Spiritual Care Harvey A. Elder, M. D.. Spiritual: Searching the sacred for meaning and purpose Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?

Spiritual CareSpiritual Care

Harvey A. Elder, M. D.

Spiritual:Spiritual: Searching the sacred for meaning and purpose

Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? What is there after death?

Relating to the Sacred, Ultimate, to God Faith is the name of the relationship

Medical Strategic Network 2


Spiritual CareSpiritual Care

A Christian view of spiritual brokenness and illness

Critical principles What about the non-Christian

patient? Problems Outcome


Growing relationship of

joyful dependence on Creator

TRUST

Love forGod

GrowsGrowth

in Wisdom

IncreasedIntimacy with God

Obedience

GodCreatedCreated

BodySoul

Spirit

Holy

Spirit

Multifaceted, integrated harmonious unity

Hard-wired Relationships:Love, acceptance, worth

Human spirit harmonious with the Holy SpiritEmotion Peace

God Gifted HumansGod Gifted Humans

God

Achievement

- worthSelfLoveAcceptance



Dys-trustDys-trust On their own, without

Meaning, purpose Worth, acceptance, love

Naked: Physically Emotionally ashamed Socially blaming Mentally ignorant Spiritually hiding

Dominant emotion Fear Our patient’s condition

BodySoul

Spirit Flesh

The New The New RealityReality

Self

Achievement

- worthSelfLoveAcceptance

God

Separated from God

Trusting self Pseudo-gods Unable to provide

love, acceptance or self-worth

Seeking these by achievement

Failing despair


They Need HealingThey Need Healing

Physical: anatomic and physiologic restoration Mental: understand disease prevention Emotional: own their role

Forgiveness: confession, repentance, amends

Faith: restoration of relationship with God Internalizing God’s

Unconditional love and acceptance His gift of self-worth Forgiveness, restoration to relationship with Him



Spiritual Care?Spiritual Care?




Critical PrinciplesCritical Principles

Heart: in prayer and guided by the Holy Spirit Christian spiritual care can only be given by a

growing, Spirit filled Christian practitioner Ask the Holy Spirit for passion--love and caring for

your patients/clients Heart: weeps with their suffering, free of Judgment

Hear: listen and hear what the patient and the Holy Spirit are telling you

Heavenward: allow the light to shine through


Meet MaryMeet Mary Mary comes to clinic with her 6 wk. old baby.

At her first prenatal visit she learned she was HIV infected. While separated from her husband, she had a “fling”

What is your first response? How might you pray? How does God see Mary? What does God want you to see? What does your heart say?

What heart work do you need done?


HearHear Listen to what the patient and the Holy Spirit are

telling you Separated from God, living as a pseudo-god Without self-worth, love or acceptance

Hear her/his anguished cry lament Stressed, unable to cope, anxious fearful


Ask Some QuestionsAsk Some QuestionsDepend on the Holy Spirit to guide you

What problems do you face? How have you coped with all of this? What’s your source of strength? How does this affect the way you see yourself? “If I had HIV, I would be scared. What about

you?” Where has God been in all of this?


As You ListenAs You Listen

Not a questionnaire, listening for the lament May only have a clue or two (Note for next visit) Listen, as with clinical history, to identify attempts to

cope, the brokenness and suffering

Synthesize and test your spiritual hypothesis Mary, do you have a religious heritage? How do you see yourself? Are you a self critic? How does God see you?

What does Mary need to know and experience? How will you get there?


HeavenwardHeavenward

Allow the light to shine through “Make them hungry for what you have” “One beggar telling another where the bread is”

Help them find: Self-worth She is a child of the King (Rom. 8:15-16) Loved and accepted (John 3:16, Rom. 6:8-11) Forgiveness (1 John 1:9)

God selects your patients, “Been there, done that” Share what He has done for you







What about: non-Christian?What about: non-Christian?

Same process as the Christian patient Heart: be guided by the Holy Spirit Hear: Listen to their anguish

Use the suggested questions When they tell you how they cope, “How well is it working for your?”

Hear the story, listen for justice, compassion, caring evidences of the Holy Spirit at work

Strength your relationship by listening! Be free to say, “God is working in your life”


HeavenwardHeavenward They are looking for:

Unconditional love, complete forgiveness, acceptance, self-worth, changed behavior

These are critical for their healing

They can’t achieve these on their own! Share what God has done for you using the language of

the patient’s culture, not christian-ese! You are not trying to win an argument Conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit

Ask, “Would it be helpful to you if I pray for you before I leave”?







ProblemsProblems

1. Time

2. Fear: issues will come up you can’t handle God can!

3. Ethics: mandated by JCAHO Not doctrine, trying to convert or proseltize

4. Prayer at the end

5. Follow-up







OutcomeOutcome

Effective spiritual care enhances clinical outcome Heal faster Removes many therapeutic problems Identifies etiologic issues

Patient’s response: Drawn to clinician Better compliance Visits go smother; patients share their concerns

knowing you are interested.


Documents

Spiritual Care Harvey A. Elder, M. D.. Spiritual: Searching the sacred for meaning and purpose Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?