Spiritual Assessment: Building Positive Resources for the Distressed Souls

This chapter begins with a general overview of the relationship spirituality and psychology have shared over the course of the development of the field. The recognition of spirituality as a dynamic health promoting agent and rejection of anti-spirituality movements are highlighted. The importance of spiritual assessment in the realm of psychotherapy are discussed followed by debate on the difficulties encountered in the conceptualization of the spiritual construct. Both Western and non-Western models of spirituality are presented, and differences between the Judeo-Christian and Islamic spiritual worldview are emphasized. Acknowledging Islamic worldviews as representative of the spiritual aspirations of the Muslim population, the conceptualization of the Islamic spiritual construct is explained. The process through which a sensitive Multidimensional Measure of Islamic Spirituality (MMIS) was constructed, and the insights gained in the process as well as the challenges faced are described. Future recommendations for utilizing spiritual assessment in research and clinical work for the aspiring health practitioners are given while concluding the chapter.