The ministry of spiritual direction or companionship has a long history in various religious traditions. It is a practice that honors each person's inner journey. In the early Celtic tradition, a person who acted as a teacher, companion or spiritual guide was called anam cara. Anam is the Gaelic word for soul and cara is the word for friend. Thus a "soul friend" is someone with whom you can share your soul's gentle stirrings and deepest longings.

As a spiritual companion, Kathy Spaar creates a sacred space and time that welcomes you to slow down, rest and be still. Her role is to provide a quiet presence throughout your retreat time and to be a soulful listener. Kathy is familiar with a variety of spiritual disciplines and can draw upon these experiences to help you discern what practices are meaningful for your individual journey

Kathy Spaar is a long-time educator in spiritual practices and environmental studies. She has developed a variety of programs and workshops that nurture people's spiritual lives with contemplative practices and rituals as well as creative experiences in nature.

She has received spiritual formation training at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and the Washington National Cathedral Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage. She studied for many years with Frederic Lionel, a master teacher of the Western Mystery Tradition as well as with Tom Brown, well-known tracker and teacher of Native American practices and spiritual traditions. Recently she completed the Spiritual Midwife Project training under the guidance of nationally-acclaimed author, Sue Monk Kidd.