To Make Room or Not to Make Room: Clients’ Narratives About Exclusion and Inclusion of Spirituality in Family Therapy Practice

Holmberg, Åse; Jensen, Per Anker; Ulland, Dagfinn

doi:10.1002/anzf.1198

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Spirituality can be understood as a fundamental dimension of life and is expressed when interacting with others (Rykkje 2016). Spirituality can be expressed in various ways, some within a religious tradition and many within a secular context (Holmberg et al 2017). However, understanding the concept of spirituality can be a challenge because spirituality is understood to be private, and the connection spirituality has to religion may, for some, fit poorly in a secularized country like Norway (Kleiven et al 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Spiritual Care—Perspectives from Healthcare Professionals in a Norwegian Nursing Home

2022

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Nursing home professionals have reported that spiritual care is an unclear concept, and research suggests that healthcare professionals have a limited understanding of this dimension of care. The provision of spiritual care is well-investigated internationally, but research is sparse within Norway’s secularized society. This study investigated healthcare professionals’ understanding of spiritual care in one nursing home. Methods: Data were collected from individual interviews (N = 8) and one focus group (N = 5) of nursing home personnel; the study used qualitative content analysis and a hermeneutic methodology. Results: One central question emerged during the data analysis: what is spiritual care versus good care? This starting point resulted in four themes (1) caring for the whole person, (2) having a personal touch, (3) seeing the person behind the diagnosis, and (4) more than religiousness. Some healthcare professionals had not heard of spiritual care, and many were not aware of this in their daily work with older patients. Nevertheless, they facilitated and cared for the patient’s spiritual needs, but they did not address it as spiritual care. Other participants were familiar with the concept and understood spiritual care as an essential part of daily care. Conclusion: healthcare professionals’ understanding of spiritual care is broad and varied, including practical and non-verbal aspects. The results indicated a need for an open dialogue about spiritual needs and resources in clinical practice and the teaching of personnel about how to facilitate older people’s spirituality. Moreover, there is a need for more research into spiritual care and how it differs from the concept of good fundamental care.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Spiritual Care—Perspectives from Healthcare Professionals in a Norwegian Nursing Home

2022

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“…Although multiculturalism has become an acknowledged key value in psychology, practitioners, instructors, and researchers seem to be a bit hesitant, particularly in regard to religious diversity (Plante, 2014). This also seems to occur in Norway, where both patients and practitioners report a lack of confidence in appropriately addressing existential and spiritual questions in psychotherapy (Holmberg et al, 2017;Ulland & DeMarinis, 2014). In a nationwide survey, Reme et al (2009) showed that students' expectations of learning about religion were far from being met in university teaching.…”

Section: Religiosity Gap and University Trainingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This trend has been slightly slower in Europe, but it has become noticeable. Recent studies conducted in Norway and Germany (Holmberg et al, 2017;Utsch et al, 2014) demonstrate the importance of integrating the spiritual dimension into therapy and counselling for patients, and the necessity for more study is regularly emphasised.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Religious Sensitivity at Secular Universities – A Cross-Sectional Replication Study among Norwegian Psychology Students

Mandelkow¹,

Rème²

2022

NJRS

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“…What would help to expand the interest and curiosity in clients’ spiritual perspectives in the family therapy field? This article presents a middle range theory2 called ‘the map of spiritual literacy’, based on a constructivist grounded theory study in systemic family therapy practice (Holmberg, Jensen & Ulland, 2017; Holmberg, 2018). The overarching aim of this study was to explore what spirituality means for family therapy practice in Norway, both from the therapist’s and client’s perspectives.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1 1 Australian & New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy , 2017, volume 38, special issue: ‘Family therapy and spirituality’. …”

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confidence: 99%

Spirituality – a forgotten dimension? Developing spiritual literacy in family therapy practice

Holmberg

Jensen

Vetere

2020

Journal of Family Therapy

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Spirituality is hard to approach and define in family therapy practice, both as a concept and as a process. Spiritual perspectives are seen as important in an ecological understanding of family life, yet there is a research gap in the field of family therapy. The research reported here set out to explore the experience of spirituality from the perspective of family members and family therapists in therapeutic practice in Norway. Using a grounded theory methodology, we developed a middle range theory of spiritual literacy for family therapy practice. Although we offer no solutions to the dilemmas and hesitations experienced around the possible silencing of spiritual matters in family therapy, we make some recommendations for training and supervision practices. Practitioner points Spiritual experiences can be difficult to approach and define in family therapy Lack of recognition of spirituality in training and in practice seems to make therapists hesitant Encourage training programmes to open discussions about spirituality Be open to spiritual issues in supervisor training and practice

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To Make Room or Not to Make Room: Clients’ Narratives About Exclusion and Inclusion of Spirituality in Family Therapy Practice

Cited by 13 publications

References 49 publications

Understanding Spiritual Care—Perspectives from Healthcare Professionals in a Norwegian Nursing Home

Understanding Spiritual Care—Perspectives from Healthcare Professionals in a Norwegian Nursing Home

Religious Sensitivity at Secular Universities – A Cross-Sectional Replication Study among Norwegian Psychology Students

Spirituality – a forgotten dimension? Developing spiritual literacy in family therapy practice

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