Spiritual Direction with Peter Watkins

Listening for Clues is pleased to present our new series, "Good News!" featuring weekly conversations with people who are making a difference, large or small. We want everyone to know what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how. So, our listeners and viewers can experience the good news and go out and make a difference themselves.

Spiritual Direction with Peter Watkins

We are honored to have Peter Watkins as our guest for this episode. Peter Watkins, M.Div. is a spiritual director, retreat leader, and faculty member at Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality, a school for the formation of aspiring spiritual directors. He has taught graduate level classes in Old Testament theology and adolescent psychology and spirituality, and has co-authored a high school textbook, Guarding the Fire: A Spiritual Guide for Young Men through Good Ground Press. He is also certified to give the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises. As a former high school philosophy and theology teacher of thirty years he especially loved leading student justice trips to Guatemala and pilgrimages on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Peter is a life-long runner, father of three sons, and loves playing the guitar and banjo.

In this episode, our guest Peter Watkins talks about a "best-kept secret," Spiritual Direction: what it is, and what it is not. He covers the practical matters from finding a Spiritual Director/Companion to what a session might include. He also provides special insight into the Ignatian way of doing Spiritual Direction.

Highlights:

[00:00:00] Introduction 

[00:01:43] What is Spiritual Direction? 

[00:04:04] How Did You Get Started as a Spiritual Director?  

[00:06:16] Being a Spiritual Director is a Call from God 

[00:07:45] Surprises in Spiritual Direction 

[00:09:58] Ignatian Spiritual Direction: One Way 

[00:13:25] Finding a Spiritual Director 

[00:15:01] How Often to Meet Your Spiritual Director 

[00:15:44] What Happens in Spiritual Direction? 

[00:18:47] Formation for Spiritual Directors 

[00:21:12] What People Talk About in Spiritual Direction 

[00:25:45] Contact Information and Thanks

Resources mentioned in this episode:

CLICK --> Peter's Website

ADDITIONAL LINKS:

• SDI - The Home of Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Companionship
• Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality
• Peter's Book: Guarding the Fire: A Spiritual Guide for Young Men
• Listening for Clues | On the Journey with Jon and Lauren

© 2025 Listening for Clues