The grace of God means something like this: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are, because the party wouldn’t have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. - Frederick Buechner
about
Welcome…my name is Andrea, and I am so glad you are here.
Spiritual direction (also known as spiritual companioning) is an ancient practice of deep listening and attentiveness by one person to another. When you are deeply listened to in this way you may find a deeper connection to yourself, other people and God.
I have been receiving spiritual direction since 2007, practicing since 2018, and received my certification in 2020. No healing practice has helped me more in deepening my relationships, sense of purpose and most of all, coping with grief.
Some of the places I find joy are in cooking with my husband and young adult daughter, hiking in the forest, reading with coffee in hand, and appreciate and making art.
If you are interested in spiritual direction, I offer a complimentary first meeting to discern if working together is a fit and if not, to help you figure out who might be. Sessions are available via Zoom as well as in person in the Chicago area. If we do agree to work together, my fees are offered on a sliding scale.
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“Listening is so close to being loved that most people don’t know the difference”.
spiritual direction
Although my practice is rooted in the Christian tradition, everyone is welcome -including those who come with faith struggles and questions. While many of us find deep meaning in our faith, experiencing loss can challenge some of our most cherished
beliefs. This is completely normal! What I most want you to know is this: you have choices beyond either ignoring your doubts and questions and abandoning your faith altogether. Many others have experienced deep grief along with the questions it brings, and found a deeper, more authentic faith on the other side. Let’s talk about it.
grief & loss
While I meet with clients on a variety of concerns, I specialize in walking alongside those who have experienced many types of grief and loss. Having experienced traumatic grief myself, I know your pain is real, and I am not here to help you “get over it”.
What I can do is listen deeply to your story and in time, help you discover pathways to hope and meaning. These pathways are unique to each person, and may even evolve over time.
cultivating hope
One thing that we need in our grief journey is to find meaning in our lives. This does NOT mean finding purpose in the loss itself, which is a deeply hurtful message that can block healing. Rather, we discover meaning in our own unique way, in our own unique time.
This can sometimes be through a new form of work or vocation, but can just as easily be through baking, playing tennis, or reading to children at the library. There really is no limit to the ways we can find meaning in our lives.