Spiritual Direction & Retreats encompassing Seminars & Groupwork
I am also an experienced groupwork facilitator and leader, starting out with Youth group work, then starting groups for Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual people and doing much diverse group work as part of my Social care work, including addiction recovery and Mindfulness & Meditation groups. Contact me for more details.
Since 1997 I facilitate retreats and seminars on psycho-spiritual themes,some all-week events or weekend retreats or one-day workshops, mostly in Europe.
Sometimes I work with Co-faclitators. In the past Co-facilitators included renowed writers and spiritual leaders like Stafford Whitaker, James Alison or Chris Glaser. One example: In 2008 I facilitated a retreat on integration of sexuality and faith at Kirkridge Conference Centre in Penn. USA. I recent years I facilitated retreats in the Othona Community & Retreat Centre on the Dorset coast and at Holland House in Worcester and now at Holland House in North Yorkshire.
If you wish to attend a group or retreat in 2026 and beyond:
In Holy Rood House in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, I will co-facilitate two Men’s Spirituality retreats. In 2026 I will co-facilitate Richard Rohr inspired retreats for everybody in Othona on the Dorset coast and I will also back at Holland House in Cropthorne, Worcestershire and of course again in Holy Rood House. In 2026 I will for the first time I plan to co-facilitate with Revd Ian Spencer such a retreat in a amazing Retreat centre Trossachs Tryst in Scotland.
For more details contact me directly.
If you wish to engage me for a retreat, seminar or course:
Please contact me for details include terms and conditions.
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
I clearly distinguish between Counselling/Psychotherapy and Spiritual Direction and offer either one or the other but not both at the same time to the same person.
Spiritual Direction is reflecting on personal spiritual development and spiritual practice. While I work from an inclusive, contemplative and progressive and contemplative Christian background I am open to faciliate spiritual growth for people with a different background as well as long as they accept my background.
Spiritual Direction or Spiritual Accompaniment is an ancient ministry, that is about taking the time to meet with another person and talk about one’s spiritual journey, prayer, meditation and search for the divine in one’s life. Many people find that this pattern of reflective companionship can be a significant help.
People seek this ministry at different points in their lives and for various reasons:
It can be a way
To make better sense of the individual faith journey.
To find clarity and support at times of significant life choices.
To respond more deeply to God’s presence and move forward towards wholeness and freedom.
The Spiritual Director’s or Spiritual Guide’s role is to support the discernment of God’s activity in your life. This is a ‘sacred space’ into which we can bring anything but into which we do not have to bring anything. There are no expectations, and no judgment. It is a listening and accepting space.
Sometimes the person has a sense of something happening in their life and needing to make sense of it in a spiritual context: ‘Where is God in this for me?’
Sometimes people have a particular spiritual issue they want to work through.
Sometimes it is as simple as: ‘How can I pray?’ What form of meditation is appropriate for me at this stage in my life?
Sometimes it is an individual’s awareness of the Sacred, inviting them to ‘something more’, and needing help to work out what that is really all about.
I have been involved in Spiritual Direction for years: Besides the trainings and experiences already mentioned, I studied at a Theological Seminary in Aarau, Switzerland for two years in the 1980’s and in the 1990’s undertook training in contemporary spirituality as part of the Friedensgasse Community in Basel, Switzerland, which whom I am still connected: https://solidarityfund.jimdofree.com
From 1995 – 1999 I was a Meditation student of Zen Master Pia Gyger (White Plum Sangha). Since 2011 I am a member of a Zen Sangha: www.wildgoosesangha.org.uk I am also very familiar with the Centering Prayer Meditation tradition: https://contemplativeoutreach.org.uk/centering-prayer/ For years I have been an Associate member of the Iona community: https://iona.org.uk/ I am part now of the Chaplancy Team at Holy Rood House in Thirsk.
