title: Spirituality in occupational therapy: do we practice what we teach?
abstract: This mixed-method study examined the responses of 97 occupational therapists on the subject of spirituality in occupational therapy practice. The inclusion of spirituality into the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (2008) implies that clinicians address spirituality as a component of client-centered practice. This research revealed a gap between education, theory, and practice as evidenced in the quantitative and qualitative data. Although occupational therapy is intended to be holistic, therapists require a more complete understanding of what spirituality is and what the role of the occupational therapist is when addressing spirituality in evaluation or treatment. The discussion of this research provides information for future occupational therapy educators and educational programs as they seek to incorporate the construct of spirituality into curricula.
authors.affiliation: College of Health Professions, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd. S., Fort Myers, FL, 33965, USA, dmorris@fgcu.edu.
authors.forename: Douglas N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stecher
authors.forename: Kayla M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Briggs-Peppler
authors.forename: Chelsea M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chittenden
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rubira
authors.forename: Lindsay K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Wismer
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D024382:Professional Role / Q000523:psychology; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires