Spiritual Direction at Rez
Learn how God is working in your life
Spiritual Companioning
Our own lived experiences can often get lost in a blur of deadlines, schedules, and to-do's. We forget that Jesus is present with us in the midst of it all. Sometimes we need a companion(s) who will hold open space for us to look and listen for the ways that God is interacting with us. Is He daring you to play? Or perhaps He wants you to rest while He holds the private grief that you carry? Maybe there's a whisper of an invitation toward something? Whatever it is, I'd love to help make the time and space to tend to that in a non-anxious and non-judgmental way.
One-with-one sessions typically begin with some grounding work that helps us to become aware of our bodies in the space we’re in. Then we move to a contemplative prayer practice. After that we move into a time of prayerfully paying attention to what's going on in your life. As we go, I may pause to do some listening prayer exercises with you, or to offer some suggestions for prayers that might help in your own time. Sessions are an hour unless you’d prefer them to be shorter, and once per month seems to be an ideal frequency for ongoing spiritual direction.
Group sessions follow the same format as one-with-one, but everyone in the group is able to participate in holding prayerful space and asking questions. Sessions are 1.5 hours long, and the group meets once per month.
God is the one who is at work in your life, and I simply want to help hold open that space to look for it! To marvel, delight, and get curious with you. That being said, ongoing consent is really important to me in my practice, so if at any point during the session you're not comfortable with the direction it's going and you need to stop, we will. The work we do together is significant work, and I want to tend to it with care and gentleness.
If you still have questions or are ready to schedule a one-with-one session or be a part of a group, please reach out to Angela Mattei at holdingopenspace@gmail.com
FAQ’s
How is this different from counseling?
Counseling looks at current patterns of behavior, thoughts, and emotion, and offers tools to address those things that are troubling. Spiritual companioning instead focuses on how you're experiencing God and how God is experiencing you. Therapy and spiritual companioning are both excellent to receive concurrently! But if anything comes up in our time together that I think needs a licensed therapist, I can provide recommendations.
What happens if I become uncomfortable or feel overwhelmed during our time together?
First, please know that I will make every effort to prevent this from happening, but sometimes things sneak up on us and catch us off guard. And it's ok to be human. If at any time during our session you need to take a step back, that's perfectly fine. Your consent to enter this space is a very precious aspect of spiritual companionship, and if ever you need to withdraw that consent I will honor that. Additionally, I will take great care to avoid pressuring or asking leading questions.
What about spiritual abuse?
Unfortunately, there are many instances of spiritual leaders using the line “God told me that you should…” as a way of asserting power over another and manipulating them. In one-with-one, and with group direction, it’s really important that a posture of curiosity take place. As your spiritual companion, I want to hold open space for you to navigate your relationship with God and to hear from God yourself.
Why do you offer spiritual companioning?
We do this because it is an absolute honor to bear witness to God at work in other's lives. I never know how a session will go but I consistently walk away in awe of the way God is ever present and tending to the cares of His people.