Spiritual Direction agreement
Spiritual Direction
Spiritual direction is a covenant relationship in which one person assists another or others in the discernment of God's presence and the living out of God's call. For more about spiritual direction in general, see the Spiritual Directors International (SDI) web site at http://www.sdiworld.org/. For information about the Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction (DASD) program at San Francisco Theological Seminary, see http://sfts.edu/academics/dasd_about.asp.
Our Relationship
You are meeting with me as your spiritual director because you want to examine your spiritual life. Although I believe it is appropriate at times to discuss psychological and relational difficulties in the context of spiritual direction, I am not a psychotherapist, nor do I provide such services. Similarly, spiritual direction is not financial advice, and any actions you take in that regard are done without my recommendation, and are purely your responsibility.
Confidentiality
I will hold the details of our conversations respectfully and in confidence. Several times a year I meet with a supervisor to work on my own growth as a spiritual director, and during these sessions I share some details about my direction conversations. I do not reveal to my supervisor the names of those I direct, and I fictionalize identifying details, with the following exceptions: Because I am bound by California law, and because I choose to be bound by the ethical principles described in SDI's "Guidelines for Ethical Conduct," I will reveal some details about the content of our conversations if (1) I am required to do so by law or court order; (2) I suspect child abuse, elder abuse, or the abuse of a dependent adult; or (3) I suspect a gross breach of ethics on the part of a fellow spiritual director or other helping professional. In all of these cases, however, I will work to protect your identity and the private details of our conversations to the fullest extent that is possible for me.
Fees
My fee per one-hour session of individual spiritual direction is $50. If the fee is an obstacle for you, please let me know and we can talk about adjusting it.
Logistics
In general, we agree to a monthly one-hour session. If you want to meet more frequently or for a longer session periodically, that is fine, as long as we schedule in advance. We both commit to begin and end our sessions at the agreed-to time. If you will be more than five minutes late, please call me.
Changes and Cancellations
If you need to cancel or change your appointment, call me at least 24 hours in advance. If you do not give me 24-hour notice, I will need to ask you to pay for the appointment time.
I will provide you with a copy of SDI's "Guidelines for Ethical Conduct" for your information. Let me know if you have any questions about those guidelines, this agreement, or the nature of our spiritual direction relationship.
You can agree to the terms described on this page in either of the following ways:
- Send me an email that contains the following text: "I
agree to the terms located at http://www.designsinlight.com/spirit/sd-agreement.shtml," or - Print this form, sign it, and return it to me. To open a printable PDF version of this page, click here.
Signature:
Date:
