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Unit 9 Assignment: Spiritual and Psychological Inventory to Determine Wellness

Emilie Shoquist

Purdue University Global

HW420: Creating Wellness- Psychological and Spiritual Aspects of Healing

Dr. Dorette Nysewander

November 23, 2021

Unit 9 Assignment: Spiritual and Psychological Inventory to Determine Wellness

True wellness is a not about treating symptoms or even eliminating illness, but rather,

fostering health. As a holistic wellness practitioner, the most important objective is to discern

and treat the complex symphony of a client’s body, mind, and spirit. Countless tests and

assessments exist to determine one’s physical health, however, understanding a client’s

psychological and spiritual wellness is far more nuanced.

To that end, I have created a list of ten questions that will help clients take inventory of

their spiritual and psychological health and assess their overall wellbeing. Using the wellness

paradigm as a guide, I will utilize the results of the inventory to help clients create a personalized

spiritual and psychological health development plan.

The following is a ten-question Spiritual & Psychological Health Inventory, as well as an

explanation as to why each question is valuable:

1. Do you consider yourself psychologically and spiritually healthy? If so, why? Where do

you see room for improvement?

This is a valuable question because it provides great insight into where we should begin

with a health development plan. It requires one to assess the state of their psychological and

spiritual health, a task I believe many neglect. As a practitioner, I can develop a professional

opinion as to where someone needs to improve their spiritual and psychological health; however,

asking where they see room for improvement requires self-reflection and sheds light on aspects I

may have missed.

2. How do you define spirituality? Do you consider yourself to be spiritual?

This question will allow me to discover a client’s definition of spiritual vs. religious, as

well as the level of importance they place on either or both concepts. In order to help a client
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improve their spiritual health, I will need to know where they are on their spiritual path and what

spirituality means to them.

3. Do you have a specific way in which you manage your stress and/or anger (yoga,

meditation, therapy, medication, herbal remedies, etc.)?

The feelings of stress and anger are universal, however, how one manages the two is a

good indicator of psychological and spiritual health (Seaward, 2018). If a client doesn’t have

healthy stress and anger management practices, it will be necessary to provide them tools in

order to improve their wellbeing.

4. Do you feel as though you have a strong life purpose?

Gauging one’s sense of purpose is a good indicator of wellness because it sheds light on

their level of self-efficacy. If a client believes they can successfully contribute to the world in a

meaningful way, we can focus on strengthening that conviction. If a client doesn’t have a sense

of purpose, a plan can be created to find meaning and grow spiritually in the process.

5. Do you have strong social network (friends, family, coworkers) that you rely on for

community? If not, do you think that fact negatively affects you?

A strong indicator of spiritual and psychological wellbeing is one’s sense of community.

Studies show that happy, fulfilled people have social connection with family, friends, intimate

partners, and their communities (Pursuit of happiness, 2016). In order for a health development

plan to be successful, it is important for a practitioner to know how much value the client places

on relationships, and what kind of support system a client has.

6. Do you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist? What do those terms mean to you?

Understanding a client’s perception of the world and their personal situation can provide

insight into their psychological and spiritual wellbeing. If a client identifies as a pessimist, I can
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provide strategies to improve their outlook, thereby strengthening spirituality and overall health

and wellness.

7. Social, emotional, spiritual, physical, environmental, intellectual, financial and

occupational wellness are the eight components that comprise the wellness paradigm.

Which component(s) do you focus on the most? Which areas do you feel could be improved

the most?

This question will help a practitioner assess the client’s current situation and their

personal idea of balance. Because each component of the paradigm is connected, understanding

where the client wants to improve would reveal the necessary framework for growth and

implementation of proactive wellness practices.

8. Do you believe you have a growth mentality?

This question is valuable because the desire for growth and personal improvement is

necessary to improve psychological and spiritual health. A client will need to see the value in

reaching their full potential in order to enact lasting change. “Becoming” is a characteristic of

spiritual health, so it will be important to discern where a client is on that path (Ghaderi, et. al.,

2018).

9. What do you consider your three most important values?

Values inform and steer our behavior, in addition to influencing how we think, feel, and

make decisions. Discerning a client’s values will help promote spiritual and psychological health

by understanding what is most important to them. If a client doesn’t have a clear set of values,

helping establish what holds meaning to them will be included in the health development plan.

10. Do you have specific ways in which you nurture your psychological and spiritual

wellbeing? If so, how, and how often?

As a practitioner developing a health plan, it will be important to know whether or not a

client currently takes the time to care for their psychological and spiritual wellbeing, and if so,

how. If they don’t have specific actions, we will brainstorm and incorporate effective options

into their health plan.

The following are the findings from one client’s Spiritual & Psychological Health

Inventory, as well as how I can use this information to help my client create a spiritual and

psychological health development plan:

Do you consider yourself psychologically and spiritually healthy? If so, why? Where do you

see room for improvement?

My client feels psychologically healthy and says he maintains that health with bi-weekly

therapy and journaling. He acknowledges room for spiritual growth because he considers

spirituality and religion synonymous and feels uncomfortable with religion.

To create his health development plan, I recommend he considers additional components

of psychological health, including how he manages thoughts, feelings, and interpersonal

relationships. Activities such as meditation, exercise, social interactions, adequate sleep, and

setting healthy boundaries are all ways in which he can continue to cultivate psychological health

(How to look after your mental health, n.d.) To foster spiritual growth, I recommend my client

begin by differentiating religion and spirituality. I would help him focus on the spiritual pillars,

including the connection with himself, others, nature, and a higher power (Ghaderi, et. al., 2018).

How do you define spirituality? Do you consider yourself to be spiritual?

My client defines spirituality as a belief in something greater than oneself. Despite rejecting

organized religion, he acknowledges “the universe” as a higher power. He doesn’t consider

himself to be especially spiritual.

To help him develop his health development plan, I will again stress that religion and

spirituality are different things, and accepting an organized religion is not necessary for spiritual

growth. According to Rudolfsson, Berggren, & de Silva (2014), “spirituality concerns questions

of values and meanings that are fundamental in the search for meaning in life” (para. 3). I will

have him reflect on how his life has significance beyond the day-to-day and encourage him to try

Deepak Chopra’s Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. Chopra’s strategies include taking time to be

silent, giving freely, choosing actions that bring happiness to others, practicing acceptance, living

intentionally, allowing for uncertainty, and seeking your higher self (The editors at Chopra.com,

2021).

Do you have a specific way in which you manage your stress and/or anger (yoga,

meditation, therapy, medication, herbal remedies, etc.)?

My client reports managing his stress and anger through therapy, but he would like to

develop additional “real-time” management strategies. I will recommend meditation, including

diaphragmatic breathing and body scan meditation in order to feel anger or stress in the body and

process it in the mind. I will also encourage CAM practices such as yoga, aromatherapy, and tai-

chi.

Do you feel as though you have a strong life purpose?

My client says his life purpose became clear when he became a dad. He strives daily to

raise “good humans” and contribute to bettering the world for his kids. This desire to contribute

in a meaningful way is important for spiritual and psychological fulfillment, so I will encourage
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him to continue. I will also remind him that finding purpose in things outside of his kids (career,

creative outlets, etc.) can be a great way to cultivate self-efficacy and further develop

psychological and spiritual health. Finding life purpose is essential because, according to Frankl

(1984) “a continual search for and fulfillment of one’s aim in life are essential to spiritual

development.”

Do you have strong social network (friends, family, coworkers) that you rely on for
community? If not, do you think that fact negatively affects you?

My client says he doesn’t have a very strong social network because he doesn’t take the

time to hang out with friends, and his family is on the other side of the country. He does not

believe this negatively affects him; however, he says he wouldn’t mind having a few close

friendships. My client’s lack of social network is a red flag to me, because community and

connection are such important components to psychological and spiritual health. I will encourage

him to make an effort to cultivate community, whether it’s at work, at his kids’ school, doing

volunteer work, etc. Finding like-minded individuals with whom he can connect will help him

feel part of something greater than himself and offer him support when he needs it.

Do you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist? What do those terms mean to you?

My client considers himself a “realist” whose default is pessimism, though he tries to see

the bright side. In order to improve his psychological and spiritual health, I will encourage him to

practice cognitive reframing (Seaward, 2018). I will remind him that when he describes himself

as a “realist” he’s asserting that his perspective and interpretation are truth. Cognitive reframing

will help him look at things from a different point of view and allow for the chance to experience

the world in a more positive light.

Social, emotional, spiritual, physical, environmental, intellectual, financial and

occupational wellness are the eight components that comprise the wellness paradigm.
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Which component(s) do you focus on the most? Which areas do you feel could be improved

the most?

My client says he focuses on the occupational component of the wellness paradigm the

most, and he sees the most room for improvement with the spiritual component. He enjoys his

job and takes great pride in his work; however, I will caution him that finding balance among all

of the components is important for overall wellness. I’m not surprised that he sees room for

improvement in his spiritual life because to this point, he hasn’t spent time or energy exploring

his spirituality. I will give him examples of how each component is interconnected and how by

making small improvements to even one wellness component, we can feel the effects in our

overall health.

Do you believe you have a growth mentality?

My client admits to being a bit stubborn and resistant to change, but he understands the

importance of growth for success and happiness. I will stress the fact that, according to Caroline

Castrillon (2019), “Success in almost every area of life can be influenced by how we think about

our talents and abilities. Once we harness the power of a growth mentality, studies show that it

can be essential for career success” (para. 1).

What do you consider your three most important values?

My client considers family, honesty, and kindness to be his most important values. In

order to help him further develop his psychological and spiritual health plan, I will ask him to lay

out ways in which he can honor those values each day and in turn, grow spiritually. Since family,

honesty, and kindness serve as his compass, acknowledging and honoring them daily will help to

guide him towards goals and opportunities that align with his beliefs (Simpson, 2018).
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Do you have specific ways in which you nurture your psychological and spiritual

wellbeing? If so, how, and how often? (Examples may be meditating, setting boundaries,

taking a walk, journaling, etc.)

My client considers his journaling practice a way in which he nurtures his psychological

and spiritual wellbeing, although he admits he hasn’t been journaling consistently as of late. As

part of his health development plan, I will encourage him “tune in” and connect with his

thoughts and feelings more often. He can do this through traditional meditation, taking a walk in

nature, practicing yoga or other CAM modalities, making a gratitude list, etc.

The following are the conclusions I came to regarding my client’s psychological and

spiritual wellness based on the results of the Inventory:

I would consider my client to psychologically healthy. He seems to be satisfied with his

life but is willing to make improvements in an effort to grow holistically. Improvements can be

made by incorporating specific stress and anger management techniques, increasing his social

circle, and reframing his mindset to see situations more optimistically.

Undoubtedly, he can improve his overall health by focusing more on his spiritual

wellness. He can strengthen his growth mindset by focusing on his potential and purpose and

find additional peace by actively living his values. I strongly encourage him to research the

difference between religion and spirituality so he can more openly embrace the concept of

connecting with something beyond himself. Relationships, values, and life purpose are all

essential to spiritual growth, and I believe all three of those aspects in my client’s life will

improve if he improves his relationship with himself (Rudolfsson, Berggren, & de Silva, 2014),

In order to do so, I recommend beginning a meditation practice that will allow him to be still and

look inward to discern the next right step on his spiritual journey.
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The following are additions or subtractions I would make to my Spiritual Inventory

based on the results provided by my client.

To provide better guidance for my clients based on their Spiritual Inventories, I would

likely add a question about rumination to better gauge their mindset and guide them toward

reflective rumination vs. brooding rumination. I would make this addition because reflective

rumination “provides a chance for the person to reflect on behaviors and consequences and not

let past events ruin their day” (The Recovery Village, 2021). Ruminating as an optimist can

contribute to healthier spirituality because reflective ruminating can cause one to get curious

about their thoughts, get creative about problem solving, and have better self-control.

Another addition I would make to the Spiritual Inventory is a question about where one is

on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Adding this question will give good insight into a client’s

perceived level of personal development (D'Souza & Gurin, 2016)..

Finally, I would ask clients if they feel capable of setting healthy boundaries. Boundaries

are necessary for spiritual wellness because they require one to set guidelines for how they want

to be treated and protect one’s energy (Seaward, 2018).

In conclusion, creating a spiritual and psychological health development plan can be

successfully achieved by assessing one’s current state of holistic wellness. By posing thoughtful

questions and using the answers as a guide, a practitioner can help clients understand their

spectrum of spirituality and psychological self.

References

Abraham Maslow. Pursuit of Happiness. (n.d.). http://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-

happiness/abraham-maslow/.

Castrillon, C. (2019, July 9). Why a growth mindset is essential for career success. Forbes.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2019/07/09/why-a-growth-mindset-is-

essential-for-career-success/?sh=50ba4f5f28b5.

D'Souza, J., & Gurin, M. (2016). The universal significance of Maslow’s concept of self-

actualization. The Humanistic Psychologist, 44(2), 210-214. doi:10.1037/hum0000027

http://search.ebscohost.com.libauth.purdueglobal.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=pdh&AN=2016-28070-007&site=eds-live

Frankl, V. (1984). Man’s Search for Meaning. Pocket Books, New York.

https://purdueuniversityglobal.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9781284148534/epubcfi/6/1

98[%3Bvnd.vst.idref%3Di23_Chapter08_09]!/4

Ghaderi, A., Tabatabaei, S. M., Nedjat, S., Javadi, M., & Larijani, B. (2018). Explanatory

definition of the concept of spiritual health: a qualitative study in Iran. Journal of

medical ethics and history of medicine, 11, 3.

Mental Health Foundation. (n.d.). How to look after your mental health.

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-to-mental-health

Rudolfsson, G., Berggren, I., & da Silva, A. (2014, December 31). Experiences of spirituality

and spiritual values in the context of nursing - an Integrative Review. The open nursing

journal. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4293736/.

Seaward, B. (2018). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being (9th

ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Simpson, E. (2018, April 6). How living your values can transform your happiness at work.

Thrive Global. https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-living-your-values-can-transform-

your-happiness-at-work/.

The Editors at Chopra.com. (2021, August 9). Mastering the 7 spiritual laws of success. Chopra.

https://chopra.com/articles/the-7-spiritual-laws-of-success.

The Recovery Village. (2021, April 19). Rumination.

https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/rumination/