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My path to spiritual direction grew out of many years serving as a pastor and college campus minister, where I walked closely with people through seasons of growth, struggle, and transformation. In those roles, I came face to face with both the beauty and the weight of vocational ministry - the constant giving, the responsibility of leadership, and the quiet truth that if I didn’t tend to my own soul, I would eventually run dry.
I know what it’s like to pour out for others while quietly needing space to listen, rest, and reconnect with God. Spiritual direction became a lifeline for me, and ultimately a calling. As a spiritual director, I offer one-on-one spiritual direction and facilitate group retreats, workshops, and learning experiences. My work is rooted in deep listening, discernment, and creating space for spiritual growth and transformation. |
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I became a certified spiritual director and coach to create spacious, grounded, grace-filled places for people to tend to their inner life, rediscover their connection with God, and thrive from a place of wholeness rather than exhaustion.
I am a certified spiritual director, trained through the NewWay Ministries School of Spiritual Direction, and a certified Enneagram coach. I am also a member of Spiritual Directors Hawaii, Unhurried Living Associates, and Spiritual Directors International. As part of the Spiritual Directors Hawaii community, I facilitate a quarterly gathering for local spiritual directors to connect with one another, share resources, and prayerfully hold space for our collective vision of healthy spirituality throughout Hawaiʻi. Through peer mentoring and meeting with my spiritual director, I continue the lifelong journey of cultivating my spiritual formation.
My background includes a variety of ministry and leadership roles, including serving as a college campus minister and team leader with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Pastor of Vineyard Underground Church in Torrance, California, and Pastor of Spiritual Formation at Bluewater Mission Church in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.
I was born on O'ahu and grew up in upcountry Kula, Maui. I now live in Kapolei, O'ahu with my husband Steve and our four kids, plus a friendly Labrador named Pono.
I co-own Ohana Mortgage Solutions with my husband, and we co-founded a nonprofit called Inoanaiwi with some friends to restore Hawaiian land to Hawaiian people. I am an artist, with experience in performing arts, writing, and visual art, I currently work primarily with watercolors. You can explore my gallery and shop to see some of my work, and from time to time, I also facilitate art workshops, classes, and salons.
You can find me on Instagram @larissalmarks, writing at my Notes From a Spiritual Director Substack, and co-hosting The Serene-ish Podcast.
My background includes a variety of ministry and leadership roles, including serving as a college campus minister and team leader with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Pastor of Vineyard Underground Church in Torrance, California, and Pastor of Spiritual Formation at Bluewater Mission Church in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.
I was born on O'ahu and grew up in upcountry Kula, Maui. I now live in Kapolei, O'ahu with my husband Steve and our four kids, plus a friendly Labrador named Pono.
I co-own Ohana Mortgage Solutions with my husband, and we co-founded a nonprofit called Inoanaiwi with some friends to restore Hawaiian land to Hawaiian people. I am an artist, with experience in performing arts, writing, and visual art, I currently work primarily with watercolors. You can explore my gallery and shop to see some of my work, and from time to time, I also facilitate art workshops, classes, and salons.
You can find me on Instagram @larissalmarks, writing at my Notes From a Spiritual Director Substack, and co-hosting The Serene-ish Podcast.