Supervision and Mentoring

Supervision and Facilitated Peer Supervision

Mentoring for those new to the ministry

Supervision for those in their practicum

“The overall goal of supervision is to help spiritual directors to grow in self-awareness and interior freedom in order to stay with the directees’ experience and to be attentive to God during direction sessions.”
- Maureen Conroy, RSM

Director's Apply Here

What are some reasons a spiritual director may seek mentoring?

Mentoring address all the aspects of supervision, addressing case studies, ongoing information, skill building, in addition to the business side of ministry

What are some reasons a spiritual director may seek supervision?

To reflect with my supervisor on how I am noticing the movement of the Holy Spirit with my directee
To help eliminate areas of “interior un-freedom” that block me from noticing and/or responding to the Holy Spirit
To seek consultation about practice-related challenges, including ethical issues I face
To continue building skills, especially if I am in training or in the first years of practice

How often should I meet with a supervisor?

Spiritual directors experience a variety of interior movements when they accompany others. The more frequently a director meets with directees, the more frequently they might require supervision. Supervision is recommended to any spiritual director for exploring movements such as:

Dissonant experiences such as agitation, frustration, distraction, or boredom
Consonant experiences such as joy, peace, gratitude, or love
Bringing areas of darkness to light, such as resistance, trauma, and emotional blocks
Growing in interior freedom by uncovering unresolved issues

What are some advantages of group supervision facilitated by a spiritual direction supervisor?

Group members can relax and participate without distractions, knowing that the paid supervisor will hold the process.
Group members receive a model of competent supervision
Receiving wisdom from several people
Participation with a group of peers and professionals
Lower cost
A paid supervisor has the explicit tasks of
- containing and facilitating the group to make sure ethical issues are addressed
- telling the hard truth that peers may not feel free to express
- addressing challenges that may arise between group members
- holding contemplative space

What are some advantages of meeting with a supervisor one-on-one?

There is less of a chance of a breach of confidentiality
There is no waiting for an opportunity to present
More individual attention with a trained professional
More privacy