Awkward but Essential: Supporting Spirituality in Secular Healthcare
9/03/25
Quick take
When I tell people I research spirituality in healthcare, their reactions range from awkward silence to laughter to genuine curiosity – highlighting how uncomfortable and misunderstood spirituality can be in Australia’s secular healthcare system.
But I’ve learnt that it’s essential, especially during times of crisis. Spirituality is about how we find meaning, purpose, and connection; and it becomes especially important when people face life-altering situations.
When my daughter was diagnosed with a terminal illness, I had deep spiritual questions – like how to prepare her for death – that weren’t well addressed by our healthcare system. We relied on our own resources to navigate that painful journey. I don’t blame the professionals; it’s a difficult, under-resourced area of healthcare. But ignoring spirituality can leave people feeling isolated and unsupported.
Supporting client spirituality doesn’t require you to have it all figured out – it starts with openness, curiosity, and respect. Asking gentle questions, listening without trying to fix, and knowing when to refer to spiritual care experts can make a huge difference. Yes, spirituality can be awkward – but it’s also deeply human.
Taking a deeper look
My favourite thing about researching spirituality is the reactions I get when I tell people about it. The responses are always revealing – an insight into how spirituality is perceived in a secular country like Australia:
“I hope you know that spirituality is more than just religion!”
*awkward silence
“I suppose that needs to be researched?!”
“That’s amazing!”
“So do you look at people’s horoscopes?”
*outburst of laughter
“That’s so important.”
This strange mix of enthusiasm, discomfort, misunderstanding, and curiosity can be summed up in one observation: spirituality is awkward to talk about in Australian healthcare.
And yet, it’s essential.
Why is spirituality so awkward in healthcare?
Australia is a proudly secular society. Our healthcare system reflects that – clinical, evidence-based, and problem-solving focused. Yet, while this has many strengths, it also creates blind spots. One of those blind spots is spirituality.
Spirituality is often misunderstood (So et al., 2023). For some, it may be synonymous with religion, or it may represent western individualism. But for many in healthcare, spirituality aims to represent something very important. It is defined as a person’s sense of meaning and purpose in life, and connection to themselves, the world and the transcendent (Puchalski et al., 2014). It’s also about what sustains people in times of crisis. What helps them make sense of suffering. What gives them strength when everything else feels lost.
And yet, despite its importance, spirituality is often left out of the healthcare conversation. Why?
Because it’s hard to define.
Because it’s seen as taking too much time.
Because it makes people feel uncomfortable.
Because clinicians may worry that they’ll say the wrong thing.
Because it’s seen as “not part of the healthcare role”.
Our experience
Avoiding spirituality in healthcare doesn’t make it go away. It just leaves clients and families left to navigate it alone. When my daughter was diagnosed with a terminal illness, I found myself grappling with questions that had no medical answers. I struggled with questions like –
‘How do I prepare my child for death?’
This was a spiritual question, which needed discussion and resources. And while our healthcare professionals provided us with the best service they could, this side of the terminal experience was not well addressed.
We were left largely alone to gather resources and seek out the discussions needed to help prepare our family for this terrible event. And I don’t blame our health professionals – it’s awkward territory, in an over worked and underfunded system. But the silence was palpable.
The cost of avoiding spirituality
In life-threatening or life-altering situations, a person’s spirituality may become more foregrounded. People search for meaning, wrestle with existential questions, and seek comfort in rituals and hope-giving beliefs. Acknowledging and supporting this process is vital. Spirituality can enable clients to discover a meaningful narrative that helps them make sense of life’s long and often challenging journey (Lasair, 2020).
In the literature, we see that meaning making is a central part of the human experience, especially during healthcare journeys. When clients are supported in their beliefs, values, and sources of strength, they often cope better – not because they are fixed, but because they can better make sense of their healthcare journey (Koenig, 2015; Tringale et al., 2022).
Ignoring spirituality can lead to emotional suppression, isolation, and a sense of being misunderstood. It can also reinforce the pressure to ‘stay strong’ and ignore dynamic conversations around spiritual struggles, distress, and spiritual growth (Pargament & Exline, 2020).
What supporting spirituality can look like
Supporting spirituality as a health professional doesn’t mean you need to be a spiritual guru or be offering platitudes. First and foremost, it means being present. Being curious. Being open to the deeper layers of someone’s healthcare experience.
Here are a few ways healthcare professionals can support spirituality – without needing to be experts:
1. Ask open-ended questions
Instead of “Are you religious?”, try:
“What helps you make sense of what’s been happening?”
This type of open question may invite reflection on sources of strength, without assuming anything. In contexts like Australia, it can open the door gently for further conversation.
2. Listen without fixing
Holistic conversations that make space for spirituality aren’t about solving problems. They’re about witnessing someone’s story. That might mean sitting with uncertainty, sadness, doubt, or even anger at God or the universe. It’s okay not to have answers. To listen, without fixing.
3. Respect diversity
Spirituality looks different for everyone. For some, it’s prayer, meditation or religious rituals. For others, it’s time in nature, music, art, or community. For many, it’s a shifting combination of lots of these things. Our goal as health professionals isn’t to steer someone toward a particular belief – it’s to listen to what matters to them. It’s to help provide access, information and be a sounding board.
4. Know when to refer
You don’t have to know all the answers. Chaplains, spiritual care practitioners, local faith leaders and culturally specific support workers can offer deeper and more specific spiritual guidance. Knowing when and how to refer is part of good healthcare.
Awkward but worth it
Yes, spirituality can be awkward. It’s complex, emotional, and sometimes uncomfortable. But it’s also deeply human. Healthcare professionals who create space for spiritual stories without judgment offer something invaluable to their clients. They offer presence.
In a healthcare system that often prioritises efficiency and clinical outcomes, spirituality invites us to slow down. To connect. To ask,
“Do you need help with any aspect of your healthcare journey?”
That question can change everything.
Let’s continue the conversation
At The Spirit of Care, we help healthcare professionals build confidence in supporting the spiritual and existential needs of clients. Through training, workshops, and resources, we create space for conversations that are often overlooked—but deeply human.
If you’d like to learn more about how this work can support your practice or organisation, please get in touch here.
Frequently asked questions about spirituality in healthcare
Q: What is spirituality in healthcare?
Spirituality in healthcare refers to supporting a person’s search for meaning, purpose, and connection during their health journey. It is not limited to religion—it includes diverse beliefs, practices, and sources of strength.
Q: Why is spirituality important in healthcare?
Spirituality can help patients and families cope with illness, disability, grief, or end-of-life challenges. When supported, it often improves emotional resilience and wellbeing.
Q: Do healthcare professionals need to be experts in spirituality?
No. Supporting spirituality is about listening, showing respect, and knowing when to connect clients with chaplains, spiritual care providers, or cultural leaders.
Q: How can clinicians bring spirituality into practice?
Simple steps—like asking open-ended questions, creating space for reflection, and respecting diverse beliefs—can make a meaningful difference.
References:
Koenig, H. (2015). Religion, spirituality, and health: a review and update. Adv Mind Body Med, 29(3), 19-26. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26026153
Lasair, S. (2020). A narrative approach to spirituality and spiritual care in health care. Journal of Religion and Health, 59(3), 1524-1540. doi:10.1007/s10943-019-00912-9
Pargament, K., & Exline, J. (2020). Religious and spiritual struggles. Science Brief, (1 November, 2020). Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/topics/belief-systems-religion/spiritual-struggles
Puchalski, C., Vitillo, R., Hull, S. K., & Reller, N. (2014). Improving the spiritual dimension of whole person care: Reaching national and international consensus. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 17(6), 642-656. doi:10.1089/jpm.2014.9427
So, H., Mackenzie, L., Chapparo, C., Ranka, J., & McColl, M. A. (2023). Spirituality in Australian health professional practice: A scoping review and qualitative synthesis of findings. Journal of Religion and Health, 62(4), 2297-2322. doi:10.1007/s10943-023-01840-5
Tringale, M., Stephen, G., Boylan, A., & Heneghan, C. (2022). Integrating patient values and preferences in healthcare: a systematic review of qualitative evidence. BMJ Open, 12(11), e067268. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067268
