Spiritual Direction
Since 2016, Oliver has provided spiritual direction and companionship to a broad range of people. He received a certificate in spiritual direction from Loyola Chicago, and he is an active member of Spiritual Directors International (SDI). He also has been trained as a supervisor of spiritual directors and is an adjunct instructor in the spiritual direction certificate program at Loyola’s Institute for Pastoral Studies.
Explore working with Oliver in spiritual direction and supervision below. To learn more about Ignatian spiritual direction, read these FAQs. And if you have any specific questions, feel free to contact Oliver through the form below.
Monthly Spiritual Direction
Oliver regularly works with people in monthly spiritual direction and is currently accepting new clients. If you are interested in working with Oliver in spiritual direction, here’s what to do:
Begin by completing this intake questionnaire, which will help you prepare for spiritual direction and help Oliver be prepared to accompany you.
Once you have completed the questionnaire, you will be invited to schedule a free 30-minute introductory meeting with Oliver. This meeting will allow you to address any specific questions you have and to help discern whether the relationship feels like a good “fit.”
If you have any questions about Oliver’s approach to spiritual direction, please check out the FAQs below or send him a question.
Supervision
In their Guidelines for Ethical Conduct, SDI recommends that spiritual directors establish a relationship with an individual supervisor or peer supervision group. Oliver has been providing individual supervision since 2020, when he completed a training course in the supervision of spiritual directors. He is also open to working with small groups of spiritual directors to train them in a method of peer group supervision.
If you and/or a group of your peers are interested in working with Oliver in supervision, please send a message through the form below.
FAQs about Ignatian Spiritual Direction
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I’m a freelance spiritual director based in beautiful Portland, Maine. My primary work is running a spiritual direction and supervision practice from my home, where I accompany people both online and in person.
I also serve as the co-founder and CEO of Spiritual Grounding. This project is where I get to do what I love: study the ancient wisdom of the Ignatian spiritual tradition and help make it more accessible and relevant for us and for this moment. I have the privilege of partnering in this work with my dear friend and co-conspirator Lauren Schwer, D.Min., who lives and works in Chicago, my home away from home!
Here are a few of my core values, which I strive to infuse into my spiritual direction practice:
Relatable—I avoid theological jargon and try to work within your own “lived vocabulary of grace.”
Relevant—I invite you to grapple with both the beauty and brokenness of the modern world.
Rooted in reality—I take seriously the Ignatian catchphrase finding God in all things. I believe that God meets us in the real stuff of our every day lives, including the ups, the downs, and the level ground.
Respectful—I practice spiritual direction in a non-directive approach, meaning that I look to you to set the agenda for our conversations. I believe you are the authority on your relationship with God, and I strive to help you listen to and honor your own inner wisdom.
Responsible—I will help you consider how you want to respond to God’s presence in your life regardless of where you find yourself on the spectrum of resistance to receptivity. I also strive to practice responsibly, holding myself to SDI’s guidelines for ethical conduct and meeting monthly with a supervision group.
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I am comfortable working with a wide range of people in spiritual direction. I have experience accompanying people of all genders, aging in range from 18-80. Typically, those who see me for spiritual direction do one of three things (and occasionally all three):
Monthly spiritual direction
A short retreat, whether made in a retreat center or in the midst of everyday life
Weekly spiritual direction while making the Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life
You may find that we are a good fit if you are looking for support: in navigating a major change in your life; in beginning to discern making a big decision; or because you have been marginalized from some toxic Christian space (you get to define what that is, not me!).
I am comfortable working with people from a wide variety of religious backgrounds. I have spent time working and worshiping in a wide variety of Christian spaces—from a multicultural urban Baptist church and a Greek Orthodox parish to several Catholic churches and non-denominational Christian spaces. Those experiences have taught me that no one single Christian tradition has a monopoly on God.
You don't have to have all the answers; just a willingness to explore the questions.
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In 2013, I graduated from Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry with an M.Ed. in Religious Education. My coursework included classes in scripture, theology, and the psychology of religion. From 2013-2020, I worked in campus ministry at Loyola Chicago running the Christian Life Community program (think: Ignatian-style small groups) and leading retreats.
While working at Loyola, I was fortunate to take coursework in Ignatian spirituality and complete a supervised spiritual direction practicum while earning a certificate in Ignatian spiritual direction. I have since pursued advanced spiritual direction training in the areas of giving the Spiritual Exercises, supervision of spiritual directors, bio-spiritual focusing, and mindfulness practice.
When we meet together, I will often use modalities like body prayer, the imagination, and contemplative practices to help you bridge the gap that so often exists between our heads, our hearts, and our hands (and by extension, our bodies, too).