Abstract
Spirituality is an integral aspect of resiliency, healing, and posttraumatic growth in trauma, grief, and loss, and it is deemed to be an important aspect of child development, health, and wellbeing. Although spirituality has emerged as an important area in the helping professions, it remains an under addressed area in social work education and research. Studies have demonstrated that social workers encounter client’s with spiritual issues, struggles, and concerns and engage in providing spiritual support, however they lack training and knowledge around spirituality and practice (Kvarfordt, 2010; Kvarfordt & Herba, 2018; Kvarfordt & Sheridan, 2010). This study reviews constructivist grounded theory research that revealed some oppressive experiences for children, parents, and clinicians regarding children’s spirituality, and that participants described spirituality as socially being deemed as “weird and taboo.” Spirituality was also deemed to be normal and important, and a critical area of focus when encountering trauma, grief, and loss. How preadolescent children understand, experience, and rely on their spirituality in times of adversity is illuminated. The fact that clinicians require training, practice frameworks, and strategies to address this important area was further revealed in the data.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Religious Community and Socialization
KEYWORDS
Children, Spirituality, Trauma, Grief, Loss, Constructivist Grounded Theory, Social Work
