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      • About Me
      • Spiritual Direction
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  • Home
  • Support
  • About Me
    • About Me
    • Spiritual Direction
    • Writing & Publications
  • Services
    • Grief Support
    • Writing Workshops
    • Mindfulness Meditation
    • Events
    • Fees
  • Contact
  • Retreat Information

Ellen Judith Reich

Ellen Judith ReichEllen Judith ReichEllen Judith Reich

The soul needs to speak as surely as the body needs to breathe

The soul needs to speak as surely as the body needs to breatheThe soul needs to speak as surely as the body needs to breathe

What is Spiritual Direction?

There are many traditional definitions (below) but my favorite description of what I do is:


  • Fostering connection and direction to live a more meaningful life.


You might be alienated from religion, and even from the idea of "God." Everyone's path is unique.Most of us share a desire to feel connected to someone or something. We yearn for meaning and purpose.


"Direction" refers to directing your attention to your experience. "Spiritual" refers to that which carries the deepest meaning for you. Engaging in that journey of discovery with you is what I do. Walking with a guide or a companion is like using a map or a compass to find the best path for your unique vision and experience.


"Within  you  dwells  the  desire  to  find  meaning  in  every  moment ...   to  discover  your  true  self...  to  experience  kindness  and  acceptance  for  ourselves  and  share  it  with  others...  to  feel  a  deep  connection  to  the  ground  of  all  being.  A  spiritual  companion  can  support  this  journey  of  a  lifetime."  (Spiritual Directors  International)


"The goal of Spiritual Direction is to help individuals  name and claim their personal experience of God."  (Charlotte Spirituality Center) 

"The  core mission of spiritual companionship is helping others recall their  true essence, however they might perceive it. And although it can be described as a journey of discovery, in some ways it is more of a  process of unveiling and revealing what has already been there." (Listen  magazine)

Spiritual  Direction is a counseling relationship designed to cultivate our innate spirituality in order to live a more grounded, meaningful life. While a Spiritual Director receives special training, the relationship is one of equal partners in a journey together.

My  approach to deepening a connection with The Divine is consistent with  science. I engage in deep listening. I came from a place that doubted God's very existence, and am keenly aware of the many different ways to  describe or understand what is essentially indescribable and beyond  understanding - The Divine. 

Elements  that influence my views on Spiritual Direction include Positive Psychology, meditation and creative expression, especially writing and  journaling. While  in some ways similar to Coaching, Coaching tends to rely on planning  and creating action steps to accomplish specific goals. Knowing where  you want to go and how you will get there is a bit like the outermost  ring of Spiritual Direction.

Spiritual Direction is rooted in listening, observing, and asking the right question at the right moment. Coaching assumes you know where you want to go. Spiritual Direction is committed to the journey of discovering and deepening your most meaningful connections.

You may understand that you are seeking a  closer relationship with God. You may be uncomfortable talking about  "God," but you long to understand what it might mean for you if you  were able to establish a level of deep peace, meaning and purpose in your life.

Spiritual  Direction is a journey of discovery and connection, a journey of finding and making meaning.

Podcast Resources

Spiritual Directors International

SDI Encounters Episode 28


On Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/sdi-encounters


On Apple Podcasts – https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sdi-encounters/id1451231142?mt=2

Unhurried Living

Episode 15 - Beth Booram: Spiritual Direction


Unhurried living.com


Episode available on iTunes and Stitcher

On Being

Anything from On Being with Krista Tippett


On Being.org

Ask a Spiritual Director

Available on Stitcher, iTunes and ListenNotes.com


Of special interest see:


Episode June 14 - "Can a Spiritual Director's Faith Tradition or Theology Be Different Than Mine?"


Episode March 26 - "Who is Spiritual Direction For?"

Ellen Judith Reich

Charlotte, North Carolina - 320 - 32 B - WELL

(320-322-9355)

Copyright © 2019 Ellen Judith Reich - All Rights Reserved.

Breathe. Play With Words. Find Your Home.