Guidance for your Inner Journey

Life is full of challenges.  In the second half of our lives, we often begin to ask ourselves important questions. Who am I?  What do I believe?  Who/what is God?   What gives my life meaning?  Where do I belong?  What makes me feel more alive?

Perhaps the things that used to give a sense of meaning no longer draw you in the same way.  You are looking for a bigger sense of purpose, a place to belong.  It’s hard to be alone when you are facing some of life’s biggest questions.

Do any of these sound familiar to you?

You are facing a major change at home or at work that will affect the rest of your life. Several options are open to you but you are finding it hard to discern a way forward.  You sense a more spiritual perspective might help.

‘There must be more to life than this’, you say to yourself.  You certainly have lots of questions but you don’t want someone else to tell you their answers. You long for space and some kind of structure to uncover your own answers.

You feel stuck physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.  Life feels like one long conveyor belt.  You long to get off it and find a different way of life that includes all aspects of you.

Somehow you have lost a sense of meaning, direction and purpose. What used to inspire you no longer does.  All you feel is a mixture of numbness and longing for you’re not sure what.

Unexpected losses and disappointments have knocked you off balance and made you question things you previously took for granted.

You had yet to find a regular spiritual practice. You want to explore what’s out there and have support to deepen your practice with an experienced guide.

You are looking for some framework for your spirituality without being told what to believe or being obliged to agree that there is only ‘one right way’.

You see yourself as a seeker but you would not call yourself religious.  You would like a place to turn to for spiritual guidance and support.

So what exactly is Spiritual Accompaniment?

You do not have to part of a church or have any particular faith background to benefit from spiritual accompaniment. Indeed, recent research suggests that significant numbers of people are seeking spiritual support without any inherited church or faith background.

The art of spiritual guidance goes by many names including Spiritual Direction, Spiritual Counselling, Spiritual Companionship and the Celtic concept of ‘Anam Cara’ or soul friend.

Some ways I like to think of this form of spiritual facilitation are:

Spiritual Midwifery – bearing witness and being a patient and loving support to a natural (and sometimes painful) process.  Supporting the birth in you of what is innate and most true.

Gardener to the Human Soul – creating the conditions for the sustainable and natural unfoldment of your spiritual growth in your own time and in your own unique way.

A Tour Guide for the Inner Journey – holding a larger map and a wider perspective whilst supporting you to navigate life’s complex byways.  We are all fellow travellers on this journey without end.

A Sacred Bridge – between the everyday and the Divine.  The opportunity to remember your True Nature and to learn how to integrate that understanding into your daily life.

How is this different from other types of counselling and therapy?

The spiritual journey is about remembering and integrating our deepest truth as a lived experience. It is about learning to be present to all aspects of ourselves in every moment of our lives.  It is about recognising and remembering who we are beyond our personality and personal history.

Although issues such as marital conflict, depression or family crisis may arise during the sessions, spiritual accompaniment is not psychotherapy or counselling.  Working with you spiritually is about helping you to discern the movement and voice of God/Divine/Truth in your life and how you can nurture and deepen this boundless source of Inner Wisdom.

What happens in a session?

Many different approaches are possible. What happens will be unique to that session and depend totally on what is most helpful to you at the time.  Usually, however, we would begin our meeting with some kind of prayer/centring practice.  Together we would explore whatever theme you bring supported perhaps by readings, guided meditation, quotes, music, deep enquiry and other spiritual practices.

Each session is completely confidential and usually lasts 1-1.5 hours.  I am happy to work either face to face or on the telephone. Although one-off sessions are possible, I would recommend a series of at least four sessions with approx. 2-3 weeks in between.

How was it for them?

Everyone’s story is different.
Read the words of some of the people I have accompanied.

Nigel’s Story
Kay’s Story
Cath’s Story

Seeing through the Eyes of the Heart

As a lifelong spiritual seeker myself, I bring resources that are both deeply practical and highly supportive from a wide range of psychological and spiritual disciplines.  As an Interfaith Minister, I am not restricted to the teachings of just one faith tradition but can draw on a more Universal Spiritual approach that acknowledges both the challenges and the opportunities of today’s world.

If you are interested in the deepening your Inner Journey to create a life that is grounded, heartfelt and connected,  contact Janette