title: Definitional ceremonies: narrative practices for psychologists to inform interdisciplinary teams' understanding of children's spirituality in pediatric settings.
abstract: In pediatric settings, parents and children often seek spiritual and religious support from their healthcare provider, as they try to find meaning in their illness. Narrative practices, such as definitional ceremonies, can provide a unique framework for psychologists to explore children's spirituality and its role in the midst of illness. In addition, definitional ceremonies can be used as a means for psychologists to inform interdisciplinary teams' understanding of children's spirituality and its relevance in pediatric treatment settings. In this article, our objectives are to (a) provide a brief overview of the literature on children's spirituality, (b) review some of the literature on childhood cancer patients' spirituality, (c) highlight the importance of whole-person care for diverse pediatric patients, and (d) introduce definitional ceremonies as appropriate narrative practices that psychologists can use to both guide their therapy and inform interdisciplinary teams' understanding of children's spirituality.
authors.affiliation: McGill University, Canada kelsey.moore@mail.mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Kelsey
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: McGill University, Canada.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Talwar
authors.affiliation: Montreal Children's Hospital, Canada.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moxley-Haegert
mesh_terms: D002562:Ceremonial Behavior; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D033262:Narration; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D029181:Spirituality
keywords: cancer; definitional ceremonies; narrative therapy; pediatrics; spirituality