spiritual accompaniment
Spiritual accompaniment helps us to become more alive to this moment. This moment in our own lives. And this moment in the life of the world. It helps us grow as people, and communities, in the ways we are longing from the deepest place in us to grow.
It is normally practiced within religious communities, but, in its depth of wisdom and versatility, it is ripe to serve these times in dynamic ways. If we need to dig deep to access waters that can nourish our imaginations (and our souls), spiritual accompaniment is a practice that draws us close to those waters.
what is it?
Spiritual accompaniment can be practiced with individuals and groups. It helps us become more aware - of our selves, of the Divine, of the aliveness of the world around us, and of the reality of the times we are living in.
Paying attention: It is a way of listening (or paying attention) with another person, through the noise of every day life, to the quiet voice inside of us that knows. For some that is a place where God dwells. For others it is their true self. However you understand it, it is the place from which wisdom flows.
Being witnessed: The writer Henri Nouwen described the practice of spiritual accompaniment as lovingly witnessing the life of another: ‘To be a witness means to offer your own faith experience and to make your doubts and hopes, failures and successes, loneliness and woundedness, available to others as a context in which they can struggle with their own humanness and quest for meaning’.[1]
Seeking integrity: It can help you realise what matters most, and support you to make decisions that are closer to those values. And it can help situate your life in the wider context of what’s going on in the world, encouraging more wholehearted contributions.
Encountering God: Spiritual Accompaniment can, at points, be similar to counselling, or coaching. A key difference is that the director will keep bringing you back to an awareness of being in the presence of God (however you understand God). Spiritual Accompaniment helps us become more present within the presence of God.
‘Living in to a new way of self-understanding and spiritual depth is greatly aided by having a sturdy spiritual companion or soul friend’,[2]
who is it for?
Spiritual Accompaniment is for anyone that wants to grow as a person (or as a community) and understands spirituality to be central to that. I work with people who profess faith in God and people who don’t. I use the language that has integrity for each person.
Some may be experiencing grief, disappointment, anxiety or loss. Others may be exploring for the first time what spirituality means for them. Some will be trying to discern the way forward in their lives. Others may feel stuck, or be experiencing God as absent. Some sense a guiding presence in their life and want to become more intimately acquainted with that presence. Others need support whilst the world as they have known it collapses around them.
It is different for every person and there is nothing that can’t be talked about in spiritual accompaniment: ‘since God is the deepest dimension of all experience, the conversation will range over every area of existence’ - Elizabeth Libert
how does it work?
Regular: I meet some people regularly (every 4-6 weeks) either in person (East Sussex or London) or online.
Occasional: Others I meet just once or twice, often as part of a solo retreat they have booked for themselves at the centre where I am based.
Groups: I love working with groups and am happy to design retreats and gatherings for groups or teams doing meaningful work together in the world.
Art & Nature: If we meet in person, there is an option to work with art materials and/or be outside in nature.
Conversation: If you are looking for regular spiritual accompaniment, I suggest we have an initial 20 minute conversation to decide whether we are a good fit. There is no charge for this conversation.
If you are looking for accompaniment as part of a retreat we can arrange the session(s) by email, or have a brief phone chat. If you would like me to work with a group, the process is a bit different.
‘To receive spiritual direction is to recognise that God does not solve our problems or answer all our questions, but leads us closer to the mystery of our existence where all questions cease’.[3]
Confidentiality: Our sessions remain confidential (subject to legal, moral and professional duties, which we talk about at the start).
Time & Cost: I want people to pay what they can afford.
The sessions are 75 minutes and normally cost between £45-£75. I ask you to decide which amount is most appropriate for your financial situation and to make a payment before the session (including preparation and reflection I set aside 2 hours for each session).
If that rate is too high for you then, based on your income, please just pay what you can afford.
The cost of group sessions and retreats depends on what is required. I design them uniquely for each group.
Accountability: I am in regular supervision. I am a member of the Community of Spiritual Directors at the London Centre for Spiritual Direction. I abide by their Code of Practice and Safeguarding Guidelines. I also regularly see my own spiritual director.
‘I consider it the greatest privilege to walk alongside people as they earnestly pursue their unique quest for meaning, through the joys, pains and upheavals of life’.
‘The greatest call of a spiritual director is to open the door to the opportunities for spiritual growth and sometimes to provide a glimpse of the great mysterious light behind the curtain of life and of the Lord who is the source of all knowing and the giver of life’. [3]
Please be in touch by email if you would like to ask a question or book a session: me@vanessachamberlin.co.uk
Or you can use the contact form on this site.