MHM Magazine

22 | MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS | Issu3 2 | 2022 MHM no surprise that even coming to therapy took much courage and persuasion from her friends. There is a misunderstanding of the role and place of psychotropic medication. It's OK to be on chronic diabetic medication, but anti- depressants are stigmatised. She agreed to go to a GP for assessment and prescription through our counselling. She managed her depressive symptoms recognising in time how her depression was a combination of her psychology, biology and spirituality. CASE STUDY TWO: THE DISMISSIVE GP One of my well-educated clients was disturbed by the dismissiveness of her GP when she brought up spirituality concerning her anxiety experiences. Coming from a very devout Christian background, she filtered her experience through her faith lens and genuinely wanted to understand the role of spiritual factors in her understanding of anxiety. The GP said it was unlikely to play a role and convinced her that all she needed was medication. In this case, there was a missed opportunity for informed treatment planning. When we met in therapy, my client recognised that she did not expect her GP to understand Christianity and mental illness but to take her need for sense- making seriously. Part of her coping and support system was her daily spiritual practices and her community of faith. I referred her for Christian spiritual direction as part of her holistic healing. CASE STUDY THREE: COLLABORATIVE APPROACH One of my clients was referred to me by his pastor for treatment of depression. I had partnered with this pastor before, who happened to have advanced training in clinical pastoral education. The pastor created a safe space for his congregant to seek psychotherapy permitting him to experience an integrated approach. In consultation with the client, we considered the need for anti-depressants in collaboration with his family GP. We agreed as interdependent practitioners to work together with the client in treatment planning. In this case, we each brought a distinct value to the healing process in our pastoral-counselling-clinical collaboration. What made the difference here was our mutual respect for collaboration and competence in understanding the intersectionality of our various disciplines. INTEGRATING SPIRITUALITY IN ANXIETY & DEPRESSION TREATMENT PLANNING It’s essential to remember that clinicians and patients frequently don’t come from the same cultural background or belief system in a multicultural society. Since patients in medical and spiritual distress are often vulnerable, health care providers must be sensitive and careful in their approach to patients. HOPE questions are an example of one approach to spiritual assessment, designed as a starting place for health care professionals interested in the spiritual health of their patients. They may open the door for more in-depth discussion when needed. The HOPE approach asks about: H The sources of hope, meaning, comfort, strength, peace, love and connection. By focusing on a patient's primary spiritual resources without immediately introducing the words religion or spirituality, these questions allow for conversations with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and beliefs. O Organised religion's role for the patient. P Personal spirituality and practices. E Effects of the patient's beliefs and values on medical care and end-of-life decisions. References available upon request