Assessing Spiritual Needs

Questions to help facilitate discussion of spiritual issues

• How would you describe your philosophy of life? Of illness? How satisfactory is this philosophy to you now?
• How do you express your spirituality?
• What kinds of practices enhance your spirituality?
• How do you understand hope? For what do you hope?
• What helps you the most when you feel afraid or need special help?
• What is especially meaningful to you now? For what do you live? What is most important to you now?
• How has being sick made a difference for you in what or how you believe?
• What does (death, being sick, suffering, pain, etc.) mean to you?
• How do you handle feelings like (anger, doubt, resentment, guilt, bitterness, depression)? How does your spirituality influence how you respond to such a feeling? Do you want spiritual support to deal with such feelings?
• Where do you get the (love, courage, strength, hope, peace, etc.) that you need?
• How is your faith helping (or not helping) you with your illness?
• How do you experience God? (or whatever spiritual being to whom you relate) Is God loving? If so, in what ways?
• Where is God for you now? Where is God for you in this experience?
• How do your spiritual beliefs (or beliefs about the world) impact/influence how you respond to your illness? How does your illness influence your spiritual beliefs (or beliefs about the world)?