Growing in the Spiritual Side of Care: Self-Reflection and Experience

Quick take

Supporting the spiritual side of care isn’t just about what we do – it’s about who we are. In our research with Australian occupational therapists, many shared how personal struggles like grief or burnout had helped them become more compassionate and understanding with their clients.

Years of clinical experience also played a big role. Time was a factor in helping to build therapists’ confidence to engage in holistic conversations with clients.

But it’s not always easy – many reported feeling unsure or vulnerable when talking about spirituality with clients, especially in secular settings.

That’s why we need safe spaces for self-reflection, and support from our workplaces to discuss how to be professional within this space. Growing in this area takes time, courage, and care – but it can deeply enrich how we support our clients.

Spirituality as unfamiliar terrain

We often hear about holistic care – supporting the whole person, not just their physical function. Yet when it comes to spirituality, therapists may find themselves navigating unfamiliar terrain. Unlike physical domains, spirituality is deeply personal and less predictable in how it presents in clinical settings. A client’s spirituality may be shaped by a wide range of influences, including culture, family beliefs, and life experiences.

So how do we prepare ourselves for this deeply personal aspect of healthcare?

In our recent interview study exploring how Australian occupational therapists understand spirituality in practice (So et al., 2025), many participants reflected on this theme: that growing in the ability to support a client’s spirituality isn’t just about implementing training or frameworks. It’s also about who therapists are – their capacity for self-reflection and the wisdom gained through lived experience. To hear more from their stories, the participant quotes shared in this blog are drawn from that study.

Self-reflection builds compassion

Many therapists spoke about how personal experiences – especially those involving grief, burnout, or hardship – deepened their understanding of client spirituality. These personal moments prompted self-reflection, empathy, and a greater sensitivity to the spiritual dimensions of their clients’ lives.

One therapist noted that when you’ve “encountered some hardship or struggle… it makes [you] more compassionate and aware of the difficulties in other people’s lives.” (P19, Palliative Care and Oncology, p.7)

This kind of self-reflection may not be easy. It requires us to sit with discomfort, to examine our own beliefs, our blind spots, and to acknowledge the emotional weight of our work. But it’s also transformative. It helps us show up – not just as professionals, but as fellow humans. Some therapists who had reflected on their own spiritual journeys described how that process helped them feel more aware of the diverse ways clients expressed meaning, purpose, and connection in their lives.

Self-reflection was also reported to help some therapists navigate ambiguity. Rather than needing clear-cut answers, they became more comfortable with uncertainty, and more willing to simply be present with clients in their story. That’s why training in spirituality often includes self-reflection on a health professionals own life experience (Chahrour et al., 2021).

Clinical experience builds confidence

Clinical experience was reported as another factor in therapists’ ability to engage with client spirituality. Many reported that more years in healthcare practice had helped them to feel better equipped to recognise spiritual themes, ask meaningful questions, and respond with more confidence.

One senior clinician shared, “now… I have… the courage and the competence to justify why I’m working in that [spiritual] area.” (P21, Acute and Emergency, p.7)

Experienced therapists described a nuanced understanding of how client spirituality manifests – sometimes through words, sometimes through silence, and often through what clients chose to value in their lives. They spoke of listening for subtle cues, observing body language, and recognising when a client’s story hinted at something deeper.

This confidence didn’t come overnight. It grew slowly, shaped by repeated exposure to complex situations, reflective practice, and learning from experience. Over time, many therapists reported developing a flexible, listening-based approach – a capacity to engage with clients’ beliefs without needing to have all the answers.

Discomfort and vulnerability: Barriers we can’t ignore

Despite their insights, many therapists admitted to feeling uncomfortable discussing spirituality – especially in what they felt to be culturally closed or secular environments. Some worried about saying the wrong thing. Others felt unsupported by their workplace or unsure about professional boundaries.

One therapist confessed, “we’re scared to talk about it… it can be seen as an uncomfortable conversation” (P3, Paediatrics, p.7).

Another added, “What if I open up this can of worms, then what am I gonna do?” (P8, Acute and Emergency, p.7)

These fears are real. And they highlight the need for safe spaces – within healthcare teams, during supervision, and in training. Spaces where therapists can reflect on their own beliefs and responses. We also need ongoing conversations about the limits of our health professional roles, and when to refer to spiritual experts. Without this professional support, it is more difficult for health professionals to facilitate meaningful conversations with clients outside the realm of physical care.

Therapists also reflected on the vulnerability involved in addressing client spirituality. Unlike clinical tasks, spiritual conversations often delve into raw emotions, existential concerns, and deeply held beliefs. Engaging in this space calls for courage, humility, and a clear understanding of our professional scope of practice.

If we want to support clients spiritually, we must first support ourselves and our colleagues. This involves:

• Creating space for self-reflection through training, supervision, and ongoing professional development.
• Acknowledging the challenges of spiritual conversations and providing workplace support to help navigate these ethically and sensitively.
• Valuing the impact of lived experience by encouraging therapists to reflect on their own life journeys and consider how these may shape their approach to practice.

Addressing client spirituality isn’t solved by implementing a checklist. It’s a slow-growing skill, involving self-reflection and the accumulation of clinical experience (Mangione & Plante, 2024). It needs time and patience. It also needs a work culture that values giving appropriate space and resources for relational connection.

Importantly, health professionals need permission – not just from their organisations, but from themselves – to acknowledge their whole selves in practice. They need tools to bring this self-reflection into realisation. This includes developing self-awareness about how their own spiritual beliefs and experiences impact on their interactions with clients (Collins, 2007). This can enrich their capacity to support others (Barry & Gibbens, 2011; Scott Wengerd, 2022).

Spirituality in healthcare: Final thoughts

Addressing spirituality in care is a process that unfolds gradually. It takes time to learn how to hold space for a client’s stories, whilst being self-aware about your own story. This ability is often supported by having walked through and contemplated something deeply painful ourselves;

“She knew the sanctity of this pain, most sacred of things.

And she knew not to shatter it with mindless platitudes.”

(Van Ryn, 2023, p. 104)

As health professionals, we are uniquely positioned to engage in this work. We witness the challenges our clients face and the profound value of connection. So, to truly integrate spirituality into our practice, we must learn to reflect on spirituality in our own lives.

Let’s continue the conversation

At The Spirit of Care, we help healthcare professionals and educators explore spirituality with confidence, compassion, and sensitivity.

Learn more about our workshops and resources, or get in touch today.

References:

Barry, E., & Gibbens, R. (2011). Spirituality in practice: Using personal reflection to prepare occupational therapy students. The British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(4), 176-180. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.4276/030802211X13021048723219

Chahrour, W., Hvidt, N., Hvidt, E., & Viftrup, D. (2021). Learning to care for the spirit of dying patients: the impact of spiritual care training in a hospice-setting. BMC Palliative Care, 20(1), 115. doi:10.1186/s12904-021-00804-4

Collins, M. (2007). Spirituality and the shadow: Reflection and the therapeutic use of self. The British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 70(2), 88-90. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/030802260707000208

Mangione, L., & Plante, T. (2024). Spirituality in clinical practice: Integrating who we are with what we do. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 11(1), 1-6. doi:10.1037/scp0000363

Scott Wengerd, D. (2022). Bringing hope: Incorporating spirituality in occupational therapy practice. Perspectives. Retrieved from aota.org/publications/ot-practice/ot-practice-issues/2022/spirituality-in-ot-practice

So, H., Mackenzie, L., Chapparo, C., Ranka, J., & McColl, M. A. (2025). Addressing client spirituality in occupational therapy practice: A qualitative study. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 72(3), e70034. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/1440-1630.70034

Van Ryn, C. (2023). The Secrets of the huon wren. U.K.: Penguin.

FAQs

Why is self-reflection important in spiritual care?
Self-reflection helps health professionals build compassion, recognise their own biases, and better support clients’ unique sources of meaning and purpose.

How does clinical experience shape confidence in addressing spirituality?
With time and repeated exposure, professionals become more comfortable recognising spiritual themes, asking open questions, and responding with sensitivity.

What are the biggest barriers to addressing spirituality in healthcare?
Many professionals feel uncomfortable, fear saying the wrong thing, or lack workplace support. This highlights the need for safe spaces and training.

How can workplaces support professionals in this area?
By providing reflective spaces, supervision, and professional development that acknowledges the vulnerability of spiritual conversations.