Spirituality in Occupational Therapy Practice According to New Graduates

Abstract

Occupational therapy practitioners consider spirituality to be significant in affecting the process and outcome of occupational therapy; however, many therapists voice confusion and concern about its application within their practice. This study aimed to describe the personal definition of spirituality of young occupational therapy practitioners and their perspectives on its application to their practice. Thirty-five young occupational therapists, engaged in a postprofessional master’s degree, were interviewed using a self-prepared questionnaire, which included open and close-ended questions. The data was analysed using qualitative and quantitative methods. Most participants defined spirituality as a driving force, which shapes many aspects of life. More than half of the participants considered spirituality as crucial in forming therapeutic relationships. The findings suggest that inclusion of spirituality within occupational therapy education warrants further research.

Spirituality in Occupational Therapy Practice: Where is Our Spirituality Now?

“…This is similar to how the occupation of providing support or contributing to the welfare of another engenders beneficial effects in both the provider and the recipient (McColl, 2002). Other studies illustrate similar findings in which spirituality provided opportunities for practitioners to grow professionally (Brémault-Phillips et al, 2015) or provided intrinsic benefits to the practitioner that was independent of client interactions, such as influencing their career choice or how they treat clients (Misiorek & Janus, 2019).…”

“…The first theme calls attention to the fact that despite being regarded as a holistic profession, occupational therapists often focus on aspects of the mind and body, missing out on the benefits of including spirituality in client care. Rather than treating clients as a collection of physical symptoms, engaging in spiritual discussions and including spirituality in practice may enhance therapeutic relationships, as well as client and family experience and satisfaction (Brémault-Phillips et al, 2015; Misiorek & Janus, 2019).…”

“…Overall, the literature indicates that spirituality is important when understanding a client in a holistic approach and should be acknowledged during the process of recovery. Although there is more recent literature on the perspectives of OT students and educators on spirituality (Misiorek & Janus, 2019;Mthembu et al, 2015Mthembu et al, , 2016Mthembu et al, , 2018, few studies have delved into occupational therapists' experiences to examine how and in what form spirituality has been experienced in practice. With there being a limited amount of recent literature regarding spirituality in OT practice, this present qualitative study hoped to glean greater-and updated-insight on this phenomenon.…”

Human Praxis as Possible Innovation for Occupational Therapy Practice: An Interpretivist Description from People who Enact Praxis

“…This links with human agency because humans are spiritual beings who tend to seek connectedness to the world around them, as well as often to a higher power. The innate need to both connect with fellow human beings, as well as a higher power, is often used to guide the behaviour of people who enact praxis, and give meaning to their actions 17,57,58,59 . Participants described this as follows:…”

Occupational Therapy’s Role in Spirituality: Partnering With a Special Needs Ministry

“…Occupational therapists (OT) can and should have a role in promoting religious inclusion for children in the church. The participation in religious and spiritual activities has been defined as an essential life occupation, not only to facilitate community involvement, but because it is a vital part of the human experience (Misiorek, & Janus, 2019). Gray (2015) explains how understanding a patient's spirituality naturally leads to discovering their meaningful activities and occupations.…”