Archive of Conference Topics

Participants will enjoy an interactive session that begins with sharing important information about how to work in spiritual direction with people who are experiencing anxiety or depression or who have experienced significant trauma. The presentation will touch on the theology of suffering, seeking God in our suffering, forgiveness, atonement theories, and when to refer a person to a therapist. There will be hands-on exercises, case studies, and time for small and large group discussion.

The fall program will focus on being an informed/compassionate spiritual director/companion to a group of God’s people who have been marginalized - people especially targeted in our country at this time. We are privileged to have Sister Luisa Derouen, a Dominican Sister of Peace, as our presenter to discuss the challenging topic of being spiritual companions to members of the LGBTQI+ community and their family/friends. In our session, Luisa will help us to understand what is similar - and different - in the spiritual lives of those who identify as lesbian/gay and transgender. She will also help us navigate unique aspects of spiritual direction for LGBTQI+ persons and their family members/friends.

As Spiritual Directors/Companions, we frequently encounter directees who struggle with recognizing God’s presence (no matter how we/they identify God). Our Spring Conference presenter, Beverly (Bev) Hansberry, will provide insight on various tools to help heighten awareness of God’s grace. This interactive, hands-on workshop will include time for prayer, tactile experiences, and meditations that can contribute to a greater awareness of God’s presence in every aspect of our spiritual journey and the journey of our directees.

Joanne invites you to gain perspective around the nature, types skills, and benefits of prayer that explore questions such as: What is the value in developing our prayer skills? and, What does developing prayer skills mean? She invites us to examine how we develop and improve our connections with the God we perceive. The presentation will offer a prayer system to aid in working with spiritual directees/companions and have opportunities to engage in individual and table group activities.

"The greatest illusion is the illusion of familiarity" ... What if G.K. Chesterton was right? Could it be that recapturing wonder and imagination are key to spiritual growth and transformation? Assuming we, as Spiritual Directors/Companions are affected by this same proneness to the illusion of familiarity, our April MSDN Program will offer an opportunity for us to explore creating experiences for which we have no specified or expected outcome, and by which we, and those with whom we walk and work, have opportunity to see (again) what is present within and without. During our April 18 gathering, Debra (Deb) Fehsenfeld will guide us in examining and experientially interacting with three questions about the way we see: 1) What might be there that we are missing? 2) How might we begin to see (again)? and 3) Why does it matter?