A picture of Rev. Ben Bigney, sitting in a weathered wooden chair with trees in the background.

Hello! I am Rev. Ben Bigney. Spiritual direction is time set aside to tend to your spirituality. As a spiritual director I offer deep listening, spiritual presence, and thoughtful reflections to help you connect with what brings you deep meaning and purpose.

My specialties include working with people who wish to tend to or deepen their spiritual journey, working with people in discernment, supporting clergy and others in helping professions, and companioning those recovering from harm experienced in spiritual communities.

Journeying

No matter where we are in our spiritual journey there is always farther to go. Be it exploring a practice you have just begun, re-engaging a faith that feels stagnant or stuck, or considering how your creative process joins with your religious community, the spiritual life is one that always calls us onward. Spiritual direction can help you deepen the practices you already have, or find new ones to support you where you are now.

Discernment

Discernment is part of the ongoing spiritual journey. It is more than just decision making – it is considering deeply the choices ahead and intentionally including your spirituality in that process. Be it considering a new vocational call, starting a family, or finding a new faith community, discernment arrives at many different times in our lives. Spiritual direction can help you consider these questions from a place of grounding.

Helpers

Those of us who are in helping professions – clergy, therapists, nurses, home health providers, doctors, and others – are prone to giving too much of ourselves and not keeping enough in reserve. You may have once felt a deep connection with your work, only now to feel burdened and exhausted. Clergy, in particular, have little time or room to tend to their own spiritual wellbeing. If this sounds like you, spiritual direction can help you re-connect to that place of meaning.

Companioning

Many of us were raised in faith communities that were actively harmful to our wellbeing. Be it due to sexual orientation, gender identity, race, economic status, ability or any other reason, faith communities can be harmful or even dangerous places. When this happens we may reject spirituality all together. When renewed longing for spiritual connection arises it can be distressing or confusing. Part of my work is to support people who have been harmed by faith communities, being a companion on the journey as you discover how to re-connect with your spiritual life.

FAQ

If you are new to spiritual direction, you are not alone! Here are a few commonly asked questions:

How often is spiritual direction? How long is a session? How much does it cost?
Spiritual direction is most often monthly. A session is one hour. My fee is $150 an hour.

Do you meet in-person or online?
At this time my practice is entirely online.

What is your training for this work?
I hold a Certificate of Spiritual Direction from The Chaplaincy Institute, as well a Master of Divinity from Pacific School of Religion. I have worked with individual spiritual direction clients since 2017. I also served as a hospice chaplain for five years.

Is spiritual direction therapy?
Spiritual direction is not therapy. While similar topics may come up, our work starts with and always returns to your spiritual life. I always recommend my clients also have a therapist.

Will you try to convert me to your faith?
No. You are the expert on your own spiritual journey. My job is to support you on your path, not to convince you to join mine.

Contact Me

I offer a no-cost, no-pressure 30-minute initial consultation. It’s a chance for you to share your story, learn about me, and to begin to see if we are a good fit. To get started, click the link below to my upcoming schedule. All appointments are held on Zoom.

Click here to schedule a consultation

If there are no times available that work for you, please email me here, or call or text (207) 745-2828 so we can find a time that works!