What is a Spiritual Companion? It is someone who offers Holistic spiritual support, through the practice of Presence, Reflection, and Service. As described by William Bloom of Findhorn, a Spiritual Companion can “help you to go more deeply into yourself and develop a greater sense of personal integrity, inner strength, a stronger connection with friends, family and colleagues, an increased sense of personal joy and of being in the driving seat of your life.” A spiritual companion is similar to an Anam Cara, the Celtic concept of “Soul Friend.”

When might you seek a Spiritual Companion?

• When you want to explore your spirituality in a broader and deeper way than you have before.
• When you or someone you love is facing a serious illness, a change in lifestyle or job, or struggling with an addiction.
• When you experience fear or anxiety about the violence, economic injustice, or climate disruption we are facing as a society.
• When forces beyond your control are causing unwanted changes in your life.
• When you realize your spiritual journey would be enhanced by sharing it with others, and you want to begin in a safe place with a trained companion.

Helen’s journey: I am a 75-year-old grandmother, mother, and daughter, and with my partner, Gregory, and my mother, Betty, live in Vershire, Vermont. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania, on a small homestead with 5 generations of family living in 2 extended households. After living in places as diverse as rural Kentucky, Tucson, Arizona, and Atlanta, Georgia, I now find life in small-town Vermont to be very similar to what I lived with and loved as a child, and I feel as if I have come home at last. We have several generations of family and extended family sharing the gardens and woods and homes on 32 beautiful acres.

In the 1990’s I studied Spiritual Formation and Direction at the Institute for Pastoral Studies in Atlanta, Georgia and received a Certificate in Spiritual Direction. In traditional terms, Spiritual Direction consists of seeking to discern the direction God wants our lives to take. For me, being a Spiritual Companion has the broader sense of listening together for the spirit that permeates all existence and working to attune our spirits to that of all beings around us, including the earth itself.

Over the next decade or so, I was trained as a Labyrinth facilitator and was commissioned as a Stephen Minister. I also received a B.S. in psychology and did some graduate work in Jungian psychology.  The merging of psychology and spirituality is my primary interest, with the added perspective of “Earth Recovery” — the belief that an intimate relationship with the earth fosters healing of our spirits, bodies, and emotions. I love taking photos of trees, flowers, birds, mushrooms — all the lovely beings that surround me. I also use my photos to create mandalas, which have a long tradition as a healing tool.

I meet with people individually for 1-hour sessions, or in a group for 90-minutes. Suggested donations for individual sessions are $25 – $35. If several people would like to meet as a group, they would share the cost of $45 for a 90-minute group.

If you are interested in scheduling a time to meet, please email me at hhwilson@gmail.com.