What is Supervision for Spiritual Directors?
Supervision for Spiritual Directors is a sacred container for all that we experience as directors. It is *not* an authoritative relationship where I seek out your mistakes and correct them. It is, rather, a contemplative process; a way of seeing. If you’ve been a spiritual direction client for a while, it is much like the warm welcome (I hope!) you’ve experienced with me there.
The difference here is that we are colleagues. Let me say that again. We are colleagues. I might have more experience, or a different perspective you value (e.g., trauma, or social justice). But this is a collaborative process. You aren’t meant to become a version of me. I am meant to support you in being the best version of you that you can bring to your clients.
Being in a supervision relationship is one of the Guidelines for Ethical Conduct of SDI (Spiritual Directors International) (see more below).
Typically, one-on-one supervision is monthly for an hour, and often continues for years. It can be more, or less, frequent depending on your needs.
The difference here is that we are colleagues. Let me say that again. We are colleagues. I might have more experience, or a different perspective you value (e.g., trauma, or social justice). But this is a collaborative process. You aren’t meant to become a version of me. I am meant to support you in being the best version of you that you can bring to your clients.
Being in a supervision relationship is one of the Guidelines for Ethical Conduct of SDI (Spiritual Directors International) (see more below).
Typically, one-on-one supervision is monthly for an hour, and often continues for years. It can be more, or less, frequent depending on your needs.
What kinds of requirements are there to being in supervision?
A fruitful supervision relationship does not require you to be in a spiritual direction formation program, or have any experience working with clients. It begins wherever you are. It embraces all of your questions or doubts or joys; anything you’re reading, learning in a formation program, or experiencing in relationships. It pays particular attention to how you think you are being guided to practice spiritual direction; this can be discerning whether or not you are being guided in this direction, or how you want to practice it (e.g., only one-on-one, only retreats, only with Christians, only with spiritual-but-not-religious clients, lots of options).
Our work will be enriched if you are in a spiritual direction relationship. I hesitate to call it a requirement, but it will vastly improve the work we do together and the work you do with clients. That can be with me – in separate sessions, so as to hold each container sacred and separate, though there will of course be overlap. Or, that can be with another director; via SDI, or I can make referrals to one who might be a good fit for you.
It is helpful (if not essential) to the supervision relationship – and to your work as a director – if you’ve done the inner work to know yourself, and if you practice good self-care. That might mean that you are currently, or have in the past been, in therapy. It might mean that you are currently, or have in the past been, in trauma or hybrid (including spiritual direction) work with me. Again, it will include ongoing spiritual direction. It might also include regularly reading, reflecting, &/or retreating. And anything else that serves as your self-care.
It is also helpful to the supervision relationship – and to your work as a director – if you (or we together) reflect deeply on your own spiritual beliefs. There is no wrong answer here. But that reflexivity will clarify what lens(es) you’re using to view a particular client or situation they bring to you. Ideally, we should be able to serve any client with any beliefs (or the lack thereof). But we do well to know our biases and limits.
It may also enrich your practice, and our work together, if you join SDI (Spiritual Directors International). I adhere (and strongly recommend that supervision clients adhere) to their Guidelines for Ethical Conduct.
Our work will be enriched if you are in a spiritual direction relationship. I hesitate to call it a requirement, but it will vastly improve the work we do together and the work you do with clients. That can be with me – in separate sessions, so as to hold each container sacred and separate, though there will of course be overlap. Or, that can be with another director; via SDI, or I can make referrals to one who might be a good fit for you.
It is helpful (if not essential) to the supervision relationship – and to your work as a director – if you’ve done the inner work to know yourself, and if you practice good self-care. That might mean that you are currently, or have in the past been, in therapy. It might mean that you are currently, or have in the past been, in trauma or hybrid (including spiritual direction) work with me. Again, it will include ongoing spiritual direction. It might also include regularly reading, reflecting, &/or retreating. And anything else that serves as your self-care.
It is also helpful to the supervision relationship – and to your work as a director – if you (or we together) reflect deeply on your own spiritual beliefs. There is no wrong answer here. But that reflexivity will clarify what lens(es) you’re using to view a particular client or situation they bring to you. Ideally, we should be able to serve any client with any beliefs (or the lack thereof). But we do well to know our biases and limits.
It may also enrich your practice, and our work together, if you join SDI (Spiritual Directors International). I adhere (and strongly recommend that supervision clients adhere) to their Guidelines for Ethical Conduct.
What do we cover in the sessions?
- specific details of a given client session, an incredible gift since confidentiality precludes our sharing that with anyone but our spiritual director or supervisor;
- what comes up for you (since I am also a social scientist, I call this our reflexivity) regarding a given client or session, where we pay attention to our beliefs, biases, worldviews, triggers, anything that may have an impact on our work;
- specific skills or competencies you’d like to gain (e.g., setting up a practice, earning an income, facilitating retreats or groups, learning more about the Enneagram or trauma or critical race theory); or anything that you think would help you support your clients.
