The Ignatian Examen in Medical Practice: A Model for Clinicians

A clinical trial of the Examen and mindfulness within a secular substance use disorder treatment program

“…In particular, all mentions of "God" or "the Divine" were replaced with terms such as gratitude, joy, or love. Using the five-step secular framework developed by Plante (2021) and summarized by Fuchs et al (2023), we describe each of the steps of the Examen practice, contextualizing it from an empirical perspective.…”

“…Gratitude: Review your day. The next step of the Examen practice is to review one's day with an emphasis on gratitude (Fuchs et al, 2023;Plante, 2021), asking oneself, for instance, "Where can I look for hidden blessings that I might otherwise take for granted?" Practitioners engage in purposeful interaction with their day, giving thanks for positive aspects of their lives.…”

“…Practitioners revisit their actions and interactions of the day, asking, "What do these thoughts and feelings tell me, and how does that affect the way I treat myself and others?" (Fuchs et al, 2023). A practitioner might look for moments where they felt or did not feel God's presence, or in the secular version, where they felt connected, at peace, or aligned with their goals.…”

“…Through this process of introspection, practitioners can develop an increased sense of awareness and practice cognitive–behavioral psychotherapeutic principles in a self‐guided exercise (Kabat‐Zinn, 2015; Kavanaugh et al., 2004; Plante, 2021). Each of the five individual steps of the Examen exercise has been shown to have cognitive–behavioral benefits, particularly in addiction treatment populations; the combination of the five steps of the Examen in a brief, low‐cost, and readily self‐administrable package makes the Examen a potentially effective tool for not only self‐reflection and introspection but also for increased psychological well‐being (Fuchs et al., 2023; Plante, 2021). No empirical studies have yet investigated the Ignatian Examen in a substance use treatment population, but the practice's observed ease, low administration cost and time commitment, and applicability to the Christian and Catholic SUD treatment populations support the Examen as an alternative to mindfulness or other reflective practices in a clinical environment.…”

“…Using the five‐step secular framework developed by Plante (2021) and summarized by Fuchs et al. (2023), we describe each of the steps of the Examen practice, contextualizing it from an empirical perspective. Presence : Quieting the mind, becoming aware of God.…”