Spiritual direction is a sacred space for listening—to the movement of God, to the wisdom of one’s own life, and to the deeper questions stirring within the heart. In regular conversation with a trained spiritual director, individuals are invited to reflect on their relationship with God and notice how the Spirit may be present in the joys, struggles, decisions, relationships, and ordinary rhythms of daily life. Spiritual direction is not counseling, therapy, or advice-giving; rather, the director serves as a prayerful companion, listening deeply and helping the directee become more attentive to God’s presence and invitation.
Rooted in the Benedictine practices of listening, hospitality, prayer, and conversatio—the lifelong work of transformation—spiritual direction is a key ministry of the Benedictine Center at St. Paul’s Monastery. Our team of trained spiritual directors accompanies people from a variety of backgrounds and at many different places along the spiritual journey. Each month, the Benedictine Center offers an online information session for anyone curious about spiritual direction, including what it is, what it is not, and what to expect from the experience. We are also happy to help you discern whether spiritual direction might be right for you and connect you with a director. Explore the biographies of our current spiritual direction team below, or contact Mary Ebb at the Benedictine Center (651-777-8181 or mebb@stpaulsmonastery.org) for more information or assistance in finding a director.
Spiritual Directors of the Benedictine Center
STEVE ARNOLD
Steve is a spiritual director in the Christian tradition and received his training in spiritual direction from Christos Center in Lino Lakes, Minnesota. He is a teacher, retreat leader, speaker, author, chaplain, and a Deacon within the Lutheran confessional movement of the Church catholic. Steve’s formal education includes graduate work culminating in a Ph.D.
Steve tends to see life as a series of transitions that need to be acknowledged and processed before real change can occur. Steve views his role as a spiritual director as walking with another and serving as a spiritual companion. He approaches spiritual direction as a guide who helps another to identify how God is present in one’s life. He recognizes that Christ, through his Spirit, is the true guide in spiritual direction. As a spiritual director, Steve creates a safe place for his directees to talk about anything. He treats these times with the utmost confidentiality and discretion as he understands the need for directees to feel very safe in the spiritual direction relationship.
Steve is accepting new directees.
MARY EBB
Mary received her training as a spiritual director from Christos Center for Spirituality in Lino Lakes, MN. She is a retired attorney and went to law school at the University of Oklahoma. She has a B.A. in English from the University of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota and has also done extensive graduate level work in Biblical studies and psychology. Before law school, Mary served in full-time ministry for about ten years.
Mary’s approach to spiritual direction involves deep listening. Her own experience of being deeply listened to and heard has profoundly shaped who she is and who she is becoming. She loves to ask questions that stir deep thought and reflection and sees this as a way of helping people deepen their relationship with God and with others. She loves to help others see that they are beloved and to guide them in a journey of learning how to live in God’s great love for them.
Mary is accepting new directees.
LAURIE ERICKSON
Laurie received training in spiritual direction at Christos Spiritual Formation Center in Lino Lakes, Minnesota. Laurie has a B.S. in Business and is a commissioned presenter of Centering Prayer. Her interests in the context of spiritual direction include centering prayer, and using bio-spiritual focusing as a way to listen deeply to God’s presence through one’s body.
In her own experience of spiritual direction, Laurie felt true acceptance and non-judgment. She truly felt seen and heard and was able to pour out her own heart in the presence of her director. This is also the approach she takes with her own directees. She seeks to listen to the Spirit as she listens with you to the stirrings of the Holy Spirit within. Laurie has two adult sons, three step-adults and eight grandchildren. She would be honored to walk with you on your faith journey.
Laurie meets with her directees on Zoom and is currently accepting new directees
GWEN PICKERING
Gwen received her training as a spiritual director from the Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse, WI. She is a commissioned presenter of both centering prayer and the welcoming prayer through Contemplative Outreach. She also received training in leading the Ignatian Exercises through Sacred Ground. Gwen earned her undergraduate degree in secondary education from the University of Minnesota and MA in counseling from the University of Minnesota, Duluth.
Gwen is an oblate of St. Paul’s monastery. Her approach to spiritual direction is based on the Benedictine value of listening with the ear of the heart. She provides a safe space for you to reflect on your life while listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. She invites you to listen to the wisdom within your body and soul, as well as your mind. It is her great joy and honor to walk with people like you as you grow closer to the God who adores you and come to know and embrace your True Self. Gwen loves to facilitate and attend retreats, especially silent retreats. This is quite surprising, since she is extremely extroverted, has ADHD and loves to be on the move. She has been married for 40 years, has a daughter, a son-in-law from Argentina, and two grandchildren that she adores. She is accepting new directees.
KAMI POHL
Kami received her training in Spiritual Direction from the Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She also completed advanced companioning training in BioSpiritual Focusing from the BioSpiritual Institute. She earned her undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas and earned her Master’s degree in Human Resource Development from the University of Minnesota. She has experience working on a church staff, corporate Human Resources, teaching, and being a mom.
Kami’s approach to spiritual direction starts with deep listening that facilitates spiritual growth and development. She has special interests in BioSpiritual Focusing and Benedictine Spirituality as pathways to spiritual growth. She creates a safe, non-judgmental space to listen to both you and the Source of Love as you tell the parts of your story that are arising that day; to reflect with you; and to provide time, space and a supportive presence as you notice, nurture, listen and sense the personal wisdom arising in you. This often leads to a profound experience of deep inner connection to all things, including the natural world and the Divine.
Kami loves spending time with family and friends, taking walks, listening to live music and reading.
Kami is accepting new directees.
SHERYL ROSE
Sheryl received her training as a spiritual director through the Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She also received training as a Labyrinth Facilitator at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. She earned her B.S. in business from the University of Minnesota and earned an M.A. In Leadership and Spirituality from St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Sheryl describes her approach to spiritual direction as holding sacred space for the directee allowing the Spirit to work. Sheryl uses Lectio Divina as a way of personally connecting to the Divine and often teaches this to her directees. Sheryl also offers retreats for those seeking peace and connection to the Divine using the sacred path of the labyrinth. She understands what it means to live with chronic illness, pain, and fatigue; and she presents workshops on these topics, drawing from her own experience of living with fibromyalgia for many years.
Sheryl is accepting new directees.
ANN SIVERLING
Ann received her training in Spiritual Direction from the Christos Center for Spirituality in Lino Lakes, Minnesota. She received her B.A. from St. Olaf College, her M.Div. from Luther Seminary and her MBA from Bethel University. Other training includes a certificate in Servant Leadership (University of Madison) and a certificate in Thanatology from The Association for Death Education and Counseling.
Ann’s approach to spiritual direction is to listen “with the heart of God”. She finds immense joy in helping others see where God is leading them in the ordinariness and extraordinariness of life. Ann is comfortable listening to people of all faiths and is uniquely qualified to work with directees in the areas of moral injury, grief, and loss. Her own spiritual practices include daily prayer, centering prayer, and Lectio Divina. She is a mom and grandmother and loves to read, knit, write, take walks in nature, attend plays and concerts, and visit art and history museums.
Ann is accepting new directees.
TERESA TILLSON
Teresa was trained at the Tending the Holy Spiritual Direction program at Christos in Lino Lakes, MN. She is a cradle Episcopalian, and the Book of Common Prayer is written on her bones. She earned a BA in Speech/Theater from Washington State University and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Washington. Teresa practices as a Christian contemplative. She follows the way of Jesus and practices primarily through Centering Prayer. Teresa has practiced the lay contemplative life for over 40 years, through the seasons of youth, working life, marriage, divorce, death, depression and uplift, and both nearness of God and spiritual dryness in her life with God.
Teresa is shaped by the teachings of Richard Rohr, Thomas Keating, Cynthia Bourgeault, James Finley, and the Monks at St. John’s Abbey where she has been an Oblate since 1996. It is her joy to hold a safe space for others to talk about how God is moving in life. She has been a regular Al-Anon attender for several years and finds the 12-step program to be one of the great contemporary spiritual movements.
Teresa is accepting new directees.
