Questions to Better Understand Spirituality and Psychological Health

1. How open are you to new ideas? This is a great opener question as it starts off by seeing how the

individual is with question-and-answer format. It also opens conversation to see what you can

and cannot ask.

a. I would say that I am fairly open to new ideas depending on what the idea maybe and if

it is aligned with my character.

2. What is spirituality to you? This question really digs down right away to see what the individual

knows. Many people do not know what it means while others vaguely know or maybe had a

certain thought or stigma about it.

a. To me, spirituality is a state outside of oneself but within our own belief, morals and

values.

3. What is your current status on spirituality? This question can help identify the amount of

spirituality the individual has and how they feel about spirituality.

a. I would say that I believe in something greater than myself. I do not practice anything

specifically daily. I do, however, bend and bond to those that provide me growth and

sustainability.

4. Are you seeking spirituality and why/why not? Knowing if they are seeking spirituality will open

up other questions. It also identifying where they are at in their journey.

a. I would say that I am open to the idea of new possibilities, always. I would never shut

down a new thought or motion on the subject.

5. How are you growing or developing spirituality? If they are seeking spirituality, this questions

will allow the individual to tell them how. This is important as we can see what is being done

which opens up to talk about where they want to go and how to do so.
 a. I started personal religious studies when I was younger trying to define purpose. I went

to Baptist Church, Nazarene, Christian and Catholic sermons. I read different versions of

the bible. Did a little referencing of the Quran and even stretched into Buddhism

philosophy. I found solace in stories in the studies but nothing really stuck with me

except that there is more outside of who we are.

6. How does/doesn’t spirituality help with you mental health? This question will see how much the

individual knows about spirituality and mental health.

a. I do not hold spirituality close to myself as others may. Some look for it when grieving or

happiness.

7. Do you feel comfortable when left alone with you thoughts? This question starts to look at how

they are psychologically.

a. Not really. Thoughts are loud and sporadic, especially when it is quiet.

8. How do you decompress at the end of the day? This question allows the interviewer to

understand the individual’s personal life and how they like to relax and calm down. This may

show the individuals mental state.

a. I vent to my spouse. I tell them everything that I think and am feeling. Sometimes, I hold

things inside and deal with them alone.

9. Do you believe that spirituality can help ones psychological state? How? This questions is pretty

straight forward and gets to the point. All of the other questions lead up to this one.

a. Maybe but again, it would have to align with your purpose. Some people turn to religion

to shift the responsibilities and blame from themselves. It becomes more of a coping

mechanism than it does the approach of human growth.

10. How did this interview make you feel about spirituality? This question is to lighten and end the

interview. It will potentially get the individual’s last words out about spirituality.
 a. I think the questions you asked made be reflect on where I am currently in my life. I

have a long journey ahead of me in seeking truth, my truth and what my ideation

maybe. Someone once told me when I was a teenager, “I do not care what you believe

in. Just believe in something so I know your soul is saved.” That stuck with me in the

studies that I went through. However, Religion and Spirituality is treated like home

insurance. You may never use it or need it but it’s better to have had it and needed it

than need it and not have it.

With the given questions and answers, the individual doesn’t practice anything specifically. As

far a plan, I would instruct them to start with something that seems interesting. Maybe start with a

retreat or even some simple meditation. This will begin their journey and eventually point them in a

certain direction. Whether it is in the form of religion or oneself, starting from the beginning is at least

starting the journey.

With me being the professional, I would have to refrain from seeing them as a friend and more

of a client during sessions. Their plan would have to be based of my teachings and not knowing who

they are. If I took in consideration of who they are as a friend I feel that I would be bias to the plan.

Another ethical consideration that I would need to make is culture differences. With them being of a

different culture I would have to explore and ask questions about it to ensure nothing goes against their

culture.

As far as the interview went, I would add to each questions to dig down a little further. With

only having 10 questions I do not believe I was able to gain all the knowledge I could for a growth

development plan. I would like each interview to go more as a conversation that builds on each other

rather than a question and answer type session. This keeps the conversation close and I feel the

individual would be more honest and potentially open up more.

 References

Davis, D. E., Ho, M. Y., Griffin, B. J., Bell, C., Hook, J. N., Van Tongeren, D. R., & ... Westbrook, C. J. (2015).

Forgiving the self and physical and mental health correlates: A meta-analytic review. Journal of

Counseling Psychology, 62(2), 329–335.

Sharma, P., Charak, R., & Sharma, V. (2009, January). Contemporary Perspectives on spirituality and

mental health. Indian journal of psychological medicine. Retrieved December 19, 2022, from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3168074/