Blog 3

In this week’s blog, I would like to expand on the topic discussed in the supplemental reading by Duffy (2006). I found it to be a very interesting article, and I genuinely enjoyed reading it. The role that spirituality plays in career development was a topic that I’ve never thought about before. As Duffy states in the article, spirituality and religion were mostly restricted to their relationship with physical health (2006). It’s been enlightening to learn more about the role that spirituality plays in other important aspects of development.

I find it helpful to apply these concepts to my own personal experience, and therefore wanted to reflect on the role that spirituality has played in my career development. My spiritual development started at a young age. I grew up in a strict Christian household, where we went to church multiple times a week. One of the values that I gained from being raised in a Christian household was the importance of volunteering. We regularly volunteered at our local homeless shelters or for Habitat for Humanity. The feeling of giving back was so gratifying that I started to look into career options in helping fields. In college, I looked into careers in nursing, teaching, speech pathology, but eventually ended up in the field of psychology.

Once I started to work as a counselor, I began to realize the importance of spiritual development. Spirituality is a topic that I cover in both our intensive and non-intensive treatment programs. The practice of mindfulness and reiki have significantly helped improve my spirituality. I see a therapist who is certified in reiki. It’s had a very positive impact on my life. A few months ago, my supervisor approached me about it. She noticed that I seemed more positive and happier, and so I told her about the reiki sessions. It turned out that she was very interested in reiki, and it eventually sparked many conversations about spirituality. It’s actually strengthened our relationship. It’s even helped to improve our work environment. Before we started having these conversations, the energy in our office was tense. We preached self-care, but never practiced it. So, my supervisor and I agreed that it’s important to schedule breaks during the workday to eat lunch, mediate and practice mindfulness. My co-workers who don’t practice these techniques reported that they felt more focused and productive from just having a scheduled break. In a short amount of time, it was obvious that it had a very positive effect on the overall energy in the office.

Duffy (2006) talks about the importance of exploring spiritual and religious issues with clients that are struggling with problems related to their jobs, especially when helping them find meaning from their work. Personally, by focusing on my spiritual health, it helped foster feelings of fulfillment and gratitude within my professional life. Therefore, spirituality should be viewed as an important part of career development.

Reference

Duffy, R. D. (2006). Spirituality, Religion, and Career Development: Current Status and Future Directions. The Career Development Quarterly, 55, 55-63.