Walsh, Rev. Dr. Michelle

My core spiritual direction philosophy is one of accompaniment of and facilitation in your own personal and communal journey of embodied spiritual meaning-making. Spirituality is embodied and lives in us and in our actions in the larger world. It also is communal in that we are interconnected and interdependent from birth and a larger presence and love remains available through these connections even amidst our brokenness and woundings. My background in Zen Buddhism through Thich Naht Hanh's sanghas, as well as my trainings in Internal Family Systems and Liberation Health approaches, provide me with skills to accompany you in reconnecting with your body and personal presence and compassion for liberating yourself and mending the world.

I also have been involved with ARAOMC (anti-racism, anti-oppression, multicultural) work for over 25 years and am particularly skilled with working with white people needing to deepen into the liberating path of this work for themselves. I also am familiar with the spiritual struggles of class travelers within Unitarian Universalism, as well as higher education. I particularly enjoy accompanying front-line human service professionals, as well as those in the academy, in their spiritual growth and challenges. My spiritual direction practice is trauma-informed and trauma-responsive through my clinical social work background, and I teach in several settings in higher education. I also maintain a regular preaching and consultation practice with my spouse, the Rev. Dr. Clyde Grubbs, also trained a spiritual director through Still Harbor and a member of the UUSDN. You can find out more information about both of us through my website above.