Spiritual Direction in a Digital Age

This is a Zoom webinar. The Zoom link will be sent to registrants the morning of the workshop.

All of us use video calls routinely: for work, school, church, and connecting to friends and family. Many spiritual directors have also transitioned to online direction sessions. Online platforms provide for ease of meeting, but they bring other challenges. This webinar will address how to maintain a deep, human connection as well as the ethical considerations of using online platforms. This is a continuing education opportunity for spiritual directors, spiritual direction students, supervisors of spiritual directors, and spiritual friends.

Continuing education is essential for directors to stay up-to-date with important advances and new opportunities. Online video calls open up great possibilities for directors both now and in the future: to adapt to crisis; to serve vulnerable people like those with a compromised immune system; and the ability to work with directees from a distance. This in-service opportunity will focus on the deeper adaptations needed to provide the best spiritual care through video calls rather than the technical how-to of individual platforms.

Participants will come away with new knowledge on:

• Helping to transition directees from in-person to online sessions
• Subtle changes in relationship dynamics – what to notice, what to look for
• Boundaries, including time usage, social media awareness, and privacy
• Ethical considerations in utilizing an online platform for spiritual direction
• Difficulties of the communication style, causing so-called “Zoom fatigue”

Plenty of time will be given to answer participant questions. Questions are also welcomed during registration to allow time for thoughtful response.

A certificate of completion will be mailed to participants.

Vicki Scheib is a spiritual director, a supervisor of spiritual directors, and instructor with the Sustainable Faith School of Spiritual Direction. She has a D.Min. in Leadership and Spiritual Formation from Portland Seminary (formerly George Fox Seminary). Vicki has been practicing spiritual direction for more than 15 years and completed formal training in supervision through Together in the Mystery. She has also facilitated various workshops, in-services, and educational opportunities, mostly related to spiritual direction and spiritual formation. Vicki currently offers spiritual direction and supervision online and in-person at Kavanna House, a spiritual formation center in York PA.