How to Write a Spiritual Direction Working Agreement
At its heart, spiritual direction is about space, creating a quiet, sacred enclosure where a directee can notice, sense, and wonder how the Spirit of God is moving in their life.
But for a space to feel truly free, it first needs to feel incredibly safe.
That is where a Working Agreement comes in. Some practitioners worry that bringing a structured document into spiritual direction might stifle the "graced action of the Spirit." In reality, the exact opposite is true. Clear boundaries don't restrict the flow of spiritual accompaniment; they protect it. They ensure that both director and directee know exactly what to expect, allowing the work to deepen without unspoken anxieties getting in the way.
Whether you are a newly trained director establishing your practice or an experienced accompaniment looking to refresh your paperwork, here is a guide to the essential questions your agreement needs to answer, along with key safeguarding considerations.
(Note: We’ve attached our own downloadable London Centre for Spiritual Direction template at the end of this post for you to use or adapt!)
1. Defining the Space: What It Is (and Isn't)
Before diving into logistics, your agreement should set the theological and professional tone. Spiritual direction frequently overlaps in tone with other helping professions, so clarity here is vital.
Questions to ask yourself: How do I describe the unique nature of spiritual direction to someone who has never experienced it? How do I explicitly distinguish it from counselling, therapy, coaching, or mentoring?
Key Language: Frame it around co-discernment and listening to the Divine, rather than problem-solving or psychological intervention.
2. Navigating Mental Health & Scope of Practice
As spiritual directors, we walk with the whole person, including their pain. However, we must remain firmly within our scope of practice. Knowing our limits is a fundamental act of care.
Questions to answer: What happens if a directee requires psychological support that I am not equipped to give? How do I gently but firmly communicate that spiritual direction is a companion to, not a replacement for professional mental health care?
Key Safeguarding Need: Your agreement should explicitly state that you cannot provide specialist psychological support. Consider including a clause where, if appropriate, the directee provides an emergency contact (like a GP) just in case a acute mental health crisis arises during your time together.
A Note on Emergency Contacts: Within the community, there is often a lot of discussion around whether directors should collect a next of kin or emergency contact form. To be clear: this is not a strict requirement, but a matter of personal discernment.
Some directors prefer to request an emergency contact or GP detail right from the start, finding it offers a reassuring safety net if a severe mental or physical health crisis occurs during a session. Others feel it introduces an unnecessarily clinical or medicalised feel to a spiritual space.
Take some time to reflect on what feels right for your specific practice, your level of training, and the context in which you meet. If you do choose to collect this information, ensure your agreement clearly outlines exactly what circumstances would trigger you using it.
3. The Reality of "Dual Relationships"
In faith communities and spiritual circles, our lives often overlap. You might attend the same church, serve on the same committee, or share mutual friends with your directee.
Questions to think about: How will we behave if we run into each other in public? How do we protect the directee’s privacy outside the session room?
Key Language: Commit to absolute discretion. Ensure the agreement states that you will never reference the content of your sessions in public, giving the directee total freedom to speak honestly without fear of social awkwardness later.
4. The Pillars of Trust: Confidentiality, Data, & Supervision
This is the legal and ethical backbone of your agreement. True vulnerability requires the absolute certainty of safety.
Safeguarding & The Law: Your confidentiality clause must outline its legal and ethical limits. Typically, these are twofold:
Supervision: Explaining that you share your work anonymously with a supervisor to ensure best practice.
Harm & Abuse: Clearly stating that if a directee reveals a risk of serious harm or abuse to themselves or others, you are obligated to contact the relevant authorities.
Data Protection (GDPR): Even as an individual practitioner, you must be transparent about data. Where do you keep their phone number? How do you store your session notes? (Tip: Keep notes factual, minimal, and entirely anonymized, stored separately from contact details).
5. Practical Logistics & The "Good Ending"
The administrative details might feel mundane, but clarity around money and time prevents resentment and misunderstanding down the road.
Questions to answer: How often will we meet (e.g., every 4–6 weeks)? What is my fee or suggested donation scale? What is my cancellation policy if someone cancels at the last minute?
Structuring Endings: Relationships naturally change and conclude. Build a clause that suggests regular "informal reviews" to check how the direction is going, and explicitly encourage a dedicated final session to make a "good ending" together rather than letting the relationship just drift away.
6. Crafting Your Own Agreement
When writing your own agreement, aim for language that reflects your personal presence.
To help you get started, we have provided the official LCSD Working Agreement Template below. You are welcome to download it, use it as a baseline, and adapt the language to best fit the unique shape of your ministry.
How do you handle boundaries in your practice? Is there a particular clause in your working agreement that has saved you from a difficult situation? Let us know in the comments below!