Adding critical reflection to spiritual care: Complementing current pastoral care training

ABSTRACT

This article argues for the inclusion of critical reflection in spiritual care training and practice, including Clinical Pastoral Education. Most spiritual care training emphasizes the importance of listening well and deeply, combined with awareness of the listener’s personal reactions. Critical reflection makes explicit the importance of understanding the influence of the social context on the listening experience, and articulating the underlying assumptions and values that may be influencing the spiritual carer and those to whom they are listening. This approach fosters seeing the connections to what is happening in an individual’s external world, in their family and community and in the broader social and historical context. Individuals may thereby become conscious that external change is needed as well as, or instead of, internal: the attitudes and values expressed in an organisation or culture may be the issue rather than only the internal state of the client. Using critical reflection to complement existing training in listening will foster greater capacity to seek change where it is needed, and to encourage more socially just organisations and communities.

KEYWORDS:

• Critical reflection
• critical spirituality
• pastoral education
• spirituality
• practice, training

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributor

Fiona Gardner is an Associate Professor and Discipline Lead for Social Work across the four regional campuses of the Rural Health School, LaTrobe University, Australia. She also teaches a unit called Supervision in Spiritual Care using Critical Reflection at Stirling Theological College. Her research interests are currently related to identifying what works in spiritual care, and the use of critical reflection in education to change the classroom experience.