Witnessing Spirituality in Practice

Abstract

In the midst of continuing debates about the role of spirituality in occupational therapy, this research asked how descriptions of the daily work of occupational therapists and pastoral care professionals indicate attention to spiritual concerns in similar and distinctive ways.

Qualitative interview data revealed therapist commitment to holistic practice, accompanied by a deep respect for client values, desires and dreams, the individual meanings of occupations and the importance of relationships to effective therapy. All of these aspects of practice have been identified in the literature as relating to spirituality.

The pastoral care professionals indicated similar understandings of the importance of holism, the centrality of meaning and the significance of relationships, but also suggested noteworthy differences. While the therapists appeared to focus on identifying meaning, the pastoral care professionals concentrated on the search for or creation of meaning; and while the therapists drew on relationship as a tool for effective therapy, the pastoral care professionals viewed relationship as a site for healing work. Pastoral care also extended the understanding of interrelatedness to include a community dimension.

The findings suggest important distinctions between two professions that both situate spirituality at the centre of their practice. These distinctions may prove useful for clarifying the scope of occupational therapy practice in this domain.