Social Work: Spiritual Assessment
Instruments for Spiritual Assessment

One of the five instruments for spiritual assessment is the spiritual history. This is the only verbal instrument. A practitioner using spiritual history obtains a client’s spiritual information using two sets of questions. The first set of questions seeks to help the client tell their story from childhood to the present. The second set helps the practitioner elicit spiritual information from the client by assessing the dimensions of the soul (cognition, will, and affect) and the spirit (intuition, conscience, and communion).

The second instrument is the spiritual life map, which is a diagrammatic or pictorial account of a client’s relationship with God. It shows where the client is coming from, where they are, and where they are going in regard to their relationship with God. The client sketches their spiritual journey from birth to the present, and continuing to death and the afterlife. They depict key events along the journey, the various trials they have faced, and the strategies they used to overcome these (Hodge, 2005).

A practitioner could also opt for the spiritual genogram, which is a graphic representation extending over at least three generations. The genogram serves more or less like a family tree, helping the practitioner understand complex intergenerational spiritual interactions. From the genogram, a practitioner can deduce the strength of the spiritual relationships with family members as well as the flow of spiritual resources (Hodge, 2005).

The fourth instrument is the spiritual ecomap which, unlike the other instruments, focuses on the client’s current spiritual relationships as opposed to their spiritual history. The ecomap is similar to the genogram in presenting the nature and strength of an individual’s spiritual relationships. However, the ecomap only focuses on those parts of the clients’ key events and spiritual challenges occurring in present space (Hodge, 2005). The practitioner can deduce a client’s spiritual system within the family and outside as well as their present relationship with God from the ecomap (Hodge, 2005).

Finally, there is the spiritual ecogram, which combines the features of both genograms and ecomaps in a single assessment approach. Ecograms tap information that exists in the present space as well as that from history. In so doing, ecograms help to depict the connections between present and past functioning.

Why it is important for social workers to assess spirituality

First, assessing spirituality provides a window for social workers to understand the...…interpret a cut-out picture on a client’s life map, which could create a negative image on the client. In my view, this tool is best suited for use with more artistic practitioners who can comfortably engage the client and even give suggestions on what elements to include to give a more accurate view of the client’s spirituality.

Throughout the course, we have been assessing clients presenting for psychotherapy due to mental health issues. Genogram development and case formulations are both crucial parts of these assessments. Thanks to these assessments, I can accurately develop and interpret a genogram and develop formulations on how a client’s past experiences shaped their present behavior. I am, therefore, confident that I can adequately use the spiritual genogram instrument to obtain insights into a client’s spirituality. Spiritual ecomaps make use of the present situation without reference to past events in a client’s history. I am confident that I can accurately use this instrument particularly because it eliminates the need to formulate hypotheses as is the case with the genogram. Since I am confident in my ability to use both spiritual genograms and ecomaps, then I can also confidently use the spiritual ecogram which combines elements of both.…