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Church Architecture

Supervision and Mentoring 

Supervision and Facilitated Peer Supervision
Mentoring for those new to the ministry 
Supervision for those in their practicum 
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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

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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 
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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

Supervisors and Mentors

Supervisor List
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