WHAT IS SPIRITUAL DIRECTION?
We all deeply desire to be heard, to be known. Something in us yearns for union with the divine, but we don’t always recognize how God is at work or speaking to us. Spiritual direction provides space, a break from the routine of life to be heard, to consider what God is doing in, through, and around us. A spiritual director is someone trained to listen deeply - attentive to you and to God - who asks questions to bridge any gap. This is quite different than, nor a replacement for, therapy or mental health counseling. Sometimes the end result looks the same, but the methods employed do differ. Spiritual direction is more of an art. You are invited to dig deep, grow in relationship with yourself, God, and others as you live life attentive to the image of God being formed in you - as beloved. A spiritual director accompanies you on that journey.
Melissa has been offering hospitable, listening space to those from a wide-variety of backgrounds who seek to experience the divine in life. With pastoral experience in the local church for the last fourteen years, and engagement in Haiti for over twenty years, now as the director of Nou Hope, she has an imagination to notice God working in the ordinary and extraordinary. Melissa holds both a Master of Divinity and a Master in Christian Education from North Park Theological Seminary, is an ordained minister, and is trained through the school of spiritual direction at Fall Creek Abbey (Indianapolis, Indiana). She and her spouse John reside with their two teens in Fishers, Indiana. Melissa is a lifelong student who loves to read, learn new languages, explore new cultures and food (especially through international travel!), and is passionate about running, fair trade fashion, gardening, and birding. Wherever you find yourself in life and faith, Melissa is committed to holding your story with care and providing a safe space for you to flourish.
What to expect
Accountability
I hold membership in Spiritual Directors International and the Central Conference Spiritual Directors Network of the Covenant Church. I meet regularly with my own spiritual director as well as monthly with a group of three other spiritual directors for peer supervision. I also meet regularly with a licensed therapist and tend to my own holistic health and healing, holding relationships and spaces where I’m tending to my own spiritual life.
Confidentiality
It is my job to hold what is shared in confidence, in a professional space free of abusive dynamics and coercion, where you are able to explore where you are in your spiritual journey. The only exception is if there is the threat of suicide or harming another person.
Commitments
After an initial meeting, you will be asked to enter into an agreement for spiritual direction where additional details of accountability and confidentiality are shared. Fifty minute sessions will be scheduled in person or online via Zoom, with agreed upon payment due after each session. After the first couple of sessions we’ll assess fit and every several months thereafter we’ll leave time to do so. In between sessions, you may communicate with me via email.
