March 19, 2024

Role of a spiritual care counselor

In a recent Iowa Public Radio interview, Tova Brandt, curator of the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn, described two early faith communities in Iowa that I was unfamiliar with: The “Holy Danes,” and the “Happy Danes.”

As a child she was part of the “Happy Danes” community. When asked if the two different groups got along, she responded that her dad always taught her that they are “humans first and Christian second.”

That statement resonated with me and the work that my colleagues and I do as spiritual care counselors. We seek to provide spiritual care and comfort to people of all faiths, or no faith.

Providing person-centered spiritual care, we recognize each person as “human first” and Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, atheist or agnostic second.

We seek to understand the person and what gives meaning to their life. We seek to discover their sources of joy, comfort, hope and peace.

We also strive to uncover their fears, concerns, worries, distress or regrets. As Jodie Futornick, a board-certified chaplain states, our role as spiritual care counselors is to “accompany people on their journeys and help them access the spiritual resources that are most helpful to them.”

Many people have pre-conceptions about our role, fearing that we come to preach or proselytize in their most vulnerable moments. Nothing can be further from the truth.

As “humans first,” we value their belief systems, even if it is quite different from our own. We seek to be truly present with them and provide a safe and accepting environment to speak about issues that are closest to their hearts and souls.

In Futornick’s words, our primary goal is to “help people identify what gives deepest meaning to their lives and gives them the strength to face their own death with peace and dignity.”

In an increasingly diverse world, may we continue to recognize the intrinsic value of every person and provide compassionate care to those who give us their trust.