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Spiritual Direction

  • Writer: Rick Bonetti
    Rick Bonetti
  • Jun 16
  • 4 min read

Updated: Jun 29


On a May 30, 2026, Zoom call with the American Teilhard Association, there were several participants who referred to themselves as Spiritual Directors. They were not clergy and not necessarily psychotherapists, but they relate to others as spiritual beings on a path toward greater awareness.


I didn't know much about spiritual direction, so I decided to investigate what they have to offer. I also wonder if they are harbingers of the religion of the future for younger generations who have abandoned traditional churches and institutional religion?


Spiritual direction training programs are available in various formats, including in-person, online, and hybrid options, often leading to certificates or certification. Below are some recognized programs and their key details:


Programs and Certifications


Best for Specific Needs


Note on Certification: There is no single, official standard for spiritual direction training or certification, so programs vary in requirements and recognition


Spiritual direction training programs, like those offered by ISDI and Selah, typically require a call to spiritual companionship, theological background, and monthly spiritual direction, with formats ranging from online to hybrid.

From May 27 – June 1, 2026, the Hayden Institute, based in Asheville, NC, had its 2026 Summer Dream and Spirituality Conference: Cosmic Community, Sacred Hope. Find out more about Hayden's Summer Dream and Spirituality Conference presenters at the Hayden Institute Bookstore. The Haden Institute  was founded in 1994 "to educate participants about the transformational gifts of spirituality and Jungian psychology." If you are interested in training as a Spiritual Diirector Hayden's new class entry course is September 10-13, 2026.

September 16-20, 2026 - The Guild for Spiritual Guidance is presenting the Imagine Symposium - a transformative retreat bringing together theologians, artists, scientists, and Indigenous knowledge keepers to explore the intersections of faith, nature, ecology, cosmology, science, and imagination. This is "an invitation to pause together—to listen more deeply to the Earth, to wisdom traditions, to science, to poetry, and to one another."

Themes & Focus:

  • Ecological and spiritual consciousness

  • Dialogue between cosmology and science

  • Indigenous wisdom and land-based spirituality

  • Imagination as a tool for building new worlds

Livestream includes keynotes and select workshops, plus event recordings. Recordings will become available about 2 weeks after the event. $700 for online access. Register here.


My wife and I live in a large retirement community in the Rogue Valley of southern Oregon. One of the attractions when we decided to move there in fall 2018 was their Department of Spiritual Care and Wellbeing. Their stated mission was to "celebrate, advocate and support spiritual life at the Rogue Valley Manor by promoting religious programs, providing counseling and support, encouraging spiritual growth and fostering ethical decisions." They do this by offering:

  • Counseling and pastoral care

  • The ministry of presence and empathetic listening

  • Unconditional love and encouragement

  • Help in identifying one's beliefs and feelings

  • Identity sources of comfort and support

  • Guidance and referral for times of grief

  • Spiritual formation and education

  • Assistance and end-of-life decisions

  • Ethical conversations and discernment

  • The teaching of spiritual disciplines

  • Sacraments: Anointing, Communion, and Prayer

  • Religious services (Vespers, Devotionals, Bible Studies, Communion Services, Torah Study, and other presentations)

  • Trained Spiritual Care Volunteers who provide support, listening, and end-of-life care

  • Hospital and apartment/cottage visitations

  • Story Corps - a project that collects, shares, and preserves people's life stories by recording interviews and making them available on their website.

  • Socrates Cafe- a philosophical inquiry

  • Guest presentation and workshops (Oreon Humanities, Death & Dying, Loss & Grief)

  • The Gillespie Lectureship

The program is currently staffed by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Spiritual Care Coordinator/Chaplain, and a part-time Chaplain.

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