
John McManus Spiritual Direction
Attending to what is, before the Divine

Attending to what is, before the Divine

I am a spiritual director for people in 12-Step recovery seeking deeper connection with the Divine. Whether you call it God, Higher Power, or simply the Sacred, I walk alongside you as you discover your own authentic path—one that honors your experience and draws from the wisdom of multiple traditions. Through Ignatian practice, Eastern contemplative ways, and the spiritual principles of 12-Step recovery, we create space where transformation can unfold without force or agenda.
This work is grounded in patient, loving attention to where grace is already moving in your life—whatever language you use, wherever you've come from. You don't need to fit into any prescribed tradition. The invitation is simply to explore the depths calling you, trusting that the Divine meets each of us exactly where we are.

When I was a young boy, I would lie in bed with a sense that everything was connected to something beyond itself—what I'd now call contemplative awareness, though I had no language for it then.
At school in the 1970s I was taught about a God that felt punitive and distant, and a Church that, as Richard Rohr writes, had "developed an unworkable and toxic image of God that a healthy person would never trust." This God and Church were nothing like my childhood sense of the One Reality underlying everything. I spent my twenties searching through other traditions and finally stumbled into Hindu mysticism. I regularly traveled between Australia—where I was climbing corporate ladders—and Ramana Maharshi's ashram in South India, studying Self-realization and sitting in meditation.
Yet I was also an addict. Meditation with Ramana helped, but it wasn't enough to sustain me when I returned to Australia to a life dominated by Descartes' dictum "I think therefore I am." I felt trapped between the Western world's primacy of the mind and the East's devotion to the heart.
I attended my first 12-Step meeting in 1992 and have since been to over 3,000 meetings. I know what it's like to sit in a church basement being told to surrender to God and not have a clue what that really means. I know the resistance. And in a Western world driven by property, prestige and power, I genuinely didn't know how to surrender. Many people in 12-Step recovery are like this—they want something deeper, but they're done with religious baggage, done with a God who feels masculine, vengeful and impossible to please.
My return to Christianity came through an offhand comment from my psychotherapist at the time. After one session where I was talking about Self-realization in the Eastern tradition, they said, "You know there are Christian mystics coming from the same place as Ramana." That stopped me cold. My therapist suggested I read the desert fathers of the early second century and the great mystics in the Catholic tradition. I discovered the 16th century Ignatius of Loyola and realized he understood something the 12-Step founders knew but couldn't quite articulate: that transformation happens through paying attention to what's actually going on inside you, that God speaks in the movements of your own heart rather than grand pronouncements.
I completed a Master's in Spiritual Direction because I needed to understand how change actually works. Now I work with addicts in 12-Step recovery, most of them sceptical of Christianity, uncomfortable with God-language, but hungry for something real. My work is helping them discover where the Divine is already moving in their lives—whether they call it Higher Power, God, or nothing at all. Grace is already there. The work is learning to notice it, test it honestly, and follow where it leads, without the religious wounds, without having to adopt beliefs that don't fit.

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL DIRECTION?
You know God's there. You've felt it—maybe years ago, maybe yesterday. But you're not sure how to stay with it, how to notice it in the middle of everything else. That's what I help with.
Why "Direction"?
The word can sound controlling, like I'm going to tell you how to pray or what God wants from you. That's not it. The real director is the Spirit. I'm directing your attention—helping you notice where grace is already moving and where it's harder to see.
It's more than listening. A good friend listens. I listen and I point: "When you think of Higher Power or God, what picture comes to mind?" or "That sounds like the Spirit—can we stay with that for a moment?"
The word "direction" means I point. God leads.
What We Actually Do
We meet monthly for about an hour, or more often if that's what the work requires. You tell me what's going on—in your prayer, in your life, wherever God seems present or absent. I listen and ask questions:
Sometimes we sit in silence. Sometimes I gently challenge you. Sometimes I just help you trust what you're already experiencing. The work is learning to notice. God's been speaking all along. Most of us just haven't been trained to pay attention.
What This Isn't
This isn't confession—we're not focused on sin. It's not therapy—I'm not equipped for deep psychological work. It's not problem-solving or advice-giving.
If you bring up anger at someone, a therapist explores the psychological roots. A pastoral counsellor helps you solve the conflict. I might ask: "What stirred when you bought this to prayer?" or "This anger—what's it protecting or revealing?" The focus is always the same: your relationship with the Divine.
Who This Is For
Anyone seeking a deeper connection with God. You don't need perfect prayer habits or to be especially holy. You just need to want something real. People usually come because:
Whether you're in 12-Step recovery, new to contemplative practice, or simply looking for someone to walk alongside you—this is that space.
How We Start
Free one-hour meeting. No commitment, no charge. Just a conversation to see if this makes sense for where you are. If it fits, we meet on a regular basis. Some people stay for a few months, others for years. It depends on what you need.
You don't need to prepare anything. Just show up and we'll begin.
Contact me and we'll set it up.

Sessions are typically 60 minutes and we meet monthly, though we can adjust frequency to what serves your journey. I offer both in-person sessions (Canberra/Sydney areas) and online sessions via Zoom.
The first session is free—a chance for us to meet, explore what you're looking for, and see if we're a good fit for this work together.
Ongoing sessions are $80-120 on a sliding scale—choose what's sustainable for you within this range. If you're outside this range due to circumstances, let's talk. If cost is a concern, please still contact me. We will work something out.
Curious but not sure?
We can have a conversation—no charge, no commitment—to assess if this makes sense for where you are.
I work with people locally in Sydney and internationally via video call. Or use the form below and I'll respond within 48 hours.
WhatsApp: +61 419325542 Email: john@johnmcmanus.direct

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