How does spiritual direction, companionship, and counseling help me in spiritual formation? How do they differ from one another?

Spiritual Direction is a formal relationship aimed at helping us grow and mature in Christ. It usually involves a trained spiritual director. On the other hand, spiritual companionship is informal even though it also aims to help us grow and mature in Christ. The difference is that a spiritual companion may be just your friend and not technically a spiritual director. Both, however, differ from counseling, therapy, or coaching in that it’s not focused on diagnosing pathologies, fixing problems, or prescribing solutions or treatment. It’s also not primarily about telling or directing the other person what to do.