Christian Counselling | Our Lady

We are here to help Catholics, lay and ordained, to develop their relationship with God in their every day lives.
We do this by
■ linking those seeking spiritual direction with those trained to provide it
■ supporting parishes and other groups in holding weeks of guided prayer and retreats.

We work ecumenically and alongside other spirituality networks.
Please contact us if you are a trained spiritual director.
We welcome enquiries from individuals, parishes and groups.
Email: Dr Bernadette Newton 01934 713408 See also Clifton Diocese Directory

How Spiritual Direction helps

When I first heard about “Spiritual Direction” I thought of it as something special: for special people or for special circumstances. Now I see it as normal, indeed happily normal: something I receive every 2 months or so; something that helps me. While interest in Spiritual Direction is growing, particularly among church goers, I would like to encourage more people to make use of it and I am hoping to interest some of you by describing my own experience. For me the starting point is a desire to move on in life and a recognition that a relationship with God is part of that movement. In writing this I am seeking to describe an aspiration that all of us share, though we might use different words to describe it. But perhaps we feel we are already doing enough “religious” things. Perhaps, or even in addition, we feel we are not achieving enough, practising our faith enough, praying enough to merit special attention. The spiritual director seeks to listen, as a companion on a pilgrimage, and to enable the pilgrim in their relationship with God. As a pilgrim I may share more about the matters that arise from my daily life, than I do about my “prayer life”. I will be encouraged to share about issues important to me, as I will be encouraged to find God in them; through that I become closer to the person I really want to be: that person that God wants me to be. Our spirituality is not something apart from the rest of our life, but is the centre of it. Do I need companionship of this sort to make progress? No, not in the sense of it being a “must have”, but it is something that I value and enjoy. Partly the value comes from the discipline of setting aside a small amount of time on a regular basis, but more importantly it’s because my companion provides an independent view that affirms me and moves me forward. Frequently she/he says nothing to me that I do not already know, it is simply that she/he offers to me a different perspective relevant to my immediate needs. While there will be learning, it is more a process of unlocking: a removal of barriers, a release of energy. Yes it is good to have a companion who will walk alongside me at times in my personal journey. Matthew Devlin 2006

our lady and the english martyrs + OUR LADY Queen of the Apostles

Our spirituality is not something apart from the rest of our life, but it is at its centre – our essence.