Peregrini and Apprentices

Polly is a spiritual director trained through Anam Cara ministries. She loves witnessing magical moments where others learn to see and trust their own soul and the Divine. As one who has always been drawn to more wonders than certainties, she continues to wrestle with an ever expanding God and trust that every soul deserves to be seen, loved and trusted.   She lives with her husband and 3 kids in the mountains above Boulder, CO.

Josh is a trained spiritual director (Anam Cara), parish priest (Episcopal), dodgeball try-hard, and skilled procrastinator. His heart is shaped by campfires and sacraments, the joy of friendships, and the mystery of grace that keeps showing up where it is least expected. Josh is passionate about holding open the door to the space already cleared by God in our lives. He wrestles with representing an institution that has let him and others down, while experiencing it as a place of abundant life. A joyful extrovert with a monk’s heart, he lives outside Philadelphia with his husband and orange cat, where you can find him trying to make meaning out of doing laundry (again!).

Contact: josh@anamcara.com

Michelle is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church, a spiritual director and supervisor, and someone who deeply believes that the spiritual journey is not one to be taken alone.  She completed training at the Center for Spiritual Formation in 2013 and completed training as a supervisor of spiritual directors through Fordam’s Advanced Certificate program in 2023. Michelle is passionate about accompanying people in a life-giving way through the every day in a way that makes space for the Holy to be recognized and responded to. 

Contact: michelle@abideinthespirit.com

Jamie Bonilla is a spiritual director with about 7 years of experience. She was trained at the Institute for Spiritual Formation, receiving her Master’s degree in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. She came to spiritual direction herself out of a season of deep doubt and darkness, and loves offering the same hospitality she was offered in that season: space to be fully, exactly where and who you are (with God), in all the mess and beauty. Creativity and spirituality have walked hand-in-hand with her in the second half of her life so far, and she enjoys bringing creative elements to direction sessions and retreats she offers. She lives in Southern California with her husband and two kids.

Contact: jamie@anamcara.com

Brandon completed the Anam Cara Apprenticeship in 2023 and resonates deeply with the Benedictine principle of hospitality: “to welcome everyone as Christ.” He loves to create spaces that are free of shame and open to possibility, and to witness the story of peoples’ lives with God. He is a father of five, an historical theology nerd, a ministry leadership veteran, a family trauma survivor, and a recovering anxiety addict. He currently resides in Cañon City, Colorado.

Ivy Clark, a trained spiritual director and peregrini of Anam Cara Ministries, guides individuals on their journey to encounter God in all aspects of their lives. Ivy’s life work is companioning others to restore the true identity and sanctity of souls. With cultural roots from a British colony in Asia and a life nurtured in Canada, Ivy considers the individual’s placedness and sacred story as integral parts of their cultural and spiritual biography. Ivy is deeply familiar with the complexity of thresholds, grief, endings and beginnings. May you taste rest, be witnessed, replenished, and illuminated by God in spiritual direction with Ivy Clark.

Contact: twigsandpinecones@gmail.com

Chad Conant is a spiritual director, trained by Anam Cara, who has 6 years of experience.  He delights in watching directees discover God’s “no matter whatness” as they come to see God’s presence in all parts of life, even the messy and painful.  Married and the father of 5, including an adopted son with special needs and severe trauma, Chad wrestles with the questions of “where is God?” and “why God?” when daily life is overwhelmingly difficult.  After serving on Young Life staff in Littleton, Colorado for 30 years, he is now a full-time spiritual director in Littleton where he resides with his wife and kids.

Contact: chadconant4@gmail.com

Sandy makes her home with her husband Lee and dog Lucy (who rescued
them) in the mountains of Colorado. She likes to say that she lives “closer to
heaven”!
Creation to Sandy is both an outdoor adventure and a balm to her soul, with
hiking and snowshoeing being some of her favorite activities.
Sandy spent her working years as a Labor and Delivery nurse, accompanying
families in both the miracle of birth and the heartbreak of infant loss.
With God alongside, she has held both a thick thread of grief, along with
God’s provision of joy, as she walked through the stillbirth of her second son,
and the death of her eldest adult son after his 10-year battle with cancer.
Sandy spent two years in transformation with Jesus, participating in The Soul
Care Institute before completing the two year Spiritual Direction
apprenticeship with Anam Cara Ministries.
Sandy thoroughly enjoys her spiritual direction practice which includes
individual (in-person or by zoom) and group direction.

Contact: nathrop@icloud.com

Will Forsythe was born and raised in Colorado. He currently serves as the Lead Pastor of All Souls Church of Boulder. He is deeply passionate about the interior journey we can take, in which we descend into the immense palace of our souls to experience the mystery of God within, as well as the beloved community we walk side by side with on this journey and how we are able to bring our whole selves—broken and beautiful—for the good of others.

Will is a graduate of the Spiritual Direction apprenticeship with Anam Cara Ministries. In his free time, he can be found fly fishing, reading Wendell Berry, listening to boring philosophy lectures, wrestling with his kids, and enjoying craft coffee way too much. 

Contact: will@allsoulsboulder.org

Emily P. Freeman is an author, podcast host, and trained spiritual director (Anam Cara). Her most important work is to help create soul space and offer holy listening for anyone standing at a threshold of change. After navigating her own nuanced questions about God, community, and long-held beliefs, Emily is honored to be a listening companion in the lives of others. She lives in North Carolina with her family.  Learn more here about Emily’s spiritual direction practice and availability.

Dale Gish believes that there is more of God’s love and presence offered to us than we know how to access or receive.  God does not stand far off, with a look of disappointment. Instead, God draws near to us with tender love and compassion, closer to us than we are to ourselves. Though hurt, disappointment, the busyness of life, fear, apathy, or distraction may hold us back, God is at work to comfort, heal and restore. Spiritual direction is a space where we intentionally open ourselves to this good work God is doing.

Dale offers spiritual direction and guides people through the life-transforming journey of the Ignatian Exercises. He is an empathic listener, deep thinker, Christ-centered, and sensitive to the work of the Spirit. Dale brings 30 years of experience as a pastor and ministry leader, work as a mental health counselor, and heart for those on the margins to his work. He has an MDiv and was trained as a spiritual director through SoulFormation. Dale and his wife Debbie live in San Francisco with their two teenage daughters, have been married for over 20 years, and lead a marriage ministry called Cana.

Contact: dalemgish@gmail.com

Contact: jenny.livewell@gmail.com

Craig Hamlow  loves sitting with others and hearing where God is working in their lives to shape and mold them into His image. After serving 10 years in Alaska caring for pastors and missionaries in bush villages, Craig, his wife Karen, and their three children moved to Colorado to shepherd others through Potter’s Inn. Now, as a Member Care Specialist at Mission Aviation Fellowship, he has found a wonderful convergence of his journey.

Craig is a graduate of the apprenticeship with Anam Cara Ministries. He loves to worship in the beauty of creation through fly fishing, hiking, camping, and sitting in wonder of what has been made. He is currently taking new directees in person and at a distance.

Contact: craig@hamlow.com

Bryan’s driving passion is to see people grow deeper in Christ. He is captivated by the reality that there is more of Christ and His love than we have yet experienced. He specializes in walking alongside pastors and missionaries, helping them attend to their own life in Christ in the midst of caring for others. He also works with anyone who is interested in attending to their own spiritual journeys and longs to have someone accompany them. Alongside his wife Rachel, Bryan leads a spiritual formation and soul care ministry called CURATE Ministries (curateministries.org) and he oversees staff care and development for an international church planting ministry.

Bryan graduated from Fuller Seminary with a Masters in Theology in 2015 and received training as a spiritual director (2018) and as a supervisor (2020) from Sustainable Faith. He is currently working on his Doctorate in Ministry with an emphasis in Spiritual Formation at Denver Seminary.

Bryan has been serving in ministry, leading retreats, teaching formational practices for over a decade. He lives in Colorado Springs with Rachel and their daughter Eva.

Bryan is available for spiritual direction in person or online, leading retreats, teaching workshops or working with church leadership to integrate spiritual formation practices into their own lives as well as their congregations.

Contact: bryan@curateministries.org

Joy is a trained spiritual director through Anam Cara Ministries. She longs to invite
hurting hearts to discover the beauty hidden in the sacredness of sorrow. She
welcomes the weary traveler into belonging, cultivating the belief they are
beloved. Her heart’s desire is to facilitate safe spaces for being known and
awakening hope. Jesus has invited her to unlock the door of hope through her
journey of lament as she navigates her son’s life-altering, physical disability. She
recently co-founded Awakening Hope (www.awakeninghope.org), a ministry that
provides soul care for people with disability in their story. She lives in Colorado
with her husband and is mother to an adult daughter in college and two
teenagers at home.

Contact: joy@awakeninghope.org

Annalise Hume (she/her) is a passionate, creative, down-to-earth Spiritual Director who loves listening and asking questions to help others recognize the movement of God in their life.

After graduating with an MDiv and MA in Christian Education from Princeton Theological Seminary, she felt a deep pull toward training as a spiritual director. She completed her training with Oasis Ministries under Glenn Mitchell.

Now Annalise teaches, facilitates movement workshops, and offers spiritual direction to others with the hope of helping individuals and groups take steps toward wholeness and flourishing.

She lives in Ewing, New Jersey with her husband, son, and adorable whoodle. In her spare time, you will find her walking around outside barefoot, dancing, going to the theater, or dreaming up her next trip.

You can connect with Annalise by email or online through withannalise.com.

Contact: spiritualdirection@withannalise.com

Selene’s journey to spiritual direction began after a long desert season. Her story includes navigating ministry burnout, seeking belonging across diverse cultural contexts, grappling with identity as a second-generation immigrant and visible minority, and parenting a child on the autism spectrum. Being companioned and lovingly embraced on her own faith journey is what moves her to offer the same hospitality and companionship to others. Her desire is to offer a safe space to be seen and heard where people can experience God more deeply.

Selene has over 20 years of ministry experience. She currently serves as a campus chaplain, teacher at her local church, and faculty member of the Renovaré Institute. She has a Master of Arts degree in Spiritual Formation, and a Spiritual Direction Certification from Portland Seminary. She lives in Quebec, a French-speaking province in Canada, with her husband and three boys.

Find out more at: www.selenelau.ca

Contact: direction@selenelau.ca

Kate offers compassionate space to explore the messy, mysterious, sometimes frustrating, andprofoundly beautiful stories of life with God. As one who has wrestled with God throughrelational and religious trauma, depression and anxiety, loneliness and disillusionment, sheunderstands and welcomes the questions, doubts, and struggles as an inherent part of spiritual growth. Kate particularly enjoys walking with people through vocational discernment as well as life and faith transitions. No matter who or where you are on your spiritual journey, her desire is for you to experience your belovedness more deeply and delight in the gift of being yourself.

Kate completed her spiritual direction training in Selah’s contemplative approach in 2020. Anam Cara plays a large role in her continuing personal and professional formation.

Kate lives in the suburbs of Sacramento, CA with her partner of over 15 years, herneurodivergent teenage son, and sassy tween daughter. She loves getting her hands in the dirt,pulling weeds, and watching things grow. Other favorite indulgences are basking in the sun,floating down a river, or getting lost in a good historical-fiction novel.

Kate is available for individual spiritual direction as well as facilitating spiritual direction groups, retreats, and workshops.

Contact: kate@katelaymon.com

Niecy LoCricchio is founder of The Soul Care Place, which helps the community of Christ to experience greater wholeness, healing, and intimacy with the God who loves us. With nearly 20 years of ministry experience, Niecy is passionate about coming alongside others and attending to God’s voice in ordinary moments. In addition to her work in spiritual direction, Niecy creates and leads retreats and workshops where she loves to incorporate creative expression to help attendees discover new avenues for connecting with God. As a recovering perfectionist and overachiever, Niecy has found play and slowing down to be life-giving practices in her spiritual rhythm. She loves to spend time with her husband and family, especially her granddaughter—you might spot them paddleboarding, playing laser tag, or having fun with paint.

Niecy is available for spiritual direction, creating and leading workshops, and speaking on topics of soul care, spiritual formation, and spiritual practices.

Contact: info@thesoulcareplace.com

John is a sacred experience designer, nonprofit leader, and spiritual director trained through Anam Cara. His practice is informed by his own family of origin trauma, personal psychotherapy, the deconstruction of a fundamentalist upbringing, as well as daily divine invitations to trust the reality of his belovedness. He holds creative and compassionate space for folks who long to live into the deep desires Love whispers into their soul. Often integrating nature and creativity into spiritual direction sessions, he believes both can provide a deep well of understanding, of being, and of sacred practice that bring healing to our minds and bodies and expand our experience of God. John lives west of Denver, Colorado stewarding two acres of pine trees that offer the beauty of an art-infused, contemplative walking trail and labyrinth.

Contact: maikowski@mac.com

Julie calls the mountains outside of Denver her home and soul care space. Conifers and aspen,
deer, hummingbirds, as well as her beloved rescue dogs and chickens fill the
canvas of a peaceful, inviting, life-filled space. Her joy is inviting people to
experience God and Spirit in nature, words, community, spiritual direction, and in
reality, all of life. Through meditative nature walks, hiking, and mountain biking,
Julie invites you into a more deeply loving, mystical, and active
encounter with God. You can join Julie in-person or online for spiritual direction. A lover of
poetry, Julie offers lectio divina (divine reading) with poetry as well as scripture, inviting you to
deeply encounter words, metaphor, story, and self. Julie helps people like you
move through grief and loss, deconstruction, unlearning white supremacy, and engage
creation care. Julie’s care and concern for the world and her fellow
humans inhabits all she does, as she works with others to co-create
loving, grateful, generous communities.
Julie is a graduate of The Living School with the Center for Action and Contemplation, as well
as Restoring Connection spiritual direction program with an emphasis serving people on the
margins. She has worked as a social worker for over 20 years in marginalized communities.

Contact: julie@mihevc.com

Contact: afrika@anamcara.com

Jo is a spiritual director trained through the Anam Cara Apprenticeship. She loves the privilege of seeing others experience their Belovedness as they meet with God in spiritual direction. A widow, a cancer survivor, and a mom who has lost her only son, Jo knows God’s kindness and redemption in the midst of deep pain. She lives in Austin, TX, but gets to Colorado as often as she can!

Contact: gorzichi@sbcglobal.net

Contact: kksn2011@gmail.com

Elizabeth Peterson is a spiritual director (Gonzaga University), spiritual direction supervisor (Companioning Center), and retreat facilitator (M.A. in Spiritual Formation, Portland Seminary), with fifteen years of experience in retreat ministry. She deeply values the sacred work of listening alongside individuals and groups for the tender ways God meets each unique person, marveling at the paradox of God’s intimacy and mystery. The disorientation of infertility and divorce revealed to her the time-worn truth: reorientation eventually emerges through the redemptive waters of grief. Elizabeth lives in the woods north of Spokane, WA with her husband Eric, their three teenagers and their yellow lab, Samson Rainier.

Contact: elizabeth@communesoulcare.com

Holly is a pastor and trained spiritual director (Anam Cara). She loves the slow pace of spiritual direction and the gift of walking alongside others, bearing witness to their lives. After years of wrestling with her place in the church and overthinking life with God, Holly has found new ways of encountering the Spirit through simply being. She currently serves as co-pastor at a small church in Austin, Texas, where she lives with her musician husband, their three kids, and a backyard full of birds.

Contact: hollyporterphillips@gmail.com

Suzie Richard’s passion is to create safe environments and opportunities for people to experience God. She specializes in guiding personal spiritual formation and soul care for ministry leaders, and she is trained in emotional healing prayer, which is an integration of psychology and spirituality. Suzie also uses the Enneagram to partner with the healing process and develop spiritual rhythms of the soul.

Suzie graduated from Westmont College with a degree in Interpersonal Communication. She studied spiritual formation with the Soul Care Institute and received her training in Spiritual Direction from Anam Cara Ministries. For the past 25 years, Suzie has served in a variety of roles for both small and large ministries. She has actively promoted the spiritual development and soul care for scores of Young Life staff and volunteers, and she has served as a retreat leader, soul formation group facilitator, and Sabbatical coach. She lives in Boulder with her husband Gill and two teenage children.

Contact: suzie@teamrichard.com

Nicole is a spiritual director trained through Anam Cara and loves meeting with
people in a variety of spaces. Along with one-on-one direction she also offers
fusion of contemplative embodiment and group direction. She realizes that,
depending on the season you’re in, you may need a space of holy listening but at
times crave something outside the box. Being a trained Yoga teacher, she carries
an awareness of the gift that integration can bring. We are mind, body,
emotions, and a soul, all of it, equally important and deserving of tending to.
She is no stranger to caring for those with neurodivergence and long term
health issues. This continued lived experience has deeply shaped how she views
the spiritual journey. Knowing that life can be drastically different then we had
envisioned, she brings a gentle & compassionate presence into the direction
space. She lives in Colorado Springs with her husband, 3 kids, and their anxious
dog, Mando. She can be reached for local yoga classes, group direction, as well
as one-on-one direction in person or virtually.

Contact: nsoraich@gmail.com

My name is Todd Spencer. I did my spiritual direction training with the long-standing Shalem Institute. I have over 17 years of experience with providing spiritual direction for others. What I absolutely love about providing spiritual direction is when my directees express how our time together gives them a sense of rest, encouragement and fresh hope for their day-to-day spiritual walk. I also have over 30 years of experience in full-time local church ministry and know what it’s like to try to walk alone in that kind of leadership and try to gin up success by my own creativity and production. I also know the wonderful difference it makes to have a compassionate spiritual director walk with me over many years on the path with Christ. I live in Colorado Springs with my beautiful wife, Debi, who is a teacher for Gifted and Talented students, and an accomplished dancer, dance teacher and choreographer. We have a sweet rescue dog who’s name is Shadow. Debi and I have two amazing adult sons, Lukas and Ethan. Debi, Lukas and Ethan — even Shadow — have uniquely helped me to grow into a more forgiving and real person of faith and hope. I am also a creative retreat leader and enjoy playing guitar, writing songs and leading others in song. I am an avid fly fisherman and hiker as well, and draw deep spiritual inspiration from our other-than-human siblings who are present with us on Earth.

Contact: Todd@anamcara.com

Heather Swanson is an educator, currently an associate principal in an urban high school, and a mother of two children. She completed training at the Soul Care Institute in 2018 and completed an apprenticeship in Spiritual Direction through Anam Cara Ministries in 2021. For nearly two decades, she was active in pastoral support and church ministry. During that time, she learned first hand the value of soul care and spiritual direction in our journey with God. Grateful for the hospitality she experienced and the soul friends who walk with her, Heather offers that holy hospitality to others on the spiritual journey.

Contact: swan1999@gmail.com

Keely is a spiritual director (trained by the Benedictine sisters at Benet Hill Monastery) and facilitates embodiment classes outside Boulder, CO. As her own faith continues to shift, and as she seeks to loosen all that binds her, spiritual direction and embodiment practice are places of belonging and returning to herself. She loves welcoming the feminine ways of knowing, as her experience of the Divine continues to grow more loving and expansive. Keely is a friend, partner, mother, adoptive parent, community activist, and lover books, bread, birds, and trees.

Find out more at:  keelytaylor.com

Contact: keelyloutaylor@gmail.com

Nina is a graduate of the Anam Cara Apprenticeship and seminary where she focused on training in education ministries. Moved by her own fruitful experience receiving spiritual direction over 10 years she joined the Apprenticeship and finished her training in the Fall of 2025. She enjoys mining everyday stories to find evidence of the movement and grace of God. Her ever-growing personal intimacy with God has been hard-won through years of wrestling with family loss, ministry pain and several spine surgeries. She is inspired by the everyday joys and graces that can be found in relationships with family, friends and pets as well as nature. She works as a social worker with a national non-profit that serves those living with a specific chronic disease and enjoys exploring Colorado from her home in Denver with her husband of 30 years, young adult sons and beloved cavapoo pup.

Contact: ninawalch@gmail.com

Nish is an adventurer’s wife, a mother to two brilliant & hilarious kids, and a spiritual director. She did her undergraduate work in Religion & Philosophy at the University of Colorado at Boulder, completed spiritual direction training through Sustainable Faith and received continuing education at Loyola University Chicago. Because she has always struggled with feeling like she’s “too much,” she takes great care and joy in offering a safe, sacred space for others to bring their full selves without shame, and to ask the hard questions about God, themselves, and the world. Nish lives in McCall, Idaho with her husband, Erik, and their children, Rowan and Scout.

Contact: nish.weiseth@gmail.com

Janine appreciates the depth and individualization each person brings to this world. She is interested in walking with you, as your own individual, seeking the Trinity as our guide as we explore your relationship with Jesus. Janine is passionate about life and experiencing God through different lenses. She also loves sipping her morning cup ‘o joe, noticing every shade of orange in every single thing, and making a piece of art from scraps, paint, or cut-outs so she can have a symbolic piece to hold. This slow expansive heart is what Janine offers to you. As we sit together listening for the holy spirit’s invitations, to consider the paradoxes and contradictions of our lives (the both/and of life), we welcome transformation and a growing awareness of God.

After over 30 years in education with a focus on behavior management and social/emotional development plus living in Mozambique, Africa, Janine has found the heart of people to be calling and aching for care and love just like her own heart. This awareness brought her to take a deep look at the second half of her life and what God was calling her to do. She had to face her own pride and how it got in the way of ministry when she was single on the mission field. Taking this deep look and listening to her internal stirrings, led her to the Soul Care Institute. Janine was committed to doing the work for her own spiritual transformation and learning the tools to provide soul care for others. She then completed  training as a spiritual director at Denver Seminary. Janine’s deepest desire is for you to know that you are seen, chosen, and the beloved. She welcomes you on this journey with her. Peace be with you today.

Contact: both.and.janine@gmail.com

Janine Young is a compassionate spiritual director, trained through the Anam Cara Apprenticeship. She finds deep joy in witnessing the unfolding stories of others, helping them discern the movements of God within their souls, and guiding them toward greater awareness and connection. A lover of the outdoors, Janine often seeks solace and inspiration in nature—you might find her casting a line in a nearby trout stream. Her journey has been shaped by profound experiences, including surviving breast cancer and childhood trauma, navigating seasons of lost hope, and ultimately rediscovering the light of healing and renewal. She lives in the mountains of Colorado with her husband and their beloved Labrador, Whiskey, embracing the beauty and peace of her surroundings. Janine offers a gentle, listening presence to those seeking spiritual direction, walking alongside them as they explore faith, healing, and transformation.

Contact: janine.young2021@outlook.com