Spiritual Companioning
Calgary Spiritual Companions is an association comprised of trained spiritual directors/companions from the ecumenical Christian community who have a wide variety of interests and experience. Spiritual companioning is our calling.
Spiritual companioning and counselling are two different disciplines. Counselling tends to be crisis-oriented or problem-driven; solving particular problems or handling specific crises. However, this is not the main focus of spiritual companioning.
The companioning relationship takes the long view. It looks for how the Divine is working, calling, prodding, and inviting us to new ways of being in the midst of our circumstances. It focuses on building an intimate relationship with the Source of Life over a lifetime, through all the problems, crises, joys, and blessings.
The spiritual journey is often a lonely, difficult to navigate path, especially in trying times. Regular meetings with a spiritual director will help you increase spiritual awareness — noticing the sacred in yourself, others and everyday events. A spiritual director can guide and reflect back to you, Divine Presence in your life and the world. This growing awareness gives life new wonder and meaning.
The Spiritual Journey
The initial session is often of a “meet and greet” nature. You and your spiritual director will share some information and get to know each other a bit. If you decide to continue meeting, you will also work out the details of your commitment — place, time-frame, frequency, fee, etc. It is common to commit to six sessions, usually between two and four weeks apart, where you and your companion will explore together your relationship with God, self and others. A spiritual companion will listen attentively, with reverence, and ask reflective questions to assist you in your spiritual journey. They may also suggest resources and rituals for you. The director’s main purpose is to gently encourage you to look at how you experience Spirit in the challenges you face. Most simply, it is about one person helping another to focus on Divine Presence in their life.
Spiritual Companioning is Helpful When:
- You belong to a spiritual tradition and want to move deeper into your experience or relationship with the Divine,
- You are leaving a spiritual tradition and want to find grounding in a new experience of the Holy that will help define the way forward on your spiritual journey,
- You identify as “spiritual but not religious”, and want to explore the meaning of what it means to be spiritual,
- You want to be able to speak more definitively or clearly about meaning and purpose in your life,
- You want to commit to a relationship with that which is greater than we are, and gives meaning and purpose to us in this time and place.
Spiritual Companions Provide a Safe Place to:
- Define who you are in your life through sharing experiences, feelings, thoughts and beliefs,
- Develop a deeper relationship with the Divine,
- Explore God’s presence, voice and activity in your life,
- Discern the sacred call in your life,
- Practice discernment as a way of making decisions and changes,
- Cultivate and integrate new, more satisfying spiritual practices such as contemplative and spontaneous prayer or meditation into your daily life,
- Heal spiritually from past wounds and hurts,
- Navigate a spiritual crossroad in your search for your higher power.
Choosing a Spiritual Companion
As individuals and as a community we embrace the core values of Spiritual Companioning Ministry, and adhere to the universal ethical guidelines outlined by Spiritual Directors International. Each of our companions has developed areas of focus, their own distinctive style, and unique expression of their spiritual tradition/orientation.
Fees vary, depending on the client’s ability to pay. Some companions suggest that a fee comparable to your hourly wage is appropriate, while others have individual fee schedules. A minimum fee of $50 is suggested, although no one will be turned away due to inability to pay.
We are honoured to offer you a helping hand on your spiritual journey. The spiritual companions/directors shown below are currently accepting clients. Please click on an image to read each person’s biography, fee schedule and contact information to determine who is the best fit for you, and contact them directly.
Become an Associate of Calgary Spiritual Companions
If you have been trained and received a certificate by an accredited institution, we welcome you to become an associate of Calgary Spiritual Companions. Although non-associates may drop in to our meetings (donation requested) there are benefits to being an associate. The $50/year associate fee entitles you to a listing on our website as a director/companion who is available to accept new clients. It would also support this growing community of people who learn and grow together. For more information please contact Barbara Grant at info@calgaryspiritualcompanion