An Introduction to The Living Compass Program
- Listen to Scott talk about Living Compass to the Trinity Episcopal Congregation of Wauwatosa
audio from Scott Stoner
For the past thirty years, I have had the honor of walking with people on their journeys towards healing and wholeness. I have walked with people in my professional life as psychotherapist, pastor and spiritual director, as well as in my personal life as husband, father, son and friend. Most importantly, in all of these relationships, I have walked as a fellow traveller on the life-long journey towards whole-person wellness.
I used to think that my years of training and experience qualified me as some kind of “expert” on helping people seeking wholeness. I thought my role was to listen to their symptoms and then prescribe what changes they needed to make in their lives. This approach certainly helped some people, but I soon realized that there was a better, much simpler way. I learned that when people feel genuinely supported and listened to, they can almost always name for themselves the changes they need to make to bring greater wholeness and wellness to their lives.
Living Compass is based on the belief that each individual knows what she or he needs to do in order to become more whole. It is also based on the belief that we cannot be whole by ourselves; this journey requires the care and support of others. The Living Compass program provides both a structure and a process for the individual and communal dimensions of this journey. This program will help you name what you already know (although you may not be aware that you know it!) and with the support of others, help you to risk taking action steps to make the changes you truly desire.
There is a third entity, a third power in this journey towards wholeness. While there have been many attempts to name this third entity, it is by nature, beyond definition. Some of the more common names are: God, Higher Power, Source, The Eternal, Truth, Elohim, Wisdom, Jesus, Spirit and the Universe. Just as a navigational compass is acted upon by a force outside of itself (magnetic North), the inner compasses of our lives are also acted upon by an ever-present force that calls us to greater wholeness, gently reminding us when our course in life needs correction. On the journey towards wholeness we soon learn that we are not the only ones who are doing the seeking; a power greater than ourselves is seeking us as well.
Soon after I began my work as a psychotherapist I noticed that people often kept returning for sessions long after they had reached the initial goals they had set for themselves. Each of them said they came back not because they had a “problem,” but because they welcomed the opportunity to have authentic conversations about continuing to become more fully alive. I developed the Living Compass Program in large part to meet this need: to provide a place where people can have authentic conversations about continuing to become more fully alive.
Welcome to Living Compass. It is honor to walk with you on your journey towards whole-person wellness.
The Rev. Dr. D. Scott Stoner, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
P.S.: This program belongs to all of us and so I welcome your feedback on how Living Compass works for you and on how it can be improved. Please email me at scott@livingcompass.org