ABSTRACT
Spiritual assessment is an appraisal process for determining the spiritual needs of an individual or an organization. Helpers and helpees do not easily envision life in spiritual terms, thus spiritual assessment presents a unique challenge. It does not automatically happen in the helping professions. The helper needs to actively intend it or work at it. This is true for both counselors and religious professionals. For example, it is easier to assess others’ lack of psychological self-esteem than their spiritual lack of hope and meaning. They do not have the vocabulary to think of helpees in spiritual terms. However, more and more helping professionals are eager to learn how to think in spiritual concepts and to use spiritual vocabulary in their work. In fact, one of the most important long-term goals of the present-day interest, study, and research into spiritual assessment is the development of a common language of spirituality that helping professionals can draw upon in their work. The counselor or psychologist needs a vocabulary to make a holistic assessment of a person that includes both the spiritual dimension as well as the psychosocial. Likewise, the religious caregiver reaches for terminology to assess the spiritual dimension that flows from and supports religious beliefs and practices.
