Supervision for Spiritual Directors
"Supervision is a conversation between peers that ultimately fosters the well-being of the absent other." (Mary Rose Bumpus in Supervision of Spiritual Directors: Engaging Holy Mystery, ed. Mary Rose Bumpus and Rebecca Bradburn Langer, Morehouse, 2005, 5.)
Supervision for spiritual directors is a contemplative process intended to enhance your growth as a director in response to God, so that both you and your directees can flourish. For some spiritual directors, peer group supervision is a good choice. However, there are excellent reasons why you might want individual supervision. Reasons may include:
For any of these reasons or others you might have, you're welcome to contact me for individual supervision on either a long-term or a case-by-case basis.
Frequent Questions about Supervision
How much experience do you have?
I've offered supervision for the past 10 years, totaling over 500 sessions, in a mix of individual and group contexts.
How often do we meet?
That's up to you. If you see a large number of people for spiritual direction, you might want supervision more often. If you see a small number of people for spiritual direction, you might need supervision less often (unless particular or persistent issues are arising for you).
What are we hoping for in supervision?
Supervision aims to make you more inwardly free so you can be at your best when you meet with your directees. Supervision is not counseling or psychotherapy.
Do I need to give you supervision forms before we meet?
No, not unless you're in a training program that requires you to share one or more forms with me. I can work with or without using forms. However, if you want to write something and share it with me before we meet, you're welcome to do that since it may help us get to the nub of things faster. It's your choice and I'll adapt.
Can I try it and quit if it's not for me?
Sure! You can stop any time.
What ethical standards do you uphold?
I uphold the Guidelines for Ethical Conduct published by Spiritual Directors International. Among other things, these guidelines require me to honor your dignity, to hold our conversations in confidence to the extent of the law, to receive spiritual direction and supervision for myself, and to be faithful to my own personal and corporate spiritual practices.
Where did you receive your training as a supervisor?
From Together in the Mystery.
"Supervision is a conversation between peers that ultimately fosters the well-being of the absent other." (Mary Rose Bumpus in Supervision of Spiritual Directors: Engaging Holy Mystery, ed. Mary Rose Bumpus and Rebecca Bradburn Langer, Morehouse, 2005, 5.)
Supervision for spiritual directors is a contemplative process intended to enhance your growth as a director in response to God, so that both you and your directees can flourish. For some spiritual directors, peer group supervision is a good choice. However, there are excellent reasons why you might want individual supervision. Reasons may include:
- You live in a community where there aren't enough other directors to form a supervision group. In this case you can still receive supervision via video call, regardless of where you live. I meet many people by Zoom.
- You want more detailed, in-depth supervision than a group provides. Some supervision groups might only allot 30-45 minutes to explore your situation, whereas in individual supervisor I will focus on you and your situation for a full 60 minutes.
- You want to discuss your spiritual direction practice with a more experienced director. In some peer groups the members all have approximately the same level of experience as you have, perhaps less. Although it isn't always possible to do this, you may want an individual supervisor who's worked as a spiritual director longer than you have.
- You want to tend confidentiality and boundary issues more carefully. If you live in a community where many people know each other, perhaps some members of your peer group know your directees. In such a setting, confidentiality could be breached and boundary lines crossed. Using an individual supervisor from elsewhere in the country may alleviate these issues.
- You need an individual supervisor for a specific situation that has come up in your direction work. You plan on continuing with your existing peer group, but something unusual has arisen that you think would be more helpful to explore with an individual supervisor.
For any of these reasons or others you might have, you're welcome to contact me for individual supervision on either a long-term or a case-by-case basis.
Frequent Questions about Supervision
How much experience do you have?
I've offered supervision for the past 10 years, totaling over 500 sessions, in a mix of individual and group contexts.
How often do we meet?
That's up to you. If you see a large number of people for spiritual direction, you might want supervision more often. If you see a small number of people for spiritual direction, you might need supervision less often (unless particular or persistent issues are arising for you).
What are we hoping for in supervision?
Supervision aims to make you more inwardly free so you can be at your best when you meet with your directees. Supervision is not counseling or psychotherapy.
Do I need to give you supervision forms before we meet?
No, not unless you're in a training program that requires you to share one or more forms with me. I can work with or without using forms. However, if you want to write something and share it with me before we meet, you're welcome to do that since it may help us get to the nub of things faster. It's your choice and I'll adapt.
Can I try it and quit if it's not for me?
Sure! You can stop any time.
What ethical standards do you uphold?
I uphold the Guidelines for Ethical Conduct published by Spiritual Directors International. Among other things, these guidelines require me to honor your dignity, to hold our conversations in confidence to the extent of the law, to receive spiritual direction and supervision for myself, and to be faithful to my own personal and corporate spiritual practices.
Where did you receive your training as a supervisor?
From Together in the Mystery.
