Your Spirituality Score and Therapeutic Questionnaire and Decision-Making Steps
Daniel Keeran, MSW VICTORIA, CANADA
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Your Spirituality Score by Daniel Keeran, MSW, President, College of Mental Health Counselling Victoria, Canada
Spirituality provides values and beliefs for making healthy choices, a foundation of hope and meaning for direction and optimism, and support and encouragement to face major life difficulties. Strengthening your spiritual growth and awareness can set you on a path to find inner peace, physical and mental healing, and personal fulfillment. Your Spirituality Score is based on how many questions of the total for which you can provide a confident answer. Responses can be written, verbal, or mental, but written may be beneficial for most people. 1. What is your age, gender, and ethnic/race origin? 2. What were the spiritual/religious views of your father? Your mother? 3. How has your spirituality changed from your childhood until now? 4. Is there anything more than the material universe? Explain. 5. Do you believe intelligence and creativity exist in the universe? Explain. 6. Do you believe in the existence of a transcendent intelligence or superior reasoning power? Explain why or why not.
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7. Do you see evidence of creative intelligence in the design and complexity of the universe or do you lean toward a material natural explanation? 8. Do you believe all human beings have equal worth and value? Explain why or why not? What are the implications? 9. Do you believe the human species has greater or superior value or greater importance or more responsibility compared to other life forms? Why or why not? What are the implications? 10. What is the meaning or purpose of human existence? 11. How do you know what is right and wrong? 12. What is the most important thing you can do with your life? 13. Is hope important? Explain. 14. What happens after you die? Does your individual identity or consciousness continue to exist? What are the implications? 15. Is the idea of the meaning of human life essential to the idea of hope? Explain. 16. Is the idea of right and wrong essential to the idea of meaning? Explain. 17. What have been some of the most important influences on you for what you value and believe? 18. What spiritual practices do you have? Prayer, centering prayer, meditation, scripture reading, worship, singing, other. 19. Does moral accountability only happen within the legal systems of nations? Is there ultimate accountability in a venue after death? What are the implications?
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20. If people are reborn into new lives, what if anything determines the nature or quality of their existence? What are the implications? 21. Comment on this statement: “Many people think only tangible things are real, yet the same people admit intangible things are most important: love, compassion, empathy, justice, morality, consciousness, wisdom, human value, meaning of life, and eternity... for without these, life is void and vain, and aspirations mere illusions.” 22. Have you ever experienced what you believe to be a sign or communication from God or other spiritual being? 23. What is your view of this statement? “Humans are spiritual beings existing in physical bodies.” 24. Do you believe you have convincing evidence of spiritual reality? 25. What is your idea of an ideal society? World? Life? 26. When does an individual human life begin? 27. What is the essence of the self? 28. Do you believe angels and demons exist? 29. Do you believe everyone after death goes to heaven or to hell? 30. Do you believe the superior reasoning power has ever communicated with humanity? 31. How open are you to exploring different aspects of spirituality? 32. If you saw someone raise the dead, what would you think or do? 33. If you saw a person die and then you saw him alive again a few days later, what would you think or do? 4
34. Comment on the statement: “Humans are a parasite infestation of the earth.� 35. How can you prove to anyone else that you are aware of yourself, your own consciousness? 36. Describe a healthy relationship. 37. How important is your spirituality to your life? And do you want your spirituality to increase or decrease? 38. If we are made in the image of God, what qualities do we share with God? 39. Read Isaiah, chapter 53, written about 700 BC. Who is being described? See other amazing examples of futuretelling here. 40. Do you now belong to or have you thought of joining a spiritual community to strengthen values and beliefs for making healthy choices, to acquire a foundation of hope and meaning for direction and optimism, and to receive support and encouragement to face major life difficulties? 41. How has this questionnaire affected your awareness of your spirituality? Final instructions: Count the number of questions for which you struggled to give a sincere answer, and then subtract the number from the number 41. The answer is your Spirituality Score. How to use this assessment: Whatever your score, you may want to give further consideration to questions you are unsure about or for which you have difficulty giving a response. Seek a group or individual who can support your spiritual quest.
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Calculating Your Spirituality Score 1. Make a mark indicating any question for which you feel unable to give a satisfactory answer or that you find especially challenging. 2. Add the number of marks in #1 and subtract this number from 41. 3. The answer to #2 is your Spirituality Score. NOTE: This score and your answers to questions are to be used only by you and anyone to whom you grant permission.
Total number of questions
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Number of difficult questions Your Spirituality Score
To arrange an interview in person or through skype, email collegemhc@gmail.com
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Therapeutic Questionnaire College of Mental Health Counselling www.ctihalifax.com Instructions: This questionnaire is solely for your use. Only say as much as you want to. Skip over questions that are too uncomfortable but think about why they are. Simply completing this questionnaire can be a healing experience in itself. To understand the deeper meaning of the questions and your answers, consider this manual of explanation: Effective Counseling Skills
Introduce Yourself 1. What is your first name? 2. What is your age and gender? 3. What is your marital status? Single, married, separated, or divorced? How long? Explain the reasons for separation(s) or divorce(s). What happened? 4. What is your race, ethnic, or cultural background? Caucasian, Chinese, East Indian, Aboriginal, Other? 5. What are your children's genders and ages? If they are adults, give their occupations and marital situation. 6. Do you live alone or with someone? How long?
What Happened? 7. What problems and concerns do you have now? 8. What emotions have you been having and what is each one about? Fear, anger, frustration, guilt, sadness, low self-worth, despair, other feelings? 9. How long have you been feeling this way? (for each feeling or problem) 10. What happened at the time you began feeling this way? 11. When have you felt like this in the past and what happened? 12. Any health problems? E.g. epilepsy, diabetes, etc.
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13. Any counseling or hospitalized for emotional reasons? How old were you? Please give the reasons.
The Family You Grew Up In and Your Childhood 14. How many brothers and sisters do you have? Give each person's gender, age, occupation, and marital situation. 15. Which one are you in the line of birth? First, last, second or third, etc. How many years separate you from the others nearest you? 16. Who were you closest to when growing up? 17. Are your parents still living? What was your age at their death? 18. Have your experienced any other deaths of family members or friends? What was your age? 19. Describe your father's (and step-father's) personality and your relationship to him when you were growing up. Were you close, not so close, distant, affectionate? Give an example of something that happened that shows this and how old you were. 20. Talk about how your relationship with your father (or father figure) during childhood may have affected you in both positive and negative ways. 21. How have the negative experiences with your father figure(s), come up again in your relationships with other people up to now? 22. Describe your mother's (and step-mother's) personality and your relationship to her when you were growing up. Were you close, not so close, distant, affectionate? Give an example of something that happened that shows this and how old you were. 23. Talk about how your relationship with your mother (or mother figure) during childhood may have affected you in both positive and negative ways. 8
24. How have the negative experiences with your mother figure(s), come up again in your relationships with other people up to now? 25. What were your spiritual or religious beliefs before age 10 and how have your beliefs changed since then? 26. What was your role in the family when you were growing up? Think of a word, e.g. peacemaker, black sheep, victim, outsider, assistant parent, invisible, baby, etc.? Give an example of what happened. 27. Describe your parents' relationship. Were they affectionate? How did they deal with conflict? Give an example of what happened. 28. Was anyone in the family or extended family ever hospitalized for emotional reasons or commit suicide? Any mental retardation? 29. How did family members relate to each other when you were growing up? Give an example. 30. How were feelings of anger, sadness, fear, and guilt expressed? Give an example. 31. Describe a time when you were disciplined that was most painful for you. How old were you? What happened? 32. What personality features do you have which your parents also have? 33. Who was there for you when you were hurt as a child? 34. What messages about your worth and the worth of others, was communicated by each parent both verbally and nonverbally? 35. How old were you when you left home, and why did you leave? 36. If you had miraculous power to change your family when you were growing up and your childhood in any three ways, what would you choose?
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37. If your family experience had been different in the ways you mentioned above, how do you imagine your life might be different today? 38. Do you know if your mother had any problems with your birth?
Your School Experience and Friends 39. What was the first day of school like? 40. How many moves and school changes occurred during school years? How old were you, what grades did you move and why? 41. Describe your relationships with teachers. 42. Describe your relationships with peers. 43. Do you believe you achieved your best in school? Why? What grade or education level did you complete? What happened? 44. Did you have a group of friends during the first six grades? If not, why? 45. Did you have one or two very close friends as a teenager? If not, why? 46. Did you tend to be a follower or a leader with friends as a teenager? 47. How old were you when you first started go out with someone (or dated)? 48. Do you have a satisfactory network of friends, family, groups? Describe these briefly. 49. How would you describe the types of people you associate with? (What is your role with friends and acquaintances? Helper, victim, other?)
Your Work Experiences 50. How old were you when you first went to work? 51. What types of jobs have you had and how many? Why did you leave each job? 10
52. What has been your role at work? Helper, invisible, responsible, victim, other? And how have you gotten along with bosses?
Your Social Life and Relationships 53. What was your first date like for you? 54. How old were you with your first sexual experience? And first intercourse? 55. How many sexual partners have you had over time? And what is your sexual preference or orientation? (heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual) 56. Describe your partner’s personality and your relationship. Aggressive, passive, abusive, caring, other? And describe previous meaningful relationships, their personalities, and why they ended.
Your Legalities, Use of Substances, Financial Situation 57. Have you had any past arrests, warrants, charges, suits against you? How old were you and what were they about? 58. What amount of debt do you have? 59. Any drug or alcohol use? Why do you use it? Has anyone complained that you use too much or too often?
Your Mood 60. Have you ever had suicidal thoughts at any time in your life? How old were you? What happened? 61. What is your mood right now on a scale of zero (0) to 10, with zero meaning ‘life is not worth living’ and 10 meaning you are very optimistic and life is wonderful? What number do you give your mood? 62. Any thought of wanting to harm yourself or anyone else? 11
Your Final Thoughts and Reflections 63. What are your greatest strengths? And what skills or abilities do you currently have the most confidence in? 64. Having looked at your life from early days until now, what do you think may have contributed most to your present difficulties? 65. Of all the questions above, what has been most difficult for you to face? 66. If you were to continue on a path of change and growth, what would you hope to achieve or what would be your goals in self-improvement? 67. What has it been like completing your Life Story Questionnaire?
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Decision-Making Steps: Psychological Technology by Daniel Keeran, MSW, Victoria, Canada www.ctihalifax.com
In order for the steps to be effective, all participants must be committed to the process described here. Step One: Identify Issues or Concerns* 1. Make a numbered list of issues or concerns. 2. Write down the number of the issue most important to you that you want to find a solution to. (If you are more than one person, compare the choices of everyone and begin with the issue having the most choices or votes.) Step Two: Create Different Solutions** 1. Write down your most important issue. 2. Below the issue, write down a list of numbers only, as 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 or more. 3. Beside each number write down a suggested solution you can think of without evaluating or judging the merits of each solution as you write them down. Step Three: Reach An Agreement or Create An Action Plan 1. Circle or check the number of three or four possible solutions that you think may work best or seems most practical to address the issue or concern. 2. These are the beginning of your action plan or agreement with self or others. If more than one person is involved in decision-making, each person privately selects possible
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solutions, then compares choices to see what solutions are chosen by the most people to form an initial agreement. Step Four: Decide A Time To Implement the Agreement or Action Plan Depending on the issue, volunteers can be invited and a time can be determined to implement the agreement or action plan. (This step is essential to taking action.) Step Five: Repeat Steps Two through Four for the second, third, fourth, etc. issues listed and prioritized in Step One *If the issues are related to differences in philosophy, religion, personal taste, or if agreement cannot be reached, the following approaches may provide a solution: agree to disagree, flip a coin, take turns or agree to different or alternating action plans, implement trial time periods to try different plans, or return to the above process. **To increase the number of ideas in Step Two, the individual can think or the facilitator can say: a. Let’s write down what’s happening now, because that is always a choice. b. What’s the opposite of what’s happening now? c. What is a fantasy of what you might like to see happen but you don’t think is possible? d. Think of an approach that seems silly or ridiculous. (This can unleash your creativity.) e. Imagine what someone you respect (a relative or other wise person) might say as a solution. f. The facilitator says: I can think of a possible solution that would work well and that no one has mentioned. Can anyone quess what it is? (the facilitator writes down ideas the participants guess to increase the number of solutions) g. My 14
idea is ...... (facilitator adds his or her solution to the numbered list).
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