Spirituality and… Occupational Therapy? On first glance, it might not seem to fit together. It might even seem like the two would have little connection. But you might be surprised, as I was to learn that spirituality is actually a part of the scope of practice for occupational therapists (OTs) and certified occupational therapy assistants (COTAs). The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF) (a document that outlines the scope of practice of occupational therapy practitioners) includes spirituality as a client factor, or an aspect of the person that affects their health and ability to engage in occupations (AOTA,2008). Religious observance is also included as an instrumental activity of daily living (IADL). An IADL is an activity that is instrumental to daily life that occupational therapists assist their clients in participating. Other examples of IADLs include caregiving, managing the home, shopping, and communication management.
Spirituality from an occupational therapy perspective is one’s personal quest for a relationship with the divine. This definition used by the profession makes a distinction between spirituality and religion as it states that this personal quest can result in the participation in religion, but not in all cases (Moreia-Almeida & Koenig, as cited in AOTA, 2008). The OTPF however recognizes that religious observance or participating in religious practices serves as an important occupation that enables this relationship with the divine (Moreia-Almeida & Koenig as cited in AOTA, 2008).
In the United States there is estimated to be 66.6 million Catholics as of 2014 (The Official Catholic Directory as cited by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, 2014). Of these 66.6 million Catholics, 24% attend Mass every Sunday (CARA, 2014). In addition to this the Catholic Church also serves in areas where occupational therapists serve. There are an estimated 549 Catholic hospitals in the United States that serve 88.8 million people a year (CARA, 2014). In the area of education, 2.695 million children of primary school age receive religious education at their local parish, and that’s not including older children and teenagers as well as students that attend Catholic grade schools, high schools and universities.
The point being that for many people in the United States, the Catholic faith plays an integral role in the personal quest for meaning and the divine that was mentioned in the OTPF. From a Catholic perspective, faith and spirituality is not only a personal quest. Faith and participation in religion provides meaning and motivation to engage in all of the occupations (day to day tasks, participating in service, and living out one's vocation, just to name a few) that are the focus of occupational therapy intervention.
A unique and powerful aspect of occupational therapy is that it looks at the person in his or her entirety. That is to say that at the root of occupational therapy practice is the belief that all aspects of a person and his or her life, “interact to influence the client’s engagement in occupations, participation, and health” (AOTA, 2008, p. 628). With this belief at the core of the profession, it fits in well and one could argue that it is necessary to address spirituality as a part of occupational therapy practice.
But how do we do that? It may seem like a daunting task as it’s not typically something that is addressed. The good news is that there are OT practitioners who have examined this question, applied it in their practice, and have written about it to share their ideas with others. The other good news is that there are religious organizations that are examining the same questions and are actively working with health care professionals and people with disabilities to find answers to the same questions, which brings me to the purpose or mission of this blog.
The mission of SpiritualOT is to provide a place to discuss how occupational therapy and spirituality fit together and how health care providers and people in ministry can work together for greater inclusion for people with disabilities in their religious or faith communities. In addition to discussing, I hope to provide resources as well as my own reflections from a Catholic perspective on religion, spirituality, disability, and health care through my conversations with therapists, ministry directors, other professionals, families, and individuals who are experiencing disabilities. It is my hope that through this blog the conversation about faith, spirituality, health and participation will continue and grow to assist all to seek God in all things and to help each other on the path to wholeness and holiness.
References
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2008). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (2nd ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62, 625-638.
Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. (2014). Frequently requested church statistics [Data file]. Retrieved from http://cara.georgetown.edu/CARAServices/requestedchurchstats.html.
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