“Conversation is the most delightful activity in our lives,” Michel Montaigne once said.

I wholeheartedly agree. I’ve devoted most of my life to learning how to cultivate connectedness with one another through the study of communication, family systems, and spirituality.

I have taught at several schools including the University of Minnesota, the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University and St. Catherine University.

I’ve authored three books: Conversation—the Sacred Art, Deepening Engagement, and Re-Creating a Life, as well as numerous articles (you will find some of my favorites featured on the Resources page).

I currently devote my days to spiritual care and accompaniment, the training of spiritual directors, along with designing and facilitating retreats for groups in a wide array of sectors.

I share my life with Mark, our son Ryan, and our son-in-law Jaime. Mark and I live in Minneapolis and are active participants in Our Lady of Lourdes faith community. 

I draw my life’s aspiration from John O’Donohue’s poem “Fluent”:

I would love to live

Like a river flows

Carried by the surprise

Of its own unfolding.

My hope for all those I meet with in spiritual direction, and on retreats I facilitate, is that together we will experience some sacred surprises unfolding.

Connectedness, Input, Intellection, Learner, and Strategic are the strengths I bring to the communities I work with, including . . .

• Accredited Financial

• Ascension Health

• Association of Benedictine Colleges and Universities

• Aquinas Institute of Theology

• Benedictine Center, Saint Paul's Monastery

• Benedictine Health System

• Benedictine Institute, Saint John’s University

• Benet House Retreat Center

• Boston College

• Boundless Compassion

• Carthage College

• Catholic Theological Union

• Center for Courage and Renewal

• Center for Spirituality and Enrichment

• Century College

• Charis Ministries

• College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University

• Collegeville Institute

• Collegium, A Colloquy on Faith and Intellectual Life

• Contemplative Outreach

• Co-Op Survival for Caregivers of Wounded Veterans

• DKM&O Attorneys

• Drexel University

• Duke University

• Episcopal Church of Minnesota

• Episcopal Church Women

• Essentia Health

• Family Matters

• Fetzer Institute

• Franciscan Renewal Center

• Franciscan Spirituality Center

• Fund for Theological Education

• General Mills

• Grinnell College

• Gustavus Adolphus College

• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

• House of Prayer

• Institute for Christian Spirituality, Seton Hall University

• Jesuit School of Theology, Santa Clara University

• Lilly Endowment, Inc.

• Louisville Institute

• Luther College

• Macalester College

• McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University

• Mercy Health

• Minnesota Council of Churches

• National Association of Catholic Chaplains

• North Central Prairie Chaplains

• Saint Catherine University

• Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality

• Saint Paul Interfaith Network

• Saint Scholastica Monastery

• Siena Retreat Center

• Souljourners Spiritual Direction Program

• FSC Spiritual Direction Preparation Program

• Spiritual Director's International

• Tatamagouchee Retreat Centre

• Transformations Spirituality Center

• United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities

• Washington Theological Union

• Wisdom Ways Spirituality Center

• And several congregations . . . .

  ***

I have been blessed to work now with Diane several times and she is an excellent presenter and an excellent person to work with. Diane invites people to go deep in a retreat setting and she is incredibly gifted at that.  I loved how she invited people to speak from the heart, and people did speak from the heart with great vulnerability.  It is hard to get people to do that.  In a very short time, Diane’s personal presence communicated the message that it would be safe to do that.  People sensed that she could be trusted if they opened their heart.  This is a rare and amazing gift. Her teaching is not done through lecture.  Instead, she invites people to share what they noticed.  Like a conductor leading an orchestra, individual members of the group shared their insights, awareness and questions.  Diane weaves all these diverse voices into the lesson allowing the wisdom to emerge from the group.  But make no mistake, it takes a conductor to bring that music out.  Once again, Diane has a rare gift.  This is the difference between leading a retreat and simply being a workshop presenter.  I am inspired by Diane’s example.  And I hope my future retreats will be enhanced by her example. 

—Steve Spilde, Associate Director, Franciscan Spirituality Center

On behalf of the North Central Prairie Chaplains, I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your wisdom and the wonderful life-giving story-telling skills you shared with us at our conference. What made your presentation so powerful is that you do not ask us to do anything you have not done yourself, and in your model, we can truly see the path and how it works. You took the time to understand who we are, we felt known and understood, which made you all the more effective as a Teacher (with a capital "T"). So much valuable information was packed into the short time we had with you, there is no doubt that we could benefit from more time spent with you! Thank you again for your wisdom, and "quality of presence" -- deeply present, listening to our needs as a group, it was all just so well done by you and resulted in quite an experience and gift to our colleagues who were able to join us.

—Nicole Reuter, Spiritual Care Coordinator, Essentia Health

This morning's class was wonderful. Thanks so much for the time and care you put into it. Before and during our afternoon practicum students were commenting on how your presentation had jump started their imaginations in all kinds of ways with respect to their respective ministries. Many are looking forward to reading your book. When this unit of the program is run next, I will definitely be in touch.

—Colleen M. Griffith, School of Theology and Ministry, Boston College

I wanted to reach out and let you know that today I received some wonderful feedback about your workshop at Fetzer. The CPE supervisor at our local hospital had a group of chaplain students attend the weekend retreat. The group leader mentioned to the supervisor earlier this week that the tools they learned from you “saved our group.” The supervisor went on to share with me that they us what you taught them “practically every day.” During the difficult year that has gone by since you were here with us in Kalamazoo, the skills you taught had a very lasting effect on the chaplains’ work. Thank you for making a difference.

—Michelle Scheidt, Senior Program Officer, Fetzer Institute

Diane’s keynote presentation for our conference was superb. I knew it would be good but it was outstanding. Diane is a marvelous teacher who skillfully wove in elements of our Boundless Compassion program, widening and deepening those components. I continue to hear many positive comments from our participants.

—Joyce Rupp, Author and Founder of Boundless Compassion

Click here to contact me to schedule a workshop, retreat, or conference presentation for your community.