It’s an important question to ask yourself: do my patients want to talk about their spiritual concerns?
A recent study may help shed light on the topic.
Farr Curlin, MD and his team at the University of Chicago analyzed data from 3,141 hospitalized patients looking to answer these questions.
Patients who had a spiritual conversation with someone (even patients who didn’t want one when they first entered the hospital) scored significantly higher on patient satisfaction than patients who didn’t have such a conversation.
Specifically, satisfaction with the doctors’ care, having confidence and trust in the doctors, excellent teamwork between physicians and nurses, and overall excellent care were all scored higher.
The other interesting finding was that 50% of patients who wanted some spiritual discussion during their stay did not have one.
What this tells me is two things:
- There are patients whose spiritual concerns go unattended
- Even patients who aren’t looking for spiritual guidance seemed to have benefited from spiritual care.
Most likely, there is a similar situation going on outside of the hospital setting.
Spirituality is an important aspect for many people, and knowing how to address it and integrate it into treatment can be a valuable skill.
You can read more about the study in the online Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Have your patients ever expressed a desire to have spirituality incorporated into treatment? What was the outcome? Please leave a comment below.
Highly recommend reading that full study @ the JGIM. Anytime one enters into a conversation regarding their own sense of spirituality (even if they claim not to “be into that kinda thing”) they will feel better IMHO.
I asked my therapist long ago if she would consider using my breathing tack model, her answer was telling. She thought I a waste of time to ask a client o practice mindfulness. She bought he cliens would not even consider working on their own.
Whether spirituality or just working on thoughts, we clients need to be challenged. THe moe resources available the better.
Since we are talking spirituality and whole mind/body why do therapist avoid the body.
Why isn’t a program of aerobic exercise recommended.
pushing the body until. It wants to quit makes thoughts cease for a while. Exerise until thought leaves and your concentration is to move your legs in front of the other. NOw this physical achievement carries the mind along with it to achievement and flushing of cortisol and adrenaline.
Teaching the body I cn move with fear, triggers or trauma present is invaluable for us.
Yes spiritual is great but so is pushing the body past our own limits. I do thank you for bringing spirituality and mindfulness to the forefront.
remember mindfulness can be practice by us anywhere. We can learn to handle thoughts between sessions and have a defense when triggers arrive.
looking forward to it
Hi, I’m really pleased to see you offering this series as I think spirituality is an important aspect of many people’s lives and is really worth attending to in therapy.
Many thanks
Danny
NO – they don’t think it is an option or that it can be incorporated. They sometimes open up when offered. The problem is staffing is continually cut so there is no time to even do basic responsiblities much less try to work on the spirtual or emotional component – that is dealt with by giving pain meds and analgesics.
Great program with the Levine’s last night. For decades they have shed light on how to be spiritual companions to patients at the last stages of life–and their genius for this topic showed last night.
If life is a spiritual journey, then, of course, at end of life we need to assess where we started and where we ended up. More importantly, we need to take care of unfinished business. Forgive ourselves and others. Most people need help in doing this. Our attention so easily veers off into the familiar tracks of judgement of ourselves and others. What a profound work to help others in this arena of taking care of business whether they are 6 or 96 years old. And, of course, forgiveness and mercy is a destressor and will improve the functioning of the immune system.
How can we truly heal without including this kind of inner work?
I think it is central to all healing and therefore include it with everyone I work with.
Hi Ruth,
Many times when I am helping my clients identify resources, I ask if they are using their spiritual connection. I get a lot of “No, but…”, and I see some relief in their faces. The resource is there, just
needed to be brought out. Thanks for your information e-mails, and your caring!
John Arnold
I work for spirit, both with humans and horses. Spirit is my boss. People know when they come to me, we will coax spirit to the surface.
I find horses great spiritual coaches, and really anyone who has connected with an animal has a coach. Gardeners and people connecting to the earth, if they are listening, will hear spirit in themself and the earth.
There are many ways to open this conversation with patients. Find their passion/hobby/interest and dig in!
Ruth: You are to be congratulated for addressing this neglected member of the healthcare trio, (Body-Mind-Spirit). Most healthcare providers, irrespective of their discipline, recognize that addressing the concept of “a higher power” as it relates to a clients wellbeing, is most definitely in the clients best interest.
The ongoing problem for clinicians is the dearth of communication skills to address it from a neutral, spiritual perspective, but not a religious perspective. Since I’m familiar with your lineup of speakers, I’m confident that this program will go a long way in advancing the skills required to address this orphan of healthcare.
All healthcare discipline’s training is too heavy on pathology and too light on communication, e.g NLP. Keep on the task of peeling the healthcare onion… . . . where angels fear to tread.