What is a Spiritual Director?

A Spiritual Director is trained to listen well and help you notice God– to see what God is doing in your life and to hear what God is saying to you. I bring in spiritual practices, ancient and modern, to help you engage with God in the midst of your everyday life. 

What is the difference between Spiritual Direction and counseling or coaching?

A Spiritual Director is not a counselor, coach, teacher, mentor or even an advisor. Rather than getting to the root of your behavior (WHY), or formulating a growth plan (HOW), Spiritual Direction provides focused time to process WHAT feels most important right now and experience God’s love, presence, and leading in the midst of it.

Who is Spiritual Direction for? 

Spiritual Direction is for anyone who wants to grow in their relationship with God and to experience God’s love and presence in their lives. It is for busy moms, professionals, non-profit workers, ministry leaders, and retirees who crave a set-aside time with a trained Spiritual Director who is ready to help you make sense of your spiritual journey and spend quality time with your deeper desires. 

Is there a specific religion you work with?

All are welcome to Spiritual Direction, including any faith practice or stage of your spiritual journey. That said, I am specifically certified as a Spiritual Director in the Christian context.

Why Spiritual Direction?

Life is busy and it can be challenging to get grounded and focus on what’s most important amidst the chaos and boredom. While our deepest desires might surface from time to time, they often get pushed aside due to the demands and distractions of the day. Do you want to be more present to the vast wonder of God’s presence, to the depth of your truest self, and to the precious people in your life? Do you forget, get distracted, get scared or just don’t know where to start? Do you want to experience healing and spiritual growth, but your tried and true practices don’t seem to work or your image of God doesn’t seem to fit anymore? If you answered yes to any of these, Spiritual Direction might be the best next step for you.

How does Spiritual Direction help?

Spiritual Direction provides an on-going, set-aside, safe space to be deeply listened to by a patient guide who is there to help you notice where God is at work in your life and to discern what is the priority of the Spirit now. Spiritual Direction is holy listening, it’s a restorative prayer experience in the presence of a non-judgmental guide, minus the religious language and pretenses. Spiritual Direction is an invitation to reconnect to God’s unconditional love, care and guidance that brings freedom, healing and spiritual growth in the midst of everyday life.

What happens in a Spiritual Direction session with Nicole?

In short, I help you focus on meeting with God, and you receive God’s love, direction, healing, and growth.

During our one-hour monthly sessions,

• I will guide you through a Spirit-led experience where the focus is on creating space for you to be present with your deeper self and to connect with our self-revealing God.

• I will bring centering spiritual practices to help you settle in.

• I’ll offer patient listening in a quiet, low-distraction environment.

• You will determine what feels important to bring to your sharing time, and as you process, I’ll listen for God’s voice along with you and offer spiritually sensitive questions, observations and practices that help you focus more deeply on your desires and on what God is revealing and saying to you.

• Together we’ll hold this sacred space, with words and in silence.

I’m always amazed at how the Spirit guides us so gently and powerfully.

Is Spiritual Direction expensive?

Spiritual Direction is very affordable and often at rates much lower than professional counseling or coaching. I am able to offer a sliding scale to meet your financial situation.

What is your professional background?

I am a certified Spiritual Director who has been facilitating spiritual conversations for over 20 years. I spent 7 years working in ministry as a Care Ministry Director, Small Groups Director, and Staff Coach. Before that I helped start a non-profit in Kenya as Water and Sanitation Program Manager, and I’m a former Water Resources Engineer in downtown Chicago.

Before kids, I traveled to 28 countries, and I now enjoy mostly domestic adventures with my husband and two daughters exploring all the charms of our small town as well as the excitement of Chicago, which is just 20 short minutes away. In addition to being a Spiritual Director and a mom, I volunteer with my church and several organizations in my community.