Spiritual Directors
The spiritual directors listed here have received professional degrees through the Institute for Spiritual Formation at Biola University and have been approved by our church leadership to offer direction at Redeemer in the Spiritual Direction Center.
(Listed Alphabetically)
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Debbie Barlotti |
It is a joy for me to sit with people in the presence of the Holy Spirit, as He helps them listen to their hearts and hear God’s heart, and as we respond together to His invitation to a deeper journey with the Father. Having served in cross-cultural ministry since 1979, I have a particular burden for broken people like myself, especially if they are current or aspiring Christian leaders, pastors,missionaries or those dealing with trauma. My husband and I and our children lived for 14 years on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where I worked as a nurse midwife with Afghan refugee women. My years in Asia, and 7 years working with patients, students and internationals in Oxford, UK, helped me learn how to walk softly with people who have deep wounds that only God can heal, often in the presence of another caring soul.
I received an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care from Talbot Seminary in 2011, and was trained by Larry Warner in leading others through the Ignatian exercises. I have served informally as a Spiritual Director for over 25 years, and formally since 2010. I am currently working at Biola University with seminary students and leading groups and retreats. I continue to supervise and provide pastoral care to workers serving overseas. I have been married 40 years, and have three adult married children, four grandsons, and a dog. I love gardening, reading, ethnic foods and cooking, traveling, and walking in nature.
I received an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care from Talbot Seminary in 2011, and was trained by Larry Warner in leading others through the Ignatian exercises. I have served informally as a Spiritual Director for over 25 years, and formally since 2010. I am currently working at Biola University with seminary students and leading groups and retreats. I continue to supervise and provide pastoral care to workers serving overseas. I have been married 40 years, and have three adult married children, four grandsons, and a dog. I love gardening, reading, ethnic foods and cooking, traveling, and walking in nature.
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Ariella BaughEmail: ariella.l.baugh@biola.edu
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I completed my training at the Institute for Spiritual FormationI Formation at Biola University this past May 2018. I have worked on a church staff where my main focus is spiritual mentorship and discipleship of individuals and I utilize spiritual direction skills to best help me in this endeavor. I am currently completing a second masters degree in Clinical Psychology through which I will soon be licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist and I look forward having a practice that is both spiritually and psychological integrated. In spiritual direction, I desire is to communicate God's unconditional love and acceptance through simply being with others. My spiritual direction practice is characterized by asking those questions that help engage the directee with their own hearts and emotions so that they can better see themselves and therefore better see God and how he relates to them. My main focus is helping directees understand what is taking place in their relationship with God and discern the particular things that might be affecting this relationship. I long for directees to feel seen and known by God and to aid them in their journey with Jesus however the Spirit leads me to in accordance with the training I have received.
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William BishopEmail: willithica@gmail.com
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I completed training as a spiritual director in Spring 2015 and my MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care at Talbot School of Theology in December of 2015. I see spiritual direction as a space where we can invite someone into our relationship with God to listen and co-discern the movement and voice of God in the midst of our lives.
I'm passionate about providing a safe place created by prayer and partnership with the Spirit of God. My goal is not to be the person to give you answers but to help you learn to bring your questions honestly before God and find hope, acceptance and love in his presence. I have a passion for missions and missionaries, as well as people in ministry. While I think everyone can benefit from spiritual direction, those in ministry who give often forget to receive. My hope is that in direction you might receive from the Spirit of God wherever you find yourself in relationship with Him.
I have experience in youth ministry, missions, and pastoral care. I attended an Evangelical Free Church for about 28 years and have been at the Anglican Church since 2014. I am currently in pursuit of holy orders in the Anglican Church.
I'm passionate about providing a safe place created by prayer and partnership with the Spirit of God. My goal is not to be the person to give you answers but to help you learn to bring your questions honestly before God and find hope, acceptance and love in his presence. I have a passion for missions and missionaries, as well as people in ministry. While I think everyone can benefit from spiritual direction, those in ministry who give often forget to receive. My hope is that in direction you might receive from the Spirit of God wherever you find yourself in relationship with Him.
I have experience in youth ministry, missions, and pastoral care. I attended an Evangelical Free Church for about 28 years and have been at the Anglican Church since 2014. I am currently in pursuit of holy orders in the Anglican Church.
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Sarah BrownEmail: sarah.l.brown@biola.edu
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One of my deepest joys is being able to sit with others as they unfold their story and discover how the Holy Spirit is working, especially in the places where that feels like the furthest truth. This is what I love about direction, to be able to witness how the Spirit moves in an individuals’ life to slowly reveal the deep truth that they are known, seen and loved. I enjoy an integrative approach to direction that integrates trauma research, inner healing and spiritual warfare, Ignatian spirituality and attachment theory. I have a background in the foster care system and currently work in student affairs at Biola University as well as a staff director and supervisor at the Institute of Spiritual Formation.
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Blair FabryEmail: blair.fabry@biola.edu
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Paul Tillich writes, “The first duty of love is to listen”. This truth challenges me as a follower of Christ and as a Spiritual Director. Being a good listener is foundational to maturity. I am passionate about ministry leaders and their care. In particular, I especially enjoy working with seminarians as they develop and sort through their faith stories. As God has been at work restoring my own early childhood trauma, I have a deep faith and am comfortable walking with others in their messy and complicated stories. I serve in a prayer and retreat ministry for a church near San Diego. Over the last five years, I have worked with students and staff at Biola. I have a Master’s degree in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care from Talbot Seminary. Additionally, I offer Spiritual Direction from my home office. Additionally, I have been through and trained in leading others through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Hiking and backpacking are my favorite pastimes. I believe beauty heals and open our souls in powerful and generative ways. I am mom to three married daughters and one college aged son. I have broad church experience across multiple traditions – Evangelical, Vineyard, Four Square and Presbyterian.
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RObbie GoforthEmail: robbiegoforth@gmail.com
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Samantha GuzziEmail: samantha.k.guzzi@biola.edu
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I graduated with a Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care from Talbot Seminary in May 2018. I’m currently working as a staff spiritual director at Biola University. It is my joy to companion alongside people on their spiritual journey, helping them become attuned to their life with God and the special love He has for them. Nothing means more to me than seeing people discover their identity in Christ and live out their primary vocation of communion with God as His beloved. I consider it a privilege to help others name and navigate their experience, together attending and responding to the presence, work and invitations of God in all areas of their life. It is important to me that direction is a safe resting place, a sacred space where people feel known, seen, heard, blessed and transformed by our Loving Lord in their deep. As an artist, one of my chief passions is helping people connect with God through beauty and creativity, engaging art
and play as prayer. May the face of our Lord Jesus shine upon you and bring you joy and peace.
and play as prayer. May the face of our Lord Jesus shine upon you and bring you joy and peace.
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Lauren MendozaEmail: lauren.m.mendoza@biola.edu
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Receiving spiritual direction has been a gift in my life and it is an honor to offer spiritual direction. My prayer is that spiritual direction is a safe and welcoming place to pause and notice the truth of what you are feeling and experiencing in life, as well as a place to ponder and enjoy the Holy Spirit’s work and presence. It would be a privilege to journey with you and bear witness to the invitations and ways God is revealing His love and care for you. I graduated from the Institute for Spiritual Formation at Talbot Theological Seminary with a M.A. in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care in May 2017. Through the program, I was trained as a spiritual director.
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Email: donna.ostrom@gmail.com
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I received my Spiritual Direction training at Biola University where I graduated with my M.A. in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care in May 2009. During that time I participated in the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises Program (Nineteenth annotation) at the Loyola Institute for Spirituality in Orange, California. Meeting with my own spiritual director has continued to be a valuable place where am encouraged draw closer to the Lord. In that space I experience another pair of eyes to see and ears to hear what the Lord might be doing in ways I would not have otherwise noticed. I feel called to, in turn, provide that kind of space for others where they can experience a deeper awareness of God’s presence and how He is uniquely working in their lives. My training has increased my ability to discern the Holy Spirit’s leading and how He may be drawing a person into a more intimate relationship with God. My direction experiences over the past 10 years has been with people from ages 15 to 60, who are sensing their relationship with the Lord is not where they wish it were and are seeking wisdom and discernment.
In my spare time I love running, biking, golfing, and hiking, all the while looking for God’s presence. I seek Him in creation, and in solitude but also in retreat (both guided and unguided).
In my spare time I love running, biking, golfing, and hiking, all the while looking for God’s presence. I seek Him in creation, and in solitude but also in retreat (both guided and unguided).
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Laura Rhodes |
Being driven to being drawn is how I described my own need for spiritual direction years ago. As part of my desire to share with others what I have learned, I also pursued an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care through Talbot Seminary. Now, as a spiritual director, it is an honor to help others quiet down, listen and grow in awareness of the gentle, loving presence of God. I have journeyed with the broken-hearted and feel at home in grief and tears, knowing that God is near to those who hurt deeply. I also savor times of celebration -being with others as they catch glimpses of God’s goodness, amazing care and deep love. In addition to heart-level conversations, I personally enjoy savoring a good meal with love and laughter of family and friends around the table.
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Stephen TorhausEmail: stephen.torhaus@biola.edu
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I am a Spiritual Director in La Mirada, CA with an M.A. in Spiritual Formation & Soul Care from the Institute for Spiritual Formation at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. I have a great fascination for personality (I am familiar with Myers-Briggs and the Enneagram) as it relates to spirituality and enjoy exploring the inner work of the Holy Spirit as it relates to a person's individuality rather than what the expected "normal" is supposed to look like. I take particular joy in exploring where a person's emotional (heart) experience/theology contrasts with learned (head) theology and working through the tension that is found there.
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Mark Vaughan |
I graduated from the Institute for Spiritual Formation at Biola University in 2013 with an MA in Spiritual Formation and received training as a Spiritual Director. My journey has taken many twists and turns over the years and now my desire is to journey with those who are also following God through life's seasons. In particular, I have experience with and a passion for walking alongside those who are recovering from addictions. I have three grown children and am daily blessed by my wife of over thirty years. I work full-time in another field, so I am taking directees on a limited basis.
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Anne WarnerEmail: anne.warner@biola.edu
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In 2014 I received training in individual and group spiritual direction from the Institute for Spiritual Formation at Talbot Seminary. I love sitting with others as they wonder about God in the big and small details of their lives. It is a gift to be a part of the stories, joys, pains, questions, fears, and hopes individuals experience with God. As a person who has been a part of Christian leadership groups, ministries, mentorships, and a church plant, I understand the temptation to hide from, embellish, misunderstand, completely ignore, and feel guilty about my relationship with God. I believe spiritual direction provides a safe and unhurried space to process these things. I am particularly interested in the experiences of those who have suffered loss, those who experience same-sex attraction, and those who are wrestling with doubt in their relationship with God. I also enjoy offering direction to groups of friends, ministry teams, or leadership groups. Let’s connect and see where God takes us.
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Brent Worthington |
I received a Master of Divinity with an emphasis in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care from Talbot School of Theology in 2016 and have been giving direction since 2014. I am a Staff Director and Supervisor at the Center for Spiritual Renewal as well as an adjunct faculty at Talbot Seminary where I give individual and group direction. I consider it such a gift to be able to sit with others and process their experience of God and his work in their lives. I love direction because it allows others to sit in the reality of their experiences and story and know God's love for them as they are truly seen and heard. My background is in the local church and Christian education. I have been married to my wife for seven years. We have two kids, one daughter and one son.
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Email: keiko1016@gmail.com
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It is one of my deepest passions to see people not just survive in the unique contexts that God has placed them, but to flourish and thrive.
I grew up in a third-culture context while living in multiple countries such as Japan, Canada, the United States, and China. This unique upbringing has trained me to see things outside of the box, and to be sensitive with how our culture can affect us. After obtaining a Bachelor of Music in piano performance, I served as a full-time missionary for nearly 9 years (2 years in the States, 7 years overseas). I also received a formal training as a spiritual director in Talbot seminary, graduating with an MA in Spiritual Formation & Soul Care. I am currently offering spiritual direction to a wide range of people both individually and in groups. (Available languages: English, Japanese, Chinese)
I grew up in a third-culture context while living in multiple countries such as Japan, Canada, the United States, and China. This unique upbringing has trained me to see things outside of the box, and to be sensitive with how our culture can affect us. After obtaining a Bachelor of Music in piano performance, I served as a full-time missionary for nearly 9 years (2 years in the States, 7 years overseas). I also received a formal training as a spiritual director in Talbot seminary, graduating with an MA in Spiritual Formation & Soul Care. I am currently offering spiritual direction to a wide range of people both individually and in groups. (Available languages: English, Japanese, Chinese)