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Addressing Spiritual Concerns in Family Medicine: A Team Approach

From the Department of Family Practice, Michigan State University, East Lansing

Correspondence: Address correspondence to Howard Brody, MD, PhD, Department of Family Practice, B-100 Clinical Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (e-mail: brody{at}msu.edu)

Abstract

Spiritual conflicts and concerns often accompany serious illness, but many family physicians are slow to recognize these concerns or unsure how to address them. The case of a patient with spinal cord injury and who later developed an astrocytoma is used to illustrate a team approach that involved a family physician, a spiritual counselor, and a psychologist. Narrative writing exercises in which the patient was encouraged to tell his own story also played a role in treatment. The case report includes the patient’s own description of his experience with spirituality and spiritual counseling, as well as the perspectives of the spiritual counselor.