Spiritual Direction with Peter Watkins

In this episode, our guest Peter Watkins talks about a “best-kept secret,” Spiritual Direction: what it is, and what it is not. He covers the practical matters from finding a Spiritual Director/Companion to what a session might include. He also provides particular insight into the Ignatian way of doing Spiritual Direction.

Peter Watkins, M.Div. is a spiritual director, retreat leader, and faculty member at Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality, a school for the formation of aspiring spiritual directors. He has taught graduate level classes in Old Testament theology and adolescent psychology and spirituality, and has co-authored a high school textbook, “Guarding the Fire: A Spiritual Guide for Young Men” through Good Ground Press. He is also certified to give the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises. As a former high school philosophy and theology teacher of thirty years he especially loved leading student justice trips to Guatemala and pilgrimages on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Peter is a life-long runner, father of three sons, and loves playing the guitar and banjo.

Highlights:
[00:00:00] Introduction
[00:01:43] What is Spiritual Direction?
[00:04:04] How Did You Get Started as a Spiritual Director?
[00:06:16] Being a Spiritual Director is a Call from God
[00:07:45] Surprises in Spiritual Direction
[00:09:58] Ignatian Spiritual Direction: One Way
[00:13:25] Finding a Spiritual Director
[00:15:01] How Often to Meet Your Spiritual Director
[00:15:44] What Happens in Spiritual Direction?
[00:18:47] Formation for Spiritual Directors
[00:21:12] What People Talk About in Spiritual Direction
[00:25:45] Contact Information and Thanks

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Spiritual Directors International
Peter’s Website 
Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality 
Peter’s Book Guarding the Fire: A Spiritual Guide for Young Men

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