What is Spiritual Companionship?
In spiritual companionship, a seeker who has questions - maybe deep questions - about life in general or a personal situation meets with a companion who is a compassionate and trained listener. My role as a spiritual companion is to listen deeply and ask questions intended to help you uncover and recognize your own answers end find a sense of well-being on your spiritual path.
I am a member of SDIcompanions.org. SDIcompanions.org is an international website dedicated to the art and practice of spiritual companionship. I follow the Guidelines for Ethical Conduct (2018) published by SDI (Spiritual Dire4or9 International.)
Spiritual companionship is not the same as psychotherapy. If you need psychological therapy or counseling, spiritual companionship should be deferred while you pursue the therapy that you need.
My Personal Spiritual History
My spiritual history began in a teen choir and a high school study group at the Pasadena Presbyterian Church. In college, I sang choral music by J.S. Bach almost daily, appreciating his deep spirituality and compassion. In my late 20’s in Seattle, I attended Sufi dancing regularly. I was very active in a small UCC church in Oregon for a decade before I returned to California. In Pasadena, I attended All Saints Episcopal Church (usually a Saturday evening service) and a Quaker meeting on Sunday mornings. Now that I live in Claremont, I can be found at the Claremont Friends Meeting (Quaker) and Pilgrim Place.
I first encountered a Quaker practice called “worship sharing” at the Pacific Yearly Meeting in 2001. Since then, I have offered worship sharing on a semi-regular basis at the Orange Grove Friends Meeting in Pasadena, as well as at the Claremont Friends Meeting and Pilgrim Place in Claremont, CA.