How do we welcome emotions that feel too big, too messy, or too much?
As Spiritual Directors, we are often invited to sit alongside strong emotions - grief, shame, anger, joy - and the deep experiences that evoke them. This session explores how we relate to such emotions: which ones we’re most comfortable with, which ones we avoid, and what personal or theological influences may have shaped those responses. What images of God might our directees (or we ourselves) hold that repress the expression of emotion, and where might those images come from? We’ll consider the events in life’s journey - loss, injustice, love, celebration - that stir such feelings, and reflect on how to offer a safe, compassionate, and accepting space where these emotions can be named, held, and even welcomed.
Together, we’ll explore ways of expressing strong emotion that go beyond words - through gesture, movement, metaphor, silence - and how to discern the difference between healthy emotional expression and something that may stem from trauma, mental health challenges, or a need for therapeutic intervention. We'll ask when it’s appropriate to stay present and when to gently guide someone toward other forms of support. The aim is not to “fix” feelings but to accompany our directees with authenticity and non-anxious presence.
This workshop will offer insight into the inner work we may need to do around emotions we find difficult or unacceptable, and help us listen more comfortably to the strong emotions of others. Why are we afraid of these emotions? What might make us more available to them? Together we’ll reflect on what it means to hold space for emotional truth in Spiritual Direction - while staying rooted in compassion, discernment, and trust in the Spirit’s unfolding work.
Celia Harrisson was part of an Ecumenical Christian Community for 15 years and this journey was a deeply meaningful, healing, transformative and challenging experience. She always felt drawn to sacred listening and soul friendship and trained as a Christian Listener and then as a Spiritual Director at LCSD. She also trained as a psychotherapist and specialised in working with complex trauma and attachment trauma. She is an Associate member of the Iona Community and seeks to live a contemplative lifestyle. Celia lives with her cat Lucy who brings her much joy and comfort and is a source of God's love to her.
