Spiritual lifemaps: A client-centered pictorial instrument for spiritual assessment, planning, and intervention

Although some consumers desire to integrate spirituality into the clinical dialogue, few resources have appeared in the literature to help practitioners operationalize spiritual strengths. This article introduces and orients practitioners to a new pictorial instrument - the spiritual lifemap - that can be used for spiritual assessment. The instrument facilitates a smooth transition from assessment to exploring and planning interventions. The author provides a case study and suggestions on how to use the instrument in clinical settings. A number of common spiritual interventions, drawn from a wide variety of theoretical approaches, are highlighted. The author discusses several applications and possible value conflicts that may arise when assessing spirituality.