Why seek spiritual care?

Life can be messy. We all experience highs and lows. When life is tough – whether because of a medical condition, the loss of a loved one, a traumatic event, lack of fulfillment, or some other difficult experience – we sometimes need help making sense of it.

For many, making sense of difficult times, finding purpose in events or in one’s self, and creating a better life is shaped by one’s spirituality. Spiritual care provides you a guide to help you find what brings your life meaning, purpose, and connection. Spiritual care can help you overcome or find peace with life’s difficulties. Spiritual care can help you discover the things in your life worth celebrating and that fills you with joy.

What is a spiritual care provider?

SpirituWell’s spiritual care providers are healthcare professionals trained to support an individual’s emotional and spiritual health needs. Also sometimes called a chaplain, our spiritual care providers have advanced degrees and extensive post-graduate training in hospitals and other healthcare settings. Our spiritual care providers are interfaith, making them well prepared to meet the needs of individuals that identify across any religious tradition and individuals who are spiritual but not religious.

In what situations are spiritual care providers prepared to provide support?

Spirituwell’s providers have extensive experience in healthcare settings where they provide spiritual care to individuals across many experience, including:

• Sudden traumatic loss, including homicide, suicide, and the loss of a child (regardless of age)
• Miscarriage, fetal demise, stillbirth, and infant loss
• Crisis intervention and guidance for making end-of-life decisions, including shifting into palliative care and hospice
• Life-changing injury to children and adults
• Life-threatening illness to children and adults
• Chronic health issues that impact both the life of the patient and the lives of their caregivers
• Mental health issues that require hospitalization, and supporting mental health and wellbeing through difficult and stressful times
• Deep loss of spiritual community due to being LGBTQIA+
• Advocating for those who often receive unequal treatment due to racial, cultural, and religious bias
• Drug and alcohol addiction
• Complicated family dynamics, including estrangement
• Multiple losses or clustered stress-points (For example, someone might be dealing with an aging parent with cognitive decline, a school age child, a new job, a move, and going through a divorce all at the same time)

What if I’m not very religious?

Seeking meaning, connection, and purpose to something greater than ourselves (e.g. self-identity, relationships, communities, nature, something sacred) is what we mean by “spirituality”. For some people, their religious beliefs and practices help them to feel connected to community or to something sacred. For others who are not religious, other aspects of their life bring them deeper meaning, connection, and purpose.

All SpirituWell spiritual care providers are trained to seek out and meet your unique needs whether you are religious, spiritual but not religious, or identify with spirituality in some other way.

Why would I see a spiritual care provider if I already have a faith community?

If you already have a relationship to a faith community, we honor that connection. In addition to being a part of that community, some people may benefit from meeting with a spiritual care provider who can offer them individualized, one-on-one support with something they are facing. Our interfaith spiritual care providers offer a safe space to explore your concerns without judgement and with confidentiality. Because our services are offered virtually, we offer convenience and easy access when resources offered by your faith community may not be available to you. Lastly, our spiritual care providers are professional healthcare chaplains, they’ve been trained to support spiritual and emotional needs and facilitate healthcare decision-making. This training and experience is not often found among individuals working within a traditional faith community setting.

How can I communicate with a spiritual care provider?

We offer two appointment types: video visits or phone calls. You can participate in video visits on any mobile device, like a cell phone or tablet, or on a desktop computer. Video visits are joined through your web-browser (Google Chrome is recommended) and you do NOT have to download an app. Our spiritual care provider may also communicate with you through text messages and email.