spiritual direction
"Give ear and come to Me.
Hear me, that your soul may live."
(Isaiah 55:3, NIV 1984)
Spiritual direction is a deliberate relationship of listening to and walking with one another as we seek to know Christ and hear the whisperings of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. It is not life coaching, therapy, or theology class. Rather, you and your spiritual director walk together in faith, learning to recognize what God is already saying and doing in your life.
The director/directee relationship is centered on the Holy Spirit. The one who directs should, in the most gracious and humble way, use their giftedness to point others to the fullness of God.
John the Baptist provides an excellent guidepost for a spiritual director in John chapter 11: "He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. And so this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease."
Barbara Atkinson, Spiritual Director & Certified Lay Minister
My name is Barbara Atkinson. My personal journey of spiritual formation began growing up in a Christian home with parents whose faith was central to how they lived their lives and made decisions. I was taught early on the importance of a vital prayer life and being connected to God. The death of my father when I was a child led me into a time of spiritual wilderness that lasted well into my 20s. God's grace and mercy were always within reach, and for that my heart overflowed with gratitude.
In 2008 I felt God calling me in a particular way: to "walk a little closer" with him. After much discernment, I entered the path to become a Certified Lay Minister in the United Methodist Church. I was approved in 2012 and assigned to serve at my home church, Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Durham.
In 2013, I entered a two-year training program to become a spiritual director, which I completed in 2015. In 2020, I became a vowed member of the Wesleyan Covenant Order.
I have received advanced training in how to administer the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. I have found the exercises to be invaluable for discernment, deepening experiences of contemplative prayer and practicing disciplines of humility, simplicity and obedience.
I particularly enjoy giving workshops on prayer and various retreat themes. The connection between physical and spiritual health is important to me. I also enjoy experimenting with poetry, art and imaginative meditation as pathways of understanding beauty and wholeness.
My practice as a spiritual director is to meet once with someone to chat, share stores and hopes before committing to doing direction together. After this, the normal pattern would be to meet for approximately one hour once a month.
I prefer to meet in my home in north Durham. Creating an atmosphere that allows for silence and quiet conversation in a safe place is important.
I cannot accept a large number of directees at any one time because of time constraints but I am happy to be contacted by anyone who is seriously interested in a relationship of spiritual direction to see if I might be a good fit and whether I have availability at that time to accept a new directee.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does spiritual direction cost?
Sessions are free of charge for members and regular attenders of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in north Durham and for clergy of any denomination. All others are offered a flexible, sliding-scale fee arrangement.
How is spiritual direction different from therapy?
Spiritual direction and therapy are very different, and they cannot substitute for one another.
Psychotherapy, counseling, and other forms of mental health care can consist of treatment for mental health conditions, emotional difficulties, past traumas, or relationship problems. Therapy and counseling may sometimes have religious and spiritual elements, but not always.
We celebrate and affirm therapy, counseling, and other forms of mental health treatment as gifts from God.
Spiritual direction, on the other hand, is sacred time in which we learn to hear God’s voice in our hearts. You and your spiritual director walk together in faith, learning to recognize what God is already saying and doing in your life. Mental, emotional and relational issues may come up in these sessions, but only in the context of navigating your relationship with God and cultivating your spirituality.
Perhaps you frequently ponder questions like “how do I know what God wants?” or “why have I felt distant from God lately?” If questions like these weigh on your heart, spiritual direction may nourish your soul.
How is a spiritual director different from a pastor?
Many spiritual directors are also pastors, and many pastors are also spiritual directors. However, the two vocations are not interchangeable.
Pastors/priests/ministers are ordained by a church or denomination for the functions of teaching Scripture, administering baptism and communion, and leading congregations. They often are required to complete master's degrees in Bible and theology along with other forms of training and education.
Spiritual direction training involves a much tighter focus than the broad training required for ordained persons. A standard training program for spiritual directors lasts two years. These two years are spent learning & practicing many different facets of the spiritual life with the ultimate goal of guiding individual souls along their spiritual journeys. For a sample description of a spiritual direction training program, visit https://ncspiritualdirection.org/2-year-format/.
I'm interested in receiving spiritual direction. What is the next step?
If you are interested in receiving spiritual direction, send Barbara Atkinson an email with basic information about yourself and a brief explanation of why you are seeking direction. She will reach out to you to schedule an initial conversation.
