What is spiritual direction? Spiritual direction describes the conversation one believer has with another about their life in the light of their faith. Spiritual direction is a conversation in which the director helps the person to notice the action of God in their ordinary experiences of life: to stop, look and listen to the movement of God in their heart and in their lived experience. As the per
son responds with greater awareness to this personally-communicating God, the relationship deepens and the capacity to live out with greater freedom the consequences of the relationship grows. The consequences of the relationship changes the person and so impacts on all their relationships: with self, with others, and with God. At CSD Australia, we believe that it is in ordinary human experience that God is revealed. The focus of this kind of spiritual direction practised by members of CSD is clearly on experience rather than ideas, and especially that dimension of experience that evokes the presence of the mysterious Other whom we call God. CSD Australia is a professional not-for-profit association of spiritual directors committed to a contemplative approach in the ministry of spiritual direction. Our members include spiritual directors who have graduated from spiritual direction formation courses that share the same contemplative spirit and philosophy. We welcome spiritual directors of all beliefs who share our contemplative approach to spiritual direction. Currently about half of our membership are single or married women and men; and about half are members of religious congregations or men and women who are priests. CSD Australia supports Australian Ecumenical Council for Spiritual Direction (AECSD) which is a council that serves the spiritual direction community in Australia. CSD Australia is one of three national spiritual direction associations that look to AECSD as the body that sets out standards and guidelines for the formation of spiritual directors and their ethical practice. Our beginnings date back to 1986. Its inspiration came initially from courses conducted by the Centre for Religious Development (CRD) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
