TONGUA WILLIAMS
Tongua, founder of Soul Care Sanctuary, serves as a trauma-informed spiritual director and Ignatian retreat facilitator in Little Rock, Arkansas. Soul Care Sanctuary was born out of Tongua's personal experience as a church ministry leader searching for rest and deepening intimacy with God. Inspired by monasteries of the historical church, her prayer is that ALL would experience this space as a safe place to rest, be, and experience the Sacred. Tongua and Soul Care Sanctuary are committed to reverence for dignity, equality, rights, and gifts of all people.
“Life is this simple: we are living in a world that is absolutely transparent and the divine is shining through it all the time.”
Thomas Merton
Meeting monthly with her spiritual director and supervisor helps Tongua to be rooted spiritually and to be aware of and address any areas of potential unfreedom, personal blocks which might prevent effective ministry. Tongua practices regular rhythms of daily prayer, quarterly silent retreat, and an annual extended silent retreat with daily spiritual direction.
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Tongua’s journey includes experience as a church ministry leader (10 years), therapeutic parent, mentor to young moms, public school educator, preschool special needs educator, homeschool educator, International host family, therapy dog handler, and hospice volunteer. Tongua is married to Grey, her high school sweetheart, and they are the parents of four adult children, two of whom were adopted from foster care. Tongua enjoys hiking, birding, yoga, and spending time with her family and rescue dogs.
ABOUT
In 2022 Tongua received a certificate in Ignatian spiritual direction through a five year formation program offered by St. Scholastica Benedictine monastery in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. She is a trained facilitator of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and has completed trauma-informed and polyvagal training for spiritual directors. For a list of trainings Tongua has completed click here:
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With a BA in education, Tongua is a life-long learner with special interests in trauma recovery, relational neuroscience, contemplative practices, christian spirituality, expressive arts, attachment, embodiment, and nature.
Tongua participates in ongoing continuing education for spiritual directors, including training in supervision, attachment, trauma, and Ignatian spirituality, and is a member of Spiritual Directors International https://www.sdiworld.org/. She is adoption-sensitive and adheres to this code of ethics for spiritual directors in the link below:
EDUCATION