“Listening is a creative force. Something quite wonderful occurs when we are listened to fully. We expand, ideas come to life and grow, we remember who we are. Some speak of this force as a creative fountain within us that springs forth; others call it the inner spirit, intelligence, true self. Whatever this force is called, it shrivels up when we are not listened to and it thrives when we are.” —Kay Lindahl
Julia McKay has a Master’s degree in Agency Counseling from University of Northern Colorado, and a Master of Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry, in Berkeley, CA.
Spiritual Direction has a long history in the majority of the world’s sacred traditions. Seekers will often find a teacher, or guide, who has already traversed the spiritual terrain and who can, because of her own lived experience, help another make the journey. In the Western world, this professional accompaniment along the spiritual path has come to be known as Spiritual Direction. While everyone’s path is unique, there are discernable passages that can be marked along the way.
Spiritual Direction is care of the soul. As a soul-care provider, Julia sees herself as a sensitive witness who can help people live deeply into their questions, awaken to an ongoing encounter with what is sacred to them, and reconnect with a sense of meaning in their lives. By offering a grounded presence, Julia empowers people to uncover, recover, and listen to their own inherent wisdom – the voice of the “inner director” that we each have within who guides us back to a place of wholeness.
Spiritual Direction is not therapy, yet there can be a relationship between spirituality and health. Often, underneath psychological struggles are significant experiences of loss – loss of meaning, of purpose, of connectedness, and hope. Julia provides the space for persons to regain a sense of what is true for them and the freedom to live it in the world.
An accomplished musician and InterPlay leader, Julia finds that awakening the creative spirit can be one of the most powerful doorways to what moves in the depths of our being. In addition to dialogue, she often employs imagery, storytelling, poetry, song, stillness, movement, dreamwork, or symbol as bridges to vitality and renewal.
Exploring the richness of our life possibilities can sometimes be done best in community. Please join Julia for her First Friday InterPlay Class (see the classes link on the home page.) It is an experience that will lift your spirits, nourish you soul, and energize your life.
