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, evocative, and compassionate process intended to enhance your growth as a director, so that both you and your directees can flourish. For some spiritual directors, facilitated group supervision is a good choice. (Note that facilitated group supervision is different than peer group supervision.) However, there are excellent reasons why you might want individual supervision.
For 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 12 years, totaling over 550 sessions, in a mix of individual and group contexts. I've supervised graduates of various training programs as well as students in training at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (Elkhart, IN), Columbia Theological Seminary (Decatur, GA), and North Park Theological Seminary (Chicago, IL).
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. We can also talk about practical and ethical issues you might be wondering about. 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 heart 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. Currently my suggested amount is $80-100 for a full hour, with you picking the amount. In special circumstances we may be able to agree on a lower number.
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. I also teach the course on group supervision in Fordham University's Advanced Certificate in Supervision.
"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, evocative, and compassionate process intended to enhance your growth as a director, so that both you and your directees can flourish. For some spiritual directors, facilitated group supervision is a good choice. (Note that facilitated group supervision is different than peer group supervision.) However, there are excellent reasons why you might want individual supervision.
- You want more detailed, in-depth supervision than a group provides. Some supervision groups allot limited time to explore your situation. As an 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 supervision groups the members all have about the same level of experience, perhaps less. 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 supervision group know your directees. In such a setting, confidentiality could be breached and boundary lines crossed. Using an individual supervisor from elsewhere 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 supervision group, but something unusual has arisen that you think would be more helpful to explore with an individual supervisor.
For 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 12 years, totaling over 550 sessions, in a mix of individual and group contexts. I've supervised graduates of various training programs as well as students in training at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (Elkhart, IN), Columbia Theological Seminary (Decatur, GA), and North Park Theological Seminary (Chicago, IL).
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. We can also talk about practical and ethical issues you might be wondering about. 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 heart 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. Currently my suggested amount is $80-100 for a full hour, with you picking the amount. In special circumstances we may be able to agree on a lower number.
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. I also teach the course on group supervision in Fordham University's Advanced Certificate in Supervision.
