Why Start Offering a Registry?

This initiative, which opened in early 2024, arose from a long-standing personal desire and search since 2012 for locating Catholic-based resources and ongoing formation, and as an alternative to SDI. In the past few years, several initiatives have been formed to provide seekers a referral service of their registered directors (hidden from public view and from other directors in their network), while several training programs, retreat centers, and local groups publicly list their members.

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All this still did not address the information gap on initial training programs or networking opportunities to locate each other for ongoing formation and supervision. 

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The Need

The current programs, often with different levels of prerequisites, make it challenging to find reliable information for ongoing training, supervision, or mentoring within the Catholic tradition. This situation presents difficulty for the director and confusion for those seeking the training or services of a qualified director.

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Is it time?

As of the summer of 2025, there are no jointly published ethical standards for Catholic spiritual directors, other than those proposed here, which have been compiled as a draft from multiple professional and Catholic sources. 

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What is Catholic Spiritual Direction?

Catholic spiritual direction is a Trinitarian, Marian, and sacramentally and magisterially based form of individualized pastoral care within the 2000-year history of the Catholic Church. It encompasses multiple spiritual traditions, such as those of the Franciscans, Augustinians, Carmelites, Dominicans, Jesuits, Passionists,  and Redemptorists, etc, and is offered by specifically trained clergy, religious, and lay in various settings.

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As a particular ministry in the Church, spiritual direction is a form of individualized pastoral care, typically offered in a one-on-one encounter. In this setting, a trained person, guided by the Holy Spirit, supports the individual within the context of their everyday life. This fosters growth in holiness through teaching discernment and providing ongoing accompaniment for a deeper discovery, through prayer, listening, and discernment, of who they are, how they are, and what and where they are called.

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The Changing Landscape of Spiritual Accompaniment

 Offshoots from the Tradition Abound​

Spiritual direction services in the USA and abroad have increasingly moved into the hands of the laity since the mid-20th century—a shift that has been fruitful due to growing demand. However, we now see a proliferation of offshoots from the historical tradition of one-on-one, Christ-centered encounters. These newer expressions often reflect a multiplicity of neo-hyphenated spiritualities (e.g., bio-spirituality, eco-spirituality), many of which operate outside the framework of doctrinal norms. As a result, their theological foundations are often severed, leaving behind a notion of ‘god’ now made in one’s own image.

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In this evolving landscape, one will encounter a wide range of old and new terms to describe services in the realm of spiritual accompaniment—particularly in the American context, where innovation and entrepreneurship tend to flourish. Examples include titles such as spiritual guide or spiritual soul friend, each representing varying degrees of formation and training, and all outside of the Catholic Church.​

 

Developing Models of Spiritual Accompaniment in the 21st Century​

New Terms and Roles

Accompaniment is a term used today to describe the service of one person walking alongside another. It is an umbrella term (used both as a noun and a verb) that is applied to many different roles in both secular and religious contexts. Below are examples of how it is currently being used in connection with the ministry of spiritual direction:

·       Spiritual director - What is a Catholic Spiritual Director 

·       Spiritual counselor - (the technical term is Pastoral Counselor- licensed by States)

·       Spiritual coach - programs available now (Catholic coaches)

·       Spiritual mentor - programs available now (Catholic mentors for teaching and guiding)

·       Spiritual companion - Parish-based programs for helping others through presence and listening

·       Spiritual shepherd - a person who role is of support

·       Spiritual friend - A mutual relationship in which both individuals pray with and for each other

·       Faith companion -  A broad term that can refer to accompaniment at any level of spiritual development

·       Accompaniment practitioner  - – A new term suggesting training in spirituality with an integration of mental health perspectives

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As in the field of psychotherapy—where we distinguish between counselors, psychotherapists, psychologists, clinical psychologists, and psychiatrists based on their training and scope of services—we can also observe a parallel within the world of spiritual accompaniment. Here, offerings range from a weekend workshop to become a companion, to the extensive education and formation required to serve as a spiritual director. Spiritual direction is a charism, a calling; and with that understanding, we recognize the Holy Spirit at work across many different levels within this ministry.

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Secularization – Generic Spirituality

·       Spiritual Care Providers – Some chaplains now use this title, and it is no longer necessary to be clergy or to have a religious affiliation—or even a belief in God—to serve as a spiritual care provider in hospital settings.

·       Spiritual Therapists – While not yet a licensed profession, I have come across emerging uses of this title in certain contexts.

·       Psycho-Spiritual Therapists – Increasingly, those in the field of psychotherapy—such as licensed social workers, psychotherapists, or counselors—are finally recognizing the spiritual dimension of the human person. Many are now incorporating this awareness into their work, addressing a range of client needs through approaches inspired by 'secular chaplaincy' models.

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A Growing Need for Structure

Unlike national Catholic associations for chaplains, campus ministers, lay ecclesial ministers, or counselors, there is currently no national association for spiritual directors in the USA—particularly for support of the laity.

 

While siloed or local networks exist, there is no comprehensive body to:

·       Connect these networks or unaffiliated individuals and programs

·       List spiritual directors, supervisors, or formators to find and support one another

·       Offer collective guidance on formation and credentialing standards

·       Assist the public in locating Catholic-trained spiritual directors

 

Without a collaborative structure, we all lose out.​ As with other ministries and professions—where distinctions are made based on education, credentials, and training—we believe a similar approach is essential in spiritual accompaniment to preserve the integrity of the Catholic tradition.

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The Call 

Today, there are national (and international) associations of Catholic chaplains, counselors, lay ministers,  coaches, therapists, doctors, nurses, lay ministers, bioethicists, etc., offering their members shared tools and resources. Though much is happening quietly in small networks of Catholic spiritual directors sharing, there has been no central location or a national ministry association or an association of the faithful, especially for the lay directors to locate each other.​

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ABOUT THE CALL

The National Association of Catholic Spiritual Directors

Draft Documents​  CLICK HERE

A national federated model

Mission to build a collaborative organization of faith-filled Catholics who have been called to the ministry of accompaniment with shared resources and guidelines for best practices,  listing opportunities for formation, continuing education, and employment,  along with a communication platform for networking among individuals and between existing groups.

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 A National Association of Catholic Spiritual Directors (NACSD) will seek to serve the Church by fostering a vibrant, faithful, and supportive community of those called to the ministry of spiritual accompaniment. Rooted in the richness of the Catholic tradition, the association is to be dedicated to uplifting all who serve as spiritual directors, supervisors, and formators.

• A national network and directory for Catholic spiritual directors, supervisors, and formators—creating pathways to connect, collaborate, and support one another

• Shared ethical and competency guidelines that reflect the Church’s wisdom and uphold the integrity of this sacred ministry

• Listings of opportunities for formation, including initial training programs, ongoing formation, and advanced certification

• Access to shared ministry resources to enrich prayer, study, and professional practice

• Resources for the faithful who are discerning or seeking spiritual direction, helping them find accompaniment rooted in the life of the Church

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