A Sacred Place for Wounded Souls

A Sacred Place For Wounded Souls Mary Ann Blaksley Doctor of Ministry Regis College and the University of Toronto 2014 ABSTRACT This research study focuses on my role as a spiritual care specialist on the general psychiatric unit at Humber River Hospital. My focus is to create a crisis intervention spiritual care methodology to meet the spiritual care needs of adult survivors of childhood abuse. Assessing their specific spiritual care needs occurred as a two-fold process. A review of the trauma research revealed six potential obstacles that might prevent them from receiving an effective spiritual care intervention. Afterwards, a review of the spiritual and religious coping research affirms the positive impact for adult survivors who are spiritually receptive and able to access their spiritual resources. All patients in this research study were previously disconnected from their spirituality or place of worship. Throughout this process there was a concurrent practice of offering spiritual care interventions with adult survivors on the K4E and an integration of Karen Ander Francis’ and Dr. Michael Washburn’s psycho-spiritual models. One year after the actual spiritual care intervention I sent out thirty Questionnaires with nine questions designed to track the spiritual care dynamics of the visit from the onset to its conclusion. The focus of my questionnaire format is two-fold: For the adult survivors to evaluate my spiritual care methodology and to review the outcomes. iii The research findings in this study are based on two years of research on the K4E with adult survivors of childhood abuse. From the general research data collection 27 out of 30 adult survivors received new spiritual insight, and reconnected with their spirituality or place of worship within one to three spiritual care interventions. The seven research participants maintained their connection to their spirituality or place of worship one year after the initial spiritual care intervention. Thanks to their willingness to participate I learned valuable lessons which offers a positive contribution to my own spiritual care practice.Doctor of Ministry (DMin