Having clear definitions of spirit, care of spirit, and the role of the spiritual care professional makes it possible to discuss the attitude, skills, and knowledge needed by a spiritual care professional. A spiritual care professional must be-
Passionate about understanding and caring for one's own spirit and that of others.
Skillful in establishing rapport and a therapeutic presence, active listening, observing the spirit, assessing conditions of spirit, setting goals of care, implementing interventions that help the spirit, evaluating and revising interventions, documenting the care, and collaborating with other healthcare professionals.
Knowledgeable about the history of the concept of spirit, especially the Ancient Greek concept of thumos, the nature of spirit, anatomy of the spirit, activities of the spirit, various conditions of the spirit, how not to harm the spirit, effective interventions that are helpful for the spirit, evaluating the outcomes of interventions, and how the interventions of physical and mental health can affect the spirit.
With these basic competencies a spiritual care professional can begin practicing sound, basic spiritual care.
