Our Clients, Ourselves: The Spiritual Perspective and Social Work Practice

Spirituality in social work practice may be disputed by those who are pragmatic, who may ask about its usefulness in helping clients attain basic human needs such as food and shelter. Clients' use of spirituality as a weapon in their coping arsenal is precisely why spirituality must be acknowledged. Strengthening clients' abilities to develop viable strategies to both meet basic needs and maintain mental health is a social work goal. Psychologist Carl Gustav Jung (1933, 1958, 1959) postulated that a universal concept of spirituality exists that, when explored, can enable a person to see beyond differences in religious beliefs and philosophical viewpoints. More than any other theorist, Jung integrated spirituality into clinical practice. His perspective can enhance social workers' sensitivity to the spiritual dimension of their clients, which may help the clients face their problems and difficulties. In the tradition of social work practice, diligent effort has been made to provide a solid foundation of knowledge and skills to practitioners who intervene in human problems. Social workers aid people who are suffering because of myriad issues. Spirituality has found a place in the areas of death and dying and catastrophic illness or life events, but it has not been fully examined for its application in life and living. Spirituality is an important feature of social work practice and ethics and should be considered an area for educational and clinical training. Importance of Spirituality in Clinical Practice What occurs between the client and the social worker involves not only the traditional intervention methods, and skills the social worker applies, but also a two-way exchange of ideas, feelings, beliefs, and values that may or may not be directly addressed or acknowledged. Research has suggested that "patient values appear to be the second most powerful predictor of clinical bias; only patient social class is stronger" (Abramowitz & Dokecki, 1977, p. 465). Many value judgments are made in the treatment process, and social workers must continually be aware that nothing is value free. Objectifying approaches and interventions may be useful, but in doing so social workers must be careful not to deny or compartmentalize phenomena experienced in day-to-day practice. Whether professionals are "believers" in the spiritual dimension is important. "Nonbelievers" may not be fully able to accept clients who consider spirituality and religion to be meaningful and useful within the context of their life experiences (Shafranske & Maloney, 1990). A spiritual bias can be just as harmful as racism or sexism. Goldstein (1987) convincingly argued that "students and seasoned professionals alike are bearers of significant moral, value and spiritual beliefs that are bound to find expression in work with individuals, families, and communities". Exploring the Spiritual Perspective Siporin (1985), in a discussion of clinical practice theory, observed the following: An examination of our perspectives requires that we sharpen our minds and eyes so as to see things clearly and fully. We will not, however, look under a nearby bright light for the treasures that we lost elsewhere, but rather we will search where it is dark, or where we can expect the sunlight to come up. There we may discover lost or new treasures or rediscover old gems in a new light. We seek just and beautiful truths for and in social work practice--fair to the evidence, clear, cleanly stated, revelatory, and illuminating. We want such truths so that they may propel us into new pathways of a more effective practice. To understand the spiritual perspective, we must be willing to reverse our usual way of thinking and looking, which is linear and externally focused. We must look beyond what is easily counted and accounted for and examine what does not fit into our categories and conceptions of the world. There can be no preconceived notions about what may be helpful. …