Throughout your coursework in HBSE, you have explored many factors that influence an individual’s behavior. This week, you focus on spirituality, a factor that contributes significantly to the way individuals view themselves and find meaning in their lives. Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman (2016) stated, “The spiritual domain is an important means by which many people organize their view of the world” (p. 132).

As you explore the topic of spirituality this week, consider how a client’s spirituality might influence your approach with that client. In addition, consider how your own spirituality might influence your work and why your awareness of spirituality is essential to your effectiveness as a social worker.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Analyze the role of spirituality in social work practice
• Apply awareness of spirituality to social work practice

Discussion: Spiritual Development

Furness and Gilligan (2010) stated, “There is a growing body of literature written predominantly for health professionals and more recently for social workers about the importance of developing and incorporating cultural and spiritual sensitivity and awareness in their work with others” (p. 2187). Spirituality, which may or may not include involvement with an established religion, contributes to human diversity and influences human behavior. An individual’s spirituality may be an important factor in his or her social environment. As a social worker, your awareness of a client’s spirituality may help increase your understanding of the client and his or her needs.

Sensitivity to and respect for your client’s spiritual dimension reflects your appreciation of diversity. As you consider the potential impact of your clients’ spirituality on their perspectives and behavior, you must also consider how your spirituality might influence your interactions with a client.

For this Discussion, you consider the impact of spirituality on your interactions with clients.

Post a Discussion

• in which you explain how considerations about clients’ worldviews, including their spirituality or religious convictions, might affect your interactions with them.
• Provide at least two specific examples. In addition, explain one way your own spirituality or religious convictions might support your work with a client, and one barrier it might present.
• Finally, share one strategy for applying an awareness of spirituality to social work practice in general.

Please use heading subtitles for response

Be sure to support your responses with specific references to the resources. If you are using additional articles, be sure to provide full APA-formatted citations for your references and include two peer reviewed references