Sacred Encounter Ministry

… Franciscan Study Centre, Kent, England. Trained as a reflective pastoral supervisor for individuals and groups.

… Supervisors and Educators (APSE). Fr Kelvin offers group and individual spiritual direction and supervision.

… read, write, drink coffee, and dance. I follow the way of beauty and merciful love found in Carmel, and seek to abide in this with receptivity and expand in this space amidst my littleness, so that I can share it with others through spiritual direction, retreats, talks and writing.

I am a wife, a mother of 4 and a grandmother of 11.  I belong to the Catholic Church of St Patrick’s in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota of the Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis.  I enjoy caring for my home, traveling, bike riding, reading, time with my family and friends, and I dabble in writing.  My blog is at www.advicefrommymom.net.  I graduated with a diploma in spiritual direction from the Spiritual Direction Formation Programme in the Carmelite tradition in October 2023 offered by the Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality (CACS).  I am a Third Order Franciscan (OFS) and a Cursillista.  I love our Lord and spending time with Him in contemplative prayer and have been under the direction of a Third Order Carmelite spiritual director for many years.  I offer spiritual direction in the Carmelite tradition with the Holy Spirit as your spiritual director and myself as His servant. 

I am also a trained reflective pastoral supervisor, offering a safe and sacred space for support and accountability to anyone in ministry who wishes to share. Peace and All Good to you. 

… out in creation. A mid-life crisis of faith turned him from an evangelical with all the answers into a spiritual seeker lost in the darkness. He studied and practiced many of the world’s wisdom traditions and spiritualities, but it was John of the Cross who showed him that the Dark Night is an essential part of the journey to union with Christ. This ten year journey led him to then train with the Carmelites as a Spiritual Director. Marc’s passion is helping people make sense of the spiritual journey, and connecting with themselves, with the creation, and with the Creator. He has much experience of different esoteric traditions both ancient and modern, and believes that the heart of spirituality is opening to Love and living with an awareness of the divine presence who is always with us. Marc lives with his wife and children in Africa.

Lynn is a definitively professed member of the Discalced Carmelite Secular Order (OCDS). In community, she has served as president, council member, formator, and newsletter editor.  In addition, she has served on the OCDS Provincial Council for the CA-AZ Province of St. Joseph.

Studying with the Carmelites at Boars Hill, having completed their Diploma course in Spiritual Direction in Oxford in 2020, I can offer you a space that is yours to question, explore and ponder where, who and how God is at work in your life. This can and does lead to experiencing more deeply the very personal relationship which draws you closer to God and draws Him closer to you.  Having grown up in Ireland, living near Glasgow for about 30 years, I am self-employed part-time as an accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist. As a Mum and grandma, I can only marvel at the many and varied ways God speaks to us in the day to day. I have been a secular Carmelite since 1998, and familiar with the times when nothing seems to be happening, when your sense of God seems to vanish and prayer becomes a struggle.  Discerning that it’s all part of the journey, and having an experienced and understanding accompanier to sound things out with can be a blessing.

I have also trained and qualified as a Reflective Supervisor, having completed the Reflective Pastoral Supervision course offered by the Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality. Now I am available to offer a safe and nurturing space online to those seeking supervision from a variety of pastoral settings and different traditions.   

… theology for
ministry from Cambridge University. I have experience of both the charismatic and contemplative traditions of spirituality. My desire and passion is to enable those I journey with to become who God calls them to be, and to explore their relationship with God. Later this year I hope to start training and formation in the ministry of Supervision. My vocation and working life has been very much rooted in the ‘pastoral care’ of others; I find this life-giving. More recently I have been drawn to a better understanding of the place of ‘Neurodiversity’ in our spiritual lives. I was diagnosed with Dyslexia in my mid-40s, and this has deepened my self-knowledge. I see spiritual accompaniment as two friends walking each other home, guided by the Holy Spirit.

… mental illness, on individuals and families.

… Roman Catholic tradition and I participate in both the contemplative and charismatic traditions. My spiritual direction formation started with a two-year course in the Carmelite tradition run by CACS.

Spiritual accompaniment, for me, is a journey that directee and director take together in search of God in the everyday events of life. Our self-knowledge deepens whilst discovering that God has always been waiting for us to desire and search for a closer relationship with Him. The Holy Spirit is always encouraging us to draw closer and be more open to God’s love.

He is an experienced spiritual director having been formed at the Centre for Carmelite Spirituality in Oxford, following earlier participation in an Ecumenical Ignatian accompaniment team in South Wales. Michael brings extensive experience in leading retreats and pilgrimages. During spiritual direction he offers a safe space to explore your spiritual journey towards a deeper relationship with God. You will take time to explore what God is doing in your life, and seek to listen and respond with grace and compassion to the guidance of the Holy Spirit during the session.

… your life, and seek to listen and respond with grace and compassion to the guidance of the Holy Spirit during the session. I graduated from the SDTP with CACS in 2022 and now offer Carmelite spiritual direction online via Zoom. I am happy to work with all people of faith, including those who are tentatively questioning or exploring their spirituality.
I am a Secular Carmelite and member of the mid-Wales OCDS group. I am married with two grown-up sons, and have lived in a small village in rural mid-Wales for 24 years. I am also a qualified social worker and work part-time for the Local Authority.

As an Accredited Counsellor I have over 25 years’ experience of offering therapy and as an experienced Spiritual Director since 2013 in both Ignatian and Carmelite Spirituality with an MA in Pastoral Theology and involvement in catechesis, I am also a Secular Carmelite.
I see people in person, on Zoom and for the camera shy by telephone. Although a cradle Catholic myself I have an ecumenical outlook that I believe is welcoming to all on the spiritual journey. I have a background professionally as a clinical supervisor and trained in supervision for spiritual direction in 2019.

… together delve into the depths of your being, nurturing an authentic connection with Spirit. Drawing from both ancient wisdom and modern insights, I facilitate a process of deep inner exploration, inviting you to “take a long, loving look at the real.” As a trained spiritual director and Internal Family System (IFS) therapist, I accompany you on this journey with compassion and reverence, supporting you in a safe sacred space of exploration and discovery, I honour the uniqueness of your path and the diversity of spiritual backgrounds. Whether you resonate with established traditions, other faith traditions, or creative worldviews, I am here to walk alongside you, offering guidance and support. My journey of learning and growth includes a Diploma in Contemplative Spiritual Accompaniment from the Carmelites in Oxford. I trained at the Centre for Action and Contemplation’s Living School, as well as a Masters in Applied Spirituality. Together. Let us embark on a pilgrimage of the soul, where we honor the sacredness of each moment and each breath, allowing your true self to unfold and thrive in the embrace of divine love.

… found by – God through music, history, grace and John of the Cross. I spent several years in a contemplative Benedictine monastery: the need for contemplative prayer has never left me and for years I struggled to assuage the hunger for the desert and the call of the inner space. The result was a long dark night but one fortunately punctuated with glimmers of light. Once freed from the toils of wage slavery I was able to embrace more music and prayer. did the first spiritual direction training programme with the Carmelites and now am a joyous alumna of CACS. I now spend my time singing early music, lead a Lectio Divina group at Belmont Abbey, with others am exploring a new form of coenobium. I have a small but growing group of directees and am an associate of the Cistercian monastery at Whitland.

… It has been a privilege to accompany fellow travellers on their journey into the realisation of the depth of their relationship with our Triune God, with Christ at the centre of their lives in the many ministries in which I have worked over the years. In my various ministries, supervision has been central to the development of my practice as a minister and chaplain. My background is as a National Health Service Chaplain, and I have worked in domestic violence and sexual abuse charities. I have also held a number of ministries as a secular Franciscan. 

Academically alongside the Carmelite spiritual direction and supervision programmes, I hold a Master’s degree in Pastoral Care and Chaplaincy from the Cambridge Theological Federation and blend my love of the centrality of Christ in the midst of Creation with the depth of Carmelite teaching of the soul’s journey to God.

… Then followed a 2 year programme in SD at CACS Oxford from 2020-2022. In 2023 I was asked to be novicemaster.

… Leading me to that was my previous work as a volunteer counsellor in various settings and as a member of the BACP until I retired. From such experience I became aware that, like C. Jung said, the spiritual dimension is an essential aspect of psychological well-being.

I love contemplative prayer as a unique way to enter in close intimacy with God.

I offer Spiritual Direction and Accompaniment in the Carmelite tradition with the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth, in Jesus’s words (John 14:16-17) “ I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you”

In accompaniment and Spiritual Direction we will share our journey together from our lives of tasks, duties, and of seeking meanings and direction from God. We will open together to the Holy Spirit becoming aware of His Presence in our lives right now, as it was before even if we might not have been aware of it yet and as it will be “ until , like St Therese said, “ I am able tell you of my Love in an Eternal Face to Face!”

I embrace with joy such a journey together.

… number of years and the Carmelite tradition has enhanced my understanding and faith.

… Carmelite Spirituality and belonging to the Carmelite religious and lay community of CACS and my local parish continues to be nurturing and life giving.  My CACS training as a spiritual director was inspiring and enriching. This was followed some years later by a contrasting, robust and wonderful  training as a supervisor by the Jesuits.

I work in supervision and project management in Spiritual Communities, my work now focuses mainly on supervising those undertaking spiritual direction, leadership roles, or project management.

Previous to this I have worked extensively in different voluntary ministries in the church and have held paid professional senior educational roles in a university, the Catholic Education Service, and other sectors in education in the UK.

 I enjoy working as a supervisor with:

 . those recently qualified as spiritual directors

 . or with Spiritual directors or pastoral or parish leaders who are leading innovation and transition in a systemic sense in their parish or religious community

 .  those spiritually directing directees with mental health issues or identifying as having ongoing trauma.

 I am married with an adult son who joined our family at five years, I have learnt much about what it is to be human and overcome adversity from my son, from being married for many years, and from the many teams I have been a member of.  I am inspired by St. Teresa of Avila’s a leader and by her deep understanding of so much about  the human journey on earth and the path to heaven.  I am also inspired by the spirituality of John of the Cross and St. Therese of Lisieux. They both enabled me to see suffering and non attachment in new ways. Having always lived in global cities I am committed to inter-faith dialogue and to working for the common good in society.

… since 2009.

… in 2022 and has continued to accompany subsequent students and provide group facilitation. She works professionally as an academic and has significant experience mentoring young professionals. Vivien is married with a teenage son. Thanks to her family background, she also speaks fluent Spanish. She has lived on both sides of the Atlantic, now being based in Oxford UK in the GMT time zone.

… to the practice of spiritual direction and supervision.

… It’s Anne’s joy and desire, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to accompany others as they grow in closer relationship with Jesus and a greater awareness of self.

… a safe space for spiritual encounters, exploring the direction where the Holy Spirit may be leading each you to a divine union. I welcome seekers and spiritual travellers from the Christian religion who are willing to discern God’s direction for them on this journey. I hold a Licentiate in Sacred Theology, a Master’s degree in Carmelite Studies and have been trained in the Spiritual Direction Formation Programme at Centre for Applied Carmelite Studies, Boars Hill, Oxford. I am also hold a certificate in Pastoral Supervision and Reflective Practice from The Institute of Pastoral Supervision and Reflective Practice (IPSRP). I have experience working as a Rector and Director of Students (formator) in Carmelite House of Studies.

… He seeks to allow the love, devotion and insight of the Carmelite saints and blessed ones to shape his prayer, his life and his spiritual direction. As Beloved Life with his wife Gail, he leads retreats – themes for 2026 include ‘Strong in Love, Peaceful and Restful – the blessing of Julian of Norwich’ and ‘Let it Be – living boldly and generously with Mary and Joseph’. His experience is that beauty is a doorway to goodness and truth, and I seek to share that possibility through writing and photography. He is an Anglican priest, Spirituality Lead at Church Mission Society and author with Canterbury Press..

… Through prayerful attentiveness, together we can discover God’s loving presence in every aspect of your life. With deep listening to your sacred story, identifying formative experiences and discerning how you are being called to deeper inner freedom, you can learn to live and flourish ever more deeply in the joy of the Lord. Learn too about contemplative prayer, gaining unique insights into your own heart and deeper union with God: precious, welcomed, accepted and loved.

Whether you are at a crossroads, discerning vocation or next life steps, facing difficulties, loss, seeking inner healing, or want to go deeper in your relationship with God, desiring to know yourself better, Lizzie offers individual or small group spiritual direction in the form of Carmelite contemplative circles.

Listening deeply, with empathy and compassion, you collaborate in a mutual exploration of your practice to reflect theologically as you grow in God directed self-awareness and discern the movements of the Holy Spirit in your practice, in a welcoming accepting space that values you and fosters your growth. Supervision is an opportunity to pay attention to the wisdom revealed in your pastoral encounters, helping you to lead from a more grounded and resilient place in your patience.

Drawing upon the theories and models of pastoral supervision, you will reflect on the content, process, and relational aspects of your work, embarking on an inner journey into your ministry. Listening to your internal experience, as you reflect on your work, incorporate skills to help you stay aware of your own reactions, triggers and unconscious dynamics to reinforce healthy boundaries within the space and grow in confidence, for the sake of those you serve.

… I was a minister of care in a hospital for nearly 20 years. I completed a 2 year Lay Ministry training offered by the Archdiocese of Chicago in 2005 and studied spirituality at Catholic Theological Union (CTU). I completed an extensive study of St. John Paul II‘s Theology of the Body with the Theology of the Body Institute in Pennsylvania.

In 2015 I graduated from a 3 year Spiritual Direction Internship, training in the Ignatian Tradition. In 2020 I finished the 2 yr. Living School with the Center for Action & Contemplation (CAC) located in Albuquerque NM. In 2025 I graduated from the 2 yearr spiritual direction training in the Carmelite tradition through CACS.

In addition to Carmelite and Ignatian spirituality, and a Theology of the Body perspective, I have done a lot of work immersed in nature using it as a mirror for our wholeness and deepening our relationship with God.  

I believe God’s love is all encompassing and can be found in every situation. God desires our healing and wholeness more than we can imagine and continuously beckons us to it using all of creation to reveal His infinite love for us.

… Inspired especially by St. John of the Cross and St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, my approach invites the soul into deeper silence, interior stillness, and loving union with our most Tender Lord.

With an M.A. in Rehabilitation Counseling and a professional background as a Catholic counselor, I have spent decades walking with others through seasons of healing, discernment, and transformation. Now, as I enter a new season of life, I feel called to more fully dedicate myself to the ministry of spiritual direction.

I accompany those who long to grow in prayer, seek clarity in times of transition, or simply desire a deeper awareness of God’s indwelling presence. I strive to hold a gentle, attentive space where the Holy Spirit can move freely and where souls can rest in Him.