, you might be wondering what spiritual direction looks like in practice — and whether it's for you.
Companionship for spiritual seekers
Spiritual direction is a relationship between two people: one who is seeking a deeper or more tangible connection with the spiritual realm, and an experienced companion who helps them pay attention to where the divine is moving in their life. They listen and practice discernment together.
Think of it as sacred companionship on your spiritual journey.
within/without: holism is about healing and being made whole. It's about tending to each aspect of your whole person—mind, body, spirit, and community—with love and compassion, and learning to trust the voice within. It's about having someone to partner with who can help you trust that you too have access to the creative force in the universe. You will and learn to believe that a greater Spirit is wholly invested in you.
What happens in spiritual direction?
Together, we create space for you to:
Listen deeply to your own inner wisdom
Notice the movement of God, as you know them, in your daily life
Explore big questions about meaning,
purpose, faith, and identity
Navigate life transitions with spiritual grounding and trust
Heal from spiritual trauma and rebuild trust in your relationship with the sacred
Deepen your connection with your higher power
The director's role
As your spiritual companion, I:
Hold space and listen with you without judgment
Ask open-ended questions that invite deeper reflection
Help you notice where the Spirit is already active in your life
Support your unique path—this is about your relationship with the divine, not an outside agenda
The true director is a spiritual one. My role as a spiritual companion is simply to walk alongside you.
When do people seek spiritual direction?
People come to spiritual direction for many reasons:
✦ During major life transitions (career changes, relationship shifts, loss, new beginnings)
✦ When facing big decisions that need spiritual discernment
✦ To explore or deepen a new or existing spiritual practice
✦ While deconstructing harmful religious teachings or healing from spiritual trauma
✦ When feeling disconnected from faith or spiritual community
✦ To find meaning and purpose in a season of questioning
✦ To have a companion who listens and supports spiritual growth throughout the seasons of faith
Tūrangawaewae: a place of belonging
Our Values
We believe in the inherent value of all people and the earth we inhabit.
We are:
Feminist
Culturally-inclusive
Rainbow-affirming
You are welcome here:
Your intersectionality, transness, non-binary identity
Your neuro-diversity and lived experience of mental health
Your journey through addiction and recovery
Your body, exactly as it is
Your questions, doubts, and curiosities
Your wounds and your healing
You are not too much.
This space is for you
within/without believes in wellness for the whole person and every person. This is a place where you can be your authentic self and truly belong.
You belong here if you are:
Investigating your identity or sense of purpose
At a spiritual crossroads or major life transition
Curious about spiritual and energetic realms
Starting out on a new spiritual journey
Deconstructing long-held belief structures
A survivor rebuilding faith after spiritual or life trauma
Seeking grounding and a new depth of practice
Seeking a companion on your recovery journey
Long-time faithful and open to new experiences of the person you know God to be
What spiritual direction is NOT
We treat our clients like partners and our work like craft. Spiritual direction is not therapy or counseling.
While therapy focuses on mental health, emotional healing, and problem-solving, spiritual direction focuses specifically on your relationship with the divine and the spiritual dimensions of your life.
Spiritual direction is also not mentorship. I won't tell you what to do or impose my beliefs.
This is your journey.
What to expect in sessions
Sessions can be:
In-person or virtual, depending on what works for you
Flexible to your needs—some people prefer traditional sitting sessions, others prefer walking sessions (especially helpful for ADHD or those who process better with movement)
Individual or group settings, depending on your preference
Each person's experience is unique. Some people experiment with contemplative practices; others simply talk and reflect. There's no single "right way" to do spiritual direction.
What people say
“Heather has a welcoming, non-anxious presence. She is non-judgmental and inspires confidence. Her calming sense of humor is always just under the surface ready to engage. Heather is a professional who is a trauma-informed, empathetic collaborator. She has an apt sense of what she can do and what she cannot do.“
— Deborah Loyd, PhD
“I have been meeting with Heather for Spiritual Direction for several years. I look forward to every session and experience Heather as approachable, wise, kind, open-minded, and very trustworthy. I thoroughly recommend them. Thank you for everything!”
— L.H.
Is spiritual direction right for you?
If you're curious, the best way to find out is through a free consultation.
In our initial conversation, we can:
Talk about what you're seeking
Explore whether spiritual direction feels like the right fit
Discuss what our work together might look like
Make sure we're a good match
Many people who are new to spiritual direction commit to three sessions to get a real sense of the practice before deciding whether to continue.