SPIRITUAL HEALTH EDUCATION 

EXPLORING METHODS AND MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTION

By: Delphine Rossi, M.S., CHES

OVERVIEW

Awakening the heart and soul of a child may be a bridge from spiritual despair to spiritual well-being for many children in our society. Indeed, there is now a greater recognition of the necessity of spiritual health in professional counseling, health care, and health education/promotion literature. And, spiritual health is acknowledged as a significant component to optimal health and wellbeing. 

Yet, few health professionals address the spiritual health component as they conduct their education programs. Spiritual health may be considered a missing link, an essential component lacking in holistic health instruction.  

Spiritual health and well-being may simply be defined as finding meaning, seeking peace, and having faith in the process of life. It encompasses a belief in a higher reality, a great spirit, or God, and includes attributes such unconditional love, forgiveness, patience, tolerance, hope, compassion, and trust. 

Spirit, in its Latin root, means breath of life and denotes a life-giving essence, an inner energy. Spirit is an inseparable part of our being as, indeed, we are body, mind, and spirit interrelated. The inclusion of spiritual health education within professional practices remains tenuous because of the religious connotations it evokes. 

As much as spirituality and religion intertwine, they are distinctively different. This overview will enable health professionals in the fields of counseling and education to become familiar with methods and materials to develop and enhance spiritual health education programs.  

The purpose of Spiritual Health Education: Exploring Methods and Materials for Instruction is to enable health-related professionals to become familiar with various instructional tools, methods, and literature they may utilize to create or enhance programs in spiritual health and well-being.       

 

SPIRITUAL HEALTH EDUCATION

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS

* ART  

* JOURNALING  

* LITERATURE 

* MOVIES/VIDEOS  

* MOVEMENT such as YOGA, TAI CHI, and DANCE  

* MUSIC   

* NATURE/OUTDOORS   

*  PORTFOLIOS  

* SERVICE LEARNING PROJECTS  

* VISUALIZATION, GUIDED IMAGERY, and EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITIES  

SPIRITUAL HEALTH EDUCATION LEARNER-CENTERED 

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
  

JOURNALING: students write thoughts, values, and experiences in their journals noting their progression, understanding, and growth on a personal level. Benefits: focuses on individual growth, increases understanding of experiences, and enables students to verbalize experiences and discover more meaning.

LECTURE/DISCUSSION: teacher presentation of materials with student interaction. Benefits: knowledge, understanding, clarification, listening to others’ opinions, affirming personal thoughts, and explore possibilities. 

ROLE-PLAYING: students are given roles within a scenario and act them out according to the script or spontaneously demonstrating positive and negative consequences of personal decisions. Benefits: awareness of the importance of responsible decision making skills and consequences for choices, and an awareness that we have choices.

SERVICE LEARNING: students learn and develop skills through active participation in well organized service experiences that benefit both the recipients and the students. Benefits: increased problem solving ability, increased social and personal interaction, increased self efficacy and selfesteem, increased open mindedness, and increased empathy.   

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS: students work in small groups to discuss a topic or issue. Benefits: students practice skills in effective communication and listen to different points of view.  

VALUES CLARIFICATION ACTIVITIES: students are provided with opportunities to become aware of their values and determine whether revisions are necessary. Benefits: awareness of the interrelationship of our values to our health related decisions and behaviors.

A SAMPLE OF SUGGESTED SPIRITUAL HEALTH EDUCATION LITERATURE   

FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

DeVeaux, A. Enchanted Hair Tale. 1987. 

Dickens, C. A Christmas Carol. New Jersey: Troll Communications, 1988. 

Disney Productions. Bambi, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, The Lion King.    

Grimm, J. Hansel & Gretel. 1987.

Hazen, B. Even If I Did Something Awful. 1981. 

Jassem, K. Pocahontas, Girl of Jamestown. New Jersey: Troll Communications, 1979.   

Jenness, A. (1993). Come home with me: a multicultural treasure hunt. 

Knowles, S. Edward the Emu. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1990. 

London, J. The Call of the Wild. New Jersey: Troll Communications, 1990. 

Loomans, D. The Loveables in the Kingdom of Self Esteem. California: H.J. Kramer, Inc., 1991. 

Montgomery, L.M. Anne of Green Gables. New York: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, 1983.

Mosley, F. The Dinosaur Eggs. New York: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc., 1988. 

Munsch, R. Love You Forever. Ontario: Firefly Books, 1997.  

O’Shaughnessy, E. Somebody Called Me a Retard Today and My Heart Felt Sad. 1992. 

Piper, W. The Little Engine That Could. 1961.

Sewell, A. Black Beauty. New Jersey: Troll Communications, 1993. 

Spyri, J. Heidi. New Jersey: Troll Communications, 1988. 

Weyn, S. Forever Angels Series. New Jersey: Troll Communications, 1995-1997.  

Wilder, Laura . Little house on the prairie. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1971. 

Kay, T. To Dance with the White Dog. 1994.     
Kerr, M.E. If I Love You Am I Trapped Forever? 1973. 

Klein, N. Just Friends. 1990. 

Kropp, P. Amy’s Wish. 1986. 

Levy, E. Cheater, Cheater. 1993. 

Marshall, P. Daughters. 1992.  

Rochman, H. & McCampbell, D. Who Do You Think You Are? Stories of Friends and Enemies. 1993.

Slote, A. Friends Like That. 1990.  

Sullivan, T. If You Could See What I Hear. 1975.  

White, E. Life Without Friends. 1987.  

Wilkie, K. Helen Keller: From Tragedy to Triumph. 1969.  

Eadie, Betty J. Embraced by the Light. New York: Bantam Books, 1992. 

Ferrini, Paul. The Silence of the Heart. Massachusetts: Heartways Press, 1996. 

Frankl, Viktor. Man’s Search for Meaning. New York: Pocket Books, 1984. 

Garbardino, J. Children in Danger: Coping with the Consequences of Community Violence. San Francisco: JosseyBass Publishers, 1992. 

Girzone, Joseph. Joshua. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1987. 

Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ. New York: Bantam Books, 1995.

Jampolsky, Gerald and Diane Cirincione. Love is the Answer. New York: Bantam Books, 1990. 

Myss, Caroline. Anatomy of the Spirit. New York: Random House, 1996. 

Peale, Norman The Amazing Result of Positive Thinking. New York: Random House, 1959.

Peck, M.S. The Road Less Traveled. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978. 

________.  The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987. 

________. Further Along the Road Less Traveled: The Unending Journey toward Spiritual Growth. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1993.         

________. The Road Less Traveled: Spiritual Growth in an Age of Anxiety. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1997. 

Roman, S. Spiritual Growth: Being your Higher Self. New York: H.J. Kramer, Inc., 1989.
                               

Seligman, Martin. Learned Optimism. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990. 

________. The Optimistic Child. New York: Harper Collins, 1996. 

Wholey, Dennis. The Miracle of Change: The Path to Self Discovery and Spiritual Growth. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1997.  

Young-Eisendrath, P. The Resilient Spirit. Massachusetts: Addison Wesley, 1996.

Author Bio: Delphine Rossi, M.S., CHES, is the coordinator of the School Health Education Program at Utah State University. She has extensive experience in the public schools teaching Health Education K-12.