Lloyd Center Services - Spiritual Direction

Spiritual Direction is a covenant relationship in which one Christian assists another or others in the discernment of God’s presence and the contemplative living out of God’s call. Spiritual direction is a regular one-to-one or small group conversation in which you are guided to reflect more deeply on your spiritual life, on your relationship to God and on the presence of the Holy in your everyday life.

At the Lloyd Center, spiritual direction is offered in both one to one and small group settings, as well as in a retreat or Sabbatical setting.   For more information about our pastoral renewal program, click here.

Historically, spiritual direction has developed and been practiced within the Roman Catholic and Anglican monastic communities.  In more recent years, Catholic lay persons and Christians from a variety of other denominations have come to embrace the practice of spiritual direction.

San Francisco Theological Seminary has been one of the contemporary pioneers in the development of an emphasis on spirituality within Protestant Christianity.  The seminary’s Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction has been teaching and training spiritual directions for over 15 years.  For more information about the DASD program, See menu selection: Program in Christian Spirituality.   Many of the graduates of this program now provide services here at The Lloyd Center.

Both pastoral counseling and spiritual direction assist people in growth toward personal, social and spiritual wholeness—but the focus of spiritual direction is on helping you pay attention and respond to the presence and experience of God within your life.  While in pastoral counseling a client and pastoral counselor may meet once a week, people engaged in spiritual direction  usually meet with a spiritual director once a month.  Pastoral counseling draws upon the resources of psychotherapeutic methods and personality theory, while spiritual direction tends to draw upon the resources of prayer, contemplation and spiritual disciplines.

What you can expect from Spiritual Direction?

• A deeper and richer personal spirituality.
• A greater sensitivity to and awareness of the presence of God in your life.
• A clearer sense of what God is calling you to do and be.
• A sense of the spiritual practices that best help you be responsive to God.
• A familiarity with the variety of spiritual practices designed to enrich your spiritual journey, such as “centering prayer.”
• An experience of the value of contemplative prayer as a both a spiritual practice and health enhancement.
• A greater energy and vitality for your ministry/work.
• A greater sense of purpose and direction in your life.

Normally spiritual directors meet with their “directees” on a monthly basis, guide them through various spiritual exercises(prayer, meditation, readings), designed to help the directee discern more carefully God’s leading in their life and become more fully aware of God’s presence in their lives.

The Lloyd Center Staff
The Lloyd Center at SFTS includes professional spiritual directors who have advanced training and education in spiritual direction.   They also receive regular supervision of their work by teachers and supervisors.

At the Lloyd Center, spiritual direction services are available to all persons without regard for their faith tradition or degree of faith.  We are convinced that ultimately we are all spiritual beings and that we all have a spiritual walk, regardless of the theological labels we place upon it.  So our spiritual directors will meet you at whatever place or stage you are in your spiritual walk.

For further information about our spiritual directors, see menu selection: Staff and Faculty.

Fees:  Like other professional services, spiritual directors normally charge a fee for their services/time and usually function on an appointment basis. The normal scaling fee scale of $85 to $125 per session applies to spiritual direction services too. If you cannot afford these fees and wish to receive services at the Lloyd Center, you may consult with the Director about financial aid.

Confidentiality: As with all professional services, the content of and nature of your spiritual direction work is kept in strictest confidence here at the Lloyd Center, and only released to other professionals with your written permission.

Locations: Spiritual Direction services are available at both our San Anselmo office and our Berkeley office.

If you think that your spiritual life could benefit from this work, contact The Lloyd Center at 415 258 6652.