Approaching Spiritual and Existential Care Needs in Health Education: Applying SOPHIE (Self-Exploration through Ontological, Phenomenological, and Humanistic, Ideological, and Existential Expressions), as Practice Methodology

Gulnar Ali,Nasreen Lalani

doi:10.3390/rel11090451

Gulnar Ali, Nasreen Lalani

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11090451

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Abstract

Addressing existential and spiritual care needs, often remains a challenge in health education. Spirituality is a subjective human experience that shapes how individuals make meaning, construct knowledge, develop their own sense of reality, and bring personal and social transformation. To inspire health and social students at a London based University; learners were engaged into philosophical reasonings associated with the meaning to care. SOPHIE (Self-exploration through Ontological, Phenomenological and Humanistic, Ideological, and Existential expressions)—a reflective practice tool was applied during in-class activities from June 2019–2020. Using SOPHIE as a tool, students were encouraged to explore existential and ontological care aspects by engaging into transformative learning approaches. Participants identified their own existential and spiritual care needs by reflecting on their own meaning making process. SOPHIE enabled resilience and authenticity among learners as a reflexive discourse.

Highlights

Spiritual and existential care aspects have received a significant attention in adult learning and education
Spirituality has been approached from a variety of perspectives, acknowledging diverse meanings and different associations from culture, beliefs, and philosophical backgrounds, to recognize person-centered care needs
Three major phases of self-exploration were identified during the in-class interventions, to understand and address spiritual care needs by applying SOPHIE

Summary

Introduction

Spiritual and existential care aspects have received a significant attention in adult learning and education. Spirituality is often regarded as synonymous with the institution of religion. These two concepts i.e., spirituality and religion are distinct (Koenig 2004). Spirituality can be understood as the personal, inner, informal, and emotional aspect of connecting with oneself, the environment or with the sacred (Koenig 2004; Caldeira et al 2016). Spirituality has been approached from a variety of perspectives, acknowledging diverse meanings and different associations from culture, beliefs, and philosophical backgrounds, to recognize person-centered care needs. The myriads of meanings and interpretations associated with the term spirituality often generates confusion and lack of clarity among healthcare professionals and educators (Kalkim et al 2016; Wattis et al 2017; Lalani 2020)

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