What I’ve learned about spirituality in healthcare: Part 6

Recognise your own lens

When health professionals talk about spirituality, one idea often emerges: the importance of remaining neutral.

The intention behind this idea is understandable. Clinicians do not want to impose their personal beliefs on patients, particularly when discussing topics as sensitive as spirituality, religion, suffering or meaning.

Yet there is a problem with the idea of neutrality.

Human beings are not neutral.

Every health professional enters clinical practice with a personal history. We each have a culture, family background, set of life experiences, values and assumptions that influence how we understand the world.

One image I find helpful is to imagine that everyone is wearing a pair of glasses.

Most of the time, we are unaware of them. We simply look through them.

But if we could examine those lenses more closely, we might notice all the influences that shape our perspective. Our ethnicity and culture. Our generation. Our experiences of illness, trauma and loss. Our experiences of religion and spirituality. The professional training we have received. The healthcare systems we work within.

These influences affect how we interpret the experiences of others.

For example, two health professionals may hear exactly the same patient story yet respond quite differently. One clinician may recognise a discussion about meaning and identity as deeply important. Another may view the same conversation as outside the scope of healthcare practice. One may be deeply emotional; the other unmoved. Neither response occurs in a vacuum.

Our own worldview influences what we notice when a client shares their perspective, and how we respond.

This is particularly relevant when discussing spirituality.

Patients may raise questions about suffering, hope, purpose, faith or identity. They may describe experiences that resonate with our own lives or challenge our personal beliefs. In these moments, self-awareness becomes critical.

The goal is not to remove our worldview. That is impossible.

The goal is to understand it well enough that it does not silently drive our interactions with patients.

Self-reflection helps us recognise our assumptions, biases, strengths and limitations. It helps us notice when we feel comfortable, uncomfortable, defensive or uncertain. It also helps us approach patients with greater curiosity rather than assuming our perspective is the only valid one.

In this sense, self-reflection is not separate from acknowledging spirituality. It is one of its foundations.

Before we can understand how patients make sense of their experiences, we need some awareness of the lenses through which we are interpreting their stories.

To be neutral is not human.

Perhaps the aim is self-awareness and humility.

“The review’s findings further emphasised the value of self-reflection and exploration of one’s own spirituality.” (p.1101)

Malviya, S., & Greenham, J. (2025). Exploration of Roles and Contribution of Spiritual Care Practitioners in Mental Health: An Australian Study. J Relig Health, 64(2), 1087-1107. doi:10.1007/s10943-024-02214-1

Next up in this series: Creating space

I’m Heather So, and my work centres around making space for spirituality in healthcare conversations. I offer workshops and training for health professionals, talks for people navigating a healthcare journey, and I am the author of The Suffering of a Child, now available for purchase.

Feel free to get in touch with me.