hw420 Unit 9 Assignment
hw420 Unit 9 Assignment
hw420 Unit 9 Assignment
Emilie Shoquist
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
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
1. Do you consider yourself psychologically and spiritually healthy? If so, why? Where do
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
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
3. Do you have a specific way in which you manage your stress and/or anger (yoga,
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
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
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
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.
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
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).
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
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
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
Do you consider yourself psychologically and spiritually healthy? If so, why? Where do you
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
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).
My client defines spirituality as a belief in something greater than oneself. Despite rejecting
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,
My client reports managing his stress and anger through therapy, but he would like to
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.
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
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.
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
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,
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
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
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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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
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
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
References
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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-
http://search.ebscohost.com.libauth.purdueglobal.edu/login.aspx?
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Frankl, V. (1984). Man’s Search for Meaning. Pocket Books, New York.
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Ghaderi, A., Tabatabaei, S. M., Nedjat, S., Javadi, M., & Larijani, B. (2018). Explanatory
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
Simpson, E. (2018, April 6). How living your values can transform your happiness at work.
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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.
https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/rumination/