SUPERVISION OF SPIRITUAL DIRECTORS
Persons in the helping professions need someone to assist in discerning
the inner commentaries that are always present during work with their clients. Supervisors
fulfill this need for spiritual directors. As more and more newly-fledged spiritual
directors are emerging from spiritual direction programs, a greater need for
formal accompaniment of spiritual directors by competent supervisors has
arisen.
"Spiritual directors are companions with others on their journey
to God. As companions, they share in others' struggles and joys. They are not
detached bystanders... Because spiritual directors are intimately
involved with others' life and religious experience, they need others to
accompany them as they help and support their directees. Since they experience
various interior movements while directing, they need the caring presence of
another person to explore these movements." (Maureen Conroy, Looking
Into The Well, pg.3)
Good supervision is multifaceted.
A supervisor is one who will be a companion for spiritual
directors, walking with them into greater interior awareness and personal
freedom. Supervisors are also codiscerners with spiritual directors;
they teach how to sift through the interior movements that occur while giving
direction to another. Supervisors are a contemplative presence, helping
a director to notice how God is present during a session, to taste deeply of
that presence, and enable the directee to linger there a little longer. They
also comfort directors by being a resting place in times of
disappointment, discouragement, and feelings of inadequacy. And finally,
supervisors are skilled helpers who assist directors in their ability to
be attentive listeners, deeper pray-ers, and more involved in their directees'
life and experiences of the Holy.
Lynne Prechel is a compassionate and experienced supervisor who can
help a spiritual director navigate the sometimes confusing and conflicting
inner commentaries that arise within while working with a directee. She will
help you to sift out your own interior movements that occur while you are
listening to and directing your clients. Through this supervision process, you
will develop a keener sense of self-awareness, a deeper relationship with God, and
a greater understanding of how God is forming the directee.
Supervision sessions are one hour long, and a suggested donation range
of $60-$80 is gratefully accepted. In the supervision process, you will need to be prepared to write a verbatim and/or narrative of the direction situation you bring for discussion. Consultation (help with specific problems in directing others) is included in the supervision session and usually constitute 30% of the time; however, this is at the discretion of the spiritual director coming for supervision. As always, each session is fully confidential.
Contact Information: If you are a spiritual director seeking a supervisor, please contact Lynne Prechel, a certified and experienced supervisor for spiritual directors. Email her at: lynne@fanfaremusic.net, or phone: 714-721-8740.
Contact Information: If you are a spiritual director seeking a supervisor, please contact Lynne Prechel, a certified and experienced supervisor for spiritual directors. Email her at: lynne@fanfaremusic.net, or phone: 714-721-8740.
