Provision of spiritual health care by clinically trained Spiritual Health Practitioners to patients and families across diverse spiritual, religious, cultural, and philosophical values, beliefs, and practices.Provision of spiritual health care by clinically trained Spiritual Health Practitioners to patients and families across diverse spiritual, religious, cultural, and philosophical values, beliefs, and practices.
Spirituality is a dimension of health. A Spiritual Health Practitioner (SHP) is a member of the health care team that can help you understand your unique health journey in light of your personal beliefs, values, relationships and experiences. Spiritual healthcare is confidential, inclusive, compassionate, and respectful and SHPs are skilled in providing philosophical, spiritual, and religious patient care across beliefs, cultural perspectives, and practices. They address spiritual distress (experiences of loss of meaning and connection in relation to yourself, to others and to what you understand as greater) and promote spiritual well-being (connection in relation to yourself, to others and to what you understand as greater).
A SHP will listen compassionately and work with you to determine the support you want and need. Services may include the following:
- counselling (supportive, problem focused or grief counselling), to help you:
- find strength to accept what is happening.
- find meaning and connection in the midst of illness, injury and trauma.
- cope better with pain and discomfort
- understand feelings of anxiety, depression, anger, and loneliness
- understand what’s important to you and make decisions about your health.
- support when facing ethical dilemma, moral distress, and the need to make difficult decisions.
- being an advocate to support patients / families as they navigate the health care system in light of their spiritual, religious, philosophical and cultural beliefs, values, and practices
- connecting with religious and / or cultural supports and services
- providing palliative and end of life spiritual care
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