Spiritual direction is like going to the doctor for a physical check-up, but for your soul. It's a wonderful opportunity. Once you see the value of it, it's something to you'll want to receive often.

I'm particularly blessed to have Christine Watkins as my spiritual director. Christine's own remarkable life story and conversion has genuinely prepared her for her ministry. She listens, and is non-judgmental, compassionate, and inspiring. At the same time, she is true to the Catholic faith and gently challenges me when I need it. Every session begins and ends with prayer, and to pray with her is to be in the presence of Christ. I frequently am blessed to receive Christ's insights through her.
--Bob Leathers
Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, San Jose

I've received a lot of healing through spiritual direction which has been, for me, like counseling, but with God present as the Ultimate Counselor. Spiritual direction has helped me deepen and explore my faith in a safe place. I wanted to know who I was to God and who God was to me. I have a lot of questions for God and a lot of doubts, and I've received answers in my sessions with Christine. I've felt comforted and blessed and gained an awareness of God's presence around me. Direction with Christine has been critical to my spiritual journey. It's helped me in huge amounts, and I feel I've begun my healing, which is just wonderful.
--Mary Donovan
St. Anselm's Church, San Anselmo

Before meeting Christine, I had reached a stagnant point on my spiritual journey and was longing for a deeper exploration of Jesus and where He was leading me. After my first two spiritual direction sessions, the path of my journey began to change. With Christine's help, I was able to break through spiritual barriers, explore new methods of prayer, and deepen my intimacy with God.  It has been an amazing, transformative experience ever since. Christine is easy to talk to; and with patient listening, a spirited sense of humor, gentle guidance, and powerful prayers, she literally helped me to change my own life.        
--Sheila Goodman
St. Dominic's Church, San Francisco

Christine is a very gracious and grace-filled spiritual director. In just three sessions, I have come to know Jesus and Mary so much more personally. I've also been healed in areas I didn't even know needed healing. Beautiful things happen in prayer when I'm in session with her--things I have never experienced before. Sometimes I wonder if she has a direct line to God's work desk.
--Michael Huxley
St. Dominic's parishioner, San Francisco

I'd been raised with a firm belief in Catholicism and a strong love of Mary, but it was through my spiritual direction with Christine that I was able to be let Mary guide me into a much deeper relationship with Jesus. It also gave me a venue to look at things in my life in terms of pettiness, versus sin, good versus evil, and it helped me to make better decisions concerning whom I chose to surround myself with, and how I chose to spend my time. These were not temporary lessons that ended with spiritual direction, but things I carry with me to this day.

I noticed that while having spiritual direction, people were drawn to me, or drawn to the security in myself and my faith that spiritual direction gave me. More and more, they wanted to know how they could get a spiritual director because they saw it making a difference in my life.

Christine's professional training as a grief counselor and her experience with healing prayer helped me to learn not to despair. After working with her for over two years, I felt Christine had shepherded me through a personal crisis and nurtured the beginning of my complete return to Catholicism. She provided the tools for me to live my faith fully and trust in God with complete confidence. Pope John Paul II said, "The search for God and the search for oneself are one in the same search," and spiritual direction brought me closer to both.
--Frances Good
St. Emydius Church, San Francisco

I truly believe that the Lord used Christine to reveal His boundless love and mercy to me. It was through spiritual direction with Christine that I first came to understand God as my Father who is always eager not to scold me but to comfort and guide me. I am forever grateful to Christine for helping me to form a deeper, more personal relationship with the Lord.
--Adrienne Segerblom
St. Dominics Parish, San Francisco