In person in Tucson
For people in the Tucson area who would like to sit down together, away from the screen.
My office is in my home. I will share the address once we set an appointment.
Explore meeting in TucsonYou don’t have to figure it out alone.
Spiritual direction is time to slow down and check in on your life. What sustains you? What is that voice inside trying to tell you? Together, we work with spirit — whatever that means to you — to help you live a better life.
Calling forth the whole you.
What is
spiritual direction?
You may also hear it called
spiritual companionship.
Read the transcript
From YouTube’s automatic captions; not yet checked against the audio.
Hi there. I'm Andrew.
Before I introduce myself further, here's your chance for an impromptu 8 second stress break. So, I'm going to breathe in for a count of about three, hold for two or three, count, and then exhale. So, are you ready?
Breathe in. Hold. Exhale. Take a second to just feel that.
This is the place that I love to work from.
So, I'm an interfaith chaplain who offers spiritual companionship. Some people call it spiritual direction. You can call it whatever you like. Just know that I'm not here to direct you at anything. I'm more like a guide who comes with you on your journey.
Uh if you've never experienced this kind of work, spiritual direction, it's not therapy, but it can look a lot like a therapy session, especially at first. Two people meet usually in an office or over, you know, video call and they spend about an hour discussing whatever issues are present in the client's life.
That's where the similarities usually ends though. Um an example of that would be uh this practice is a tradition in spiritual direction. I don't always do this, but it's a tradition to have an empty third chair in the room. And that chair is for God or truth with a capital T or your inner higher self or the universe.
What matters is whatever source of wisdom you look to. I'm not here to tell you what or who to believe. I'm here to help you uncover the wisdom that you already have access to. and in your faith framework, not mine.
Although I don't tell you what to do, I listen and I ask questions and I follow my natural curiosity. My goal is really to help us both discover what really matters to you.
Sometimes I might reflect back to you what I'm hearing or seeing. Sometimes I might ask you to clarify something. I
definitely value questions at least as much as answers, sometimes more than answers because to me, questions feel real. They're the way our lives actually unfold because you know that things are always changing. We're always facing something that's unknown or a little bit different than it was before. And I have yet to meet anyone who has it all figured out, even though we like to
pretend that we do. You don't have to impress me or figure out what I would like to hear. Believe it or not, some clients have a natural tendency to do that. Instead, I'm more interested in what's really going on with you. What are the scariest or most unknown places? Why are they scary?
What does your faith or spirituality or understanding of the universe have to teach you about the best choices to make in any given situation?
Uh, I strive to live a life that on the outside looks a lot like my values on the inside. Although I don't always get that perfect, I think it's important. So, I also bring that framework to my practice.
So, I love to learn about what you hold sacred and then together with you, use that as a lens that you'll always have with you and be able to keep polishing for a lifetime.
A little bit about me. Although I'm not a Christian, I have a deep love for Christianity and its teachings. I studied it quite a bit in graduate school. I also have deep love and respect and some familiarity with other world traditions such as Judaism and Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Earth-based traditions to name a few. I'm not an expert, but I love to learn and read.
Like I said, always holding questions and I believe that everyone I meet is both a student and a teacher.
So although I'm not a fit for everyone, if you're curious to learn more, please reach out. I would be happy to chat.
If you’ve never experienced spiritual direction, it’s not therapy, but it can look like it at first. Two people meet, usually in an office or by video conference, and they spend about an hour discussing whatever issues are present in the client’s life. That’s where the similarity ends, though.
What matters is the source of wisdom that’s meaningful to you. Whether it be G-d, or Spirit, your Inner/Higher Self, the Universe, etc. we work that inner voice to uncover what you hold sacred. We then use that as a powerful tool — a lens through which you can look at any problem or question.
Spiritual direction is a great container to work with questions like:
- What are the scariest or most unknown places in your life or in your heart?
- Why are they scary?
- What does your faith or spirituality or understanding of the universe have to teach you about the best choice to make?
This lens is something you will always have access to. Hopefully you continue to polish and improve it for a lifetime.
That’s the work of spiritual direction.
Request a free introductory conversation
Half an hour, no charge.
Is spiritual
direction for me?
You can bring a religious tradition, a spiritual framework, or no religious background whatsoever. I have accompanied devout Christians, Buddhists, folks who are spiritual but not religious, humanists, and atheists. If you’re interested in doing this work on yourself, you can absolutely use spiritual direction.
Explore ways to meetAre you reconsidering what you believe?
Your faith or worldview might be shifting. There is room to explore what you want to keep, question, or let go of.
Are you going through change, grief, or loss?
Change is hard. Grief can be heavy. Dealing with loss can make you question everything. Use spiritual direction to help navigate.
Do you want to cultivate more depth in your everyday life?
Curiosity about connection or the sacred can be a starting point to beautiful, rich exploration. Plenty of people use spiritual direction as a regular practice whether or not they’re in crisis.
Two ways to meet.
The structure is the same.
Choose how you’d like to work together. We can always change it if needed.
Practical details
- A first conversation
- I like to meet for a half hour just to chat (no charge). I’ll let you know if I can help, and you can decide whether it feels like a good fit.
- Ongoing sessions
$150 per session. A sliding scale based on your situation is available. Just ask.
Sessions are 1 hour, and we meet at least monthly — more often if you need more support.
I’m Andrew Chirch.
Interfaith minister & chaplain.
My path has taken me through military service, finance, nonprofit leadership, and seminary-trained chaplaincy.
I draw from more than one tradition. In our conversations, your beliefs, doubts, and lived experience are the starting point. You can use the language that feels true to you, including when that language is still changing.
Our introductory conversation is a chance to talk about what you are looking for and whether my approach fits.
Let’s start with a conversationA few things you
may be wondering.
Is this a Christian practice?
Although spiritual direction has deep roots in the Christian tradition, my practice is Interfaith, which means, “spirituality informed by many traditions.” I draw from Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other traditions and I welcome your own understanding of spirituality. You do not need to adopt a particular belief system to work with me.
Do I need to be religious?
No particular religious belief is needed. You can bring faith, uncertainty, a changing relationship with religion, or questions you are still finding words for.
What would we talk about?
You set the starting point. It could be a transition, a question of meaning, a sense of longing, or something in everyday life that asks for your attention. You do not need to prepare a polished story.
Is this therapy or clinical treatment?
No. Spiritual direction is not psychotherapy, diagnosis, or clinical treatment. It is spiritual conversation and reflection. Though your work here will likely inform the other areas of your life, it should not replace therapy or clinical support.
What if I’m not sure this is for me?
That is a reasonable place to begin. If you’re curious, reach out. When we talk for the first time, people often know right away if they want to try a few sessions. You can of course change your mind at any time.
Begin with
a conversation.
You don’t need to know where this will lead.
We can start with what brings you here.
I will respond as soon as possible, usually in less than one business day.
Prefer email? awchirch@prolificate.com
Your message is sent to me by email so I can respond to your inquiry. Please avoid sensitive personal or medical details.
Privacy and retention
I’ll use the details you share to respond to your inquiry and arrange a conversation. Please keep your note brief and leave out sensitive personal or medical details. Your message is sent to me by email. Sending an inquiry does not book an appointment or subscribe you to a mailing list.
Your inquiry
When you contact me through this form, I receive your name, email address, and anything you choose to write. I use these details to reply and discuss whether working together feels like a good fit.
A short note is enough to begin. Please avoid medical information or other sensitive details in this form. We can talk about what is helpful to share when we connect.
How your message reaches me
The website is hosted by Hostinger. Your inquiry travels through the website and is sent to my Proton Mail account. The inquiry form does not keep a separate copy of your message in the WordPress database. Email copies remain in the mailbox, and hosting services may retain technical logs and backups.
The form uses temporary security records to limit repeated submissions and prevent the same submission from being sent twice. These records do not contain your message. They expire after their short security windows and are cleaned up by the website.
Keeping and deleting information
I delete inquiries that do not lead to an ongoing relationship 90 days after the last exchange. For ongoing clients, we agree separately how to handle correspondence.
You can contact me at awchirch@prolificate.com to ask about information you have shared, correct it, or request its deletion. Copies held in provider backups may remain until those backups expire.
Questions
If you have questions about this form or how your inquiry is handled, email me at awchirch@prolificate.com.
Review your inquiry
Check your details before sending. Nothing has been sent yet.
You can also email Andrew directly.