Canadian occupational therapists have placed spirituality as the central core of their theoretical Model, depicting inner and outer selves that contradict simultaneous declarations concerning the integration of mind/body/spirit. Even the word spirituality has discrepant meanings and failure to articulate one chosen meaning leads to ambiguity. This paper argues that occupational therapists must agree upon a single definition of spirituality that is congruent with our professional mandate and philosophical perspective; and that prevention of misunderstandings between and amongst clients and other health care professionals demands recourse to our own terminology. It is proposed that intrinsicality be employed to articulate the personal philosophy of meaning with which we interpret our lives. Influenced by environmental context and in homeostatic relationship with the body and mind, intrinsicality constitutes the essence of the self and informs occupational choices based upon personal values and priorities. Acknowledgement of intrinsicality respects the uniqueness of individuals' meanings.
BarnittR.MayersC. (1993). Can occupational therapists be both humanists and Christians? A study of two conflicting frames of reference. British Journal of Occupational Therapy56, 84–88.
2.
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (1991). Occupational therapy guidelines for client-centred practice. Toronto, On: CAOT Publications ACE.
3.
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (1993). Occupational therapy guidelines for client-centred mental health practice. Toronto, On: CAOT Publications ACE.
4.
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (1997). Enabling occupation. An occupational therapy perspective. Ottawa, On: CAOT Publications ACE.
5.
ChapmanL. S. (1986). Spiritual health: A component missing from health promotion. American Journal of Health Promotion, Summer, 38–41.
6.
ChristiansenC.BaumC. (1997). Occupational therapy: Enhancing human performance. Thorofare, NJ: Slack.
7.
ColeridgeP. (1993). Disability, liberation and development. Oxford, UK: Oxfam.
8.
Department of National Health and Welfare, & Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (1983). Guidelines for the client-centred practice of occupational therapy. Ottawa, On: Department of National Health and Welfare.
9.
Department of National Health and Welfare, & Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (1986). Intervention guidelines for the client-centred practice of occupational therapy. Ottawa, On: Department of National Health and Welfare.
10.
EganM.DeLaatM. (1997). The implicit spirituality of occupational therapy practice. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy. 64, 115–121.
11.
FougeyrollasP. (1998). Consequences for occupation, In McCollM.A.BickenbachJ.E. (Eds.). Introduction to disability. (pp.145–150), London, UK: WB Saunders.
12.
HammellK. W. (1998a). From the neck up: Quality in life following high spinal cord injury. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
13.
HammellK. W. (1998b). Client-centred occupational therapy: Collaborative planning, accountable intervention. In LawM. (Ed.). Client-centered occupational therapy (pp.123–143), Thorofare, NJ: Slack.
14.
HonderichT. (1995). The Oxford Companion to Philosophy. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
15.
HumeC. (1999). Spirituality: A part of total care?British Journal of Occupational Therapy62, 367–370.
16.
HockenberryJ. (1995). Moving violations. New York: Hyperion.
17.
HostetlerJ. A.HuntingdonG. E. (1980). The Hutterites in North America. Fort Worth, TX: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
18.
KaufmanD. R. (1992). Patriarchal women: A case study of newly orthodox Jewish women. In ClarkC.RobboyH. (Eds.). Social interaction. (4th ed.). (pp.555–573), New York: St Martin's Press.
19.
KöglerH-H. (1995). The life world. In HonderichT. (Ed.). The Oxford Companion to Philosophy. (pp 488–489), Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
20.
LavineT. Z. (1984). From Socrates to Sartre: The philosophic quest. New York: Bantam.
21.
MayersC. (2000). [Book review of Spirituality in enabling occupation: A learner-centred workbook]. British Journal of Occupational Therapy63, 507–508.
McCollM. A. (2000) Muriel Driver Memorial Lecture: Spirit, occupation and disability. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy. 67, 217–228.
24.
McCollM. A.BickenbachJ.JohnstonJ.NishihamaS.SchumakerM.SmithK.SmithM.YeallandB. (2000). Changes in spiritual beliefs after traumatic disability. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 81, 817–823.
25.
Plato. (1993). Phaedo [Tr. GallopD.] Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
26.
RileyB. B.PernaR.TateD. G.ForchheimerM.AndersonC.LueraG. (1998). Types of spiritual well-being among persons with chronic illness: Their relation to various forms of quality of life. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 79, 258–264.
27.
SeredS. S. (1997) Arbiters of female purity. Conversations with Israeli ritual bath attendants, In LieblichA.JosselsonR. (Eds.). The narrative study of livesVol. 5. (pp.40–58), Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
28.
TownsendE. (1997). Inclusiveness: A community dimension of spirituality. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy. 64, 146–155.
29.
TownsendE.DeLaatD.EganM.ThibaultR.WrightW. (1999). Spirituality in enabling occupation. A learner-centred workbook. Ottawa, On: CAOT Publications ACE.
30.
TrieschmannR. B. (1988). Spinal cord injuries- Psychological, social and vocational rehabilitation, (2nd ed.) New York: Demos.
31.
TrieschmannR. (2000). Psychoneuroimmunology and spirituality: Implications for SCI rehabilitation. (abstract) SCI Psychosocial Process13, 73.
32.
UdellL.ChandlerC. (2000). The role of the occupational therapist in addressing the spiritual needs of clients. British Journal of Occupational Therapy. 63, 489–494.
33.
Underwood-GordonL.PetersD. J.BijurP.FuhrerM. (1997). Roles of religiousness and spirituality in medical rehabilitation and the lives of persons with disabilities. American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 76, 255–257.
34.
UnruhA. M.SmithN.ScammellC. (2000). The occupation of gardening in life-threatening illness: A qualitative pilot project. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy. 67, 70–77.
35.
UrbanowskiR.VargoJ. (1994). Spirituality, daily practice, and the occupational performance model. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy. 61, 88–94.
36.
WilcockA. A. (1993). Editorial. Occupational Science, 1, 1–2.
37.
WilliamsG. H. (1987). Disablement and the social context of daily activity. International Disability Studies. 9, 97–102.
38.
YerxaE.J.ClarkF.FrankG.JacksonJ.ParhamD.PierceD.SteinC.ZemkeR. (1989). An introduction to occupational science: A foundation for occupational therapy in the 21st century. Occupational Therapy in Health Care. 6, 1–17.
