Welcome to the latest episode of Soul Care for Therapists. In this episode, titled "The Transformation of Spiritual Direction," we have the pleasure of hosting Dan Kane, an experienced spiritual director who has been involved in Dawn's life for several years. Dawn Gabriel shares a bit about her personal journey in a school for spiritual direction. Dan, the leader of the school, started out as a civil engineer turned missionary engineer, and how his experiences led him to the practice of spiritual direction. Stay tuned till the end of the episode where Dan leads us into a guided spiritual exercise “The Practice of Being Know.”  Meet Dan Kane Dan is a spiritual director and supervisor who teaches with the Sustainable Faith Schools of Spiritual Direction. An enthusiast of Ignatian Spirituality, Dan has also been trained by Sustainable Faith to accompany individuals through the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, a deeply formational journey for those hungry to grow in their experience of God. He is also a pilgrimage guide along the Camino de Ignaciano, a recently developed route in northeastern Spain that highlights the journey Ignatius of Loyola made in the year 1522 and invites modern-day pilgrims to a growing understanding of God’s direction for one’s life. Over the last 20+ years, Dan has served churches as an elder, staff member, and volunteer ministry leader, worked full-time with a few different mission organizations, and in 2022 began serving with InterVarsity USA as an Associate Director of Spiritual Formation. Understanding Spiritual Direction Dawn asks Dan to shed light on the difference between spiritual direction and Christian therapy. Dan refers to a definition provided by William Barry and William Connolly in their book The Practice of Spiritual Direction, saying, "We define spiritual direction then as the help given by one believer to another that enables the latter to pay attention to God's personal communication...to grow in intimacy with this God and to live out the consequences of the relationship." He emphasizes the importance of companionship and helping individuals become more aware of God's presence in their everyday lives. Spiritual direction involves noticing, exploring, reflecting, and responding to the ways in which God communicates and reveals Himself. Dan also highlights the focus on the present and the desire to become more like Christ through experiential encounters with God. Cultivating Heightened Awareness "Did you know that God is present in every moment of your life, even the ordinary ones?" It's true! To experience God's presence, start by paying attention to the small wonders around you. Notice the vibrant colors of the flowers, the gentle breeze on your face, or the laughter of your friends. As the speaker in the episode suggests, "When you're brushing your teeth or playing with your pet, remember that God is there with you, loving you and guiding you." By developing a heightened awareness, you'll begin to see the fingerprints of God in the beauty and simplicity of your everyday experiences. The Transformative Power of Spiritual Direction Dawn shares her personal experience of attending Dan's school, where she learned not only about spiritual direction but also engaged in experiential practices that deepened her intimacy with God. She explains that therapy often focuses on coping skills and rearranging the "furniture" in the lower room of our lives, while spiritual direction delves into the upper room of the soul, exploring the spiritual realm and experiencing God on a deeper level. Dawn expresses how her journey toward becoming a spiritual director has been transformational, not just informational. Dan expands on this distinction, saying that while knowledge and information about God are important, true transformation occurs when that knowledge shapes our encounters with and experiences of God. Spiritual direction aims to help individuals become more like Christ, cultivating intimacy, and living