Methods Used in Spiritual Counseling and Guidance Services for Patients/Patients’ Relatives in Turkey and Germany: A Qualitative Approach

Year 2023, Volume: 8 Issue: 3, 323 - 348, 01.10.2023

Ayse Gül Güler Ünal , Sema Yılmaz

Abstract

This research focuses on Hospital Spiritual Counseling and Guidance (SCG) services in Germany and Turkey. The primary objective is to uncover the different methods of Muslim spiritual care used in patient interactions in hospitals in both countries through semi-structured interviews. The sample of hospital spiritual caregivers comprises individuals from various regions of Turkey, while the German sample mostly includes participants who graduated from the Mannheimer Institute. Ultimately, a total of 30 Muslim hospital spiritual caregivers, with 15 from Turkey and 15 from Germany, were interviewed using telephone and internet applications like Zoom. Thematic analysis was employed to comparatively examine the narratives of the participants. This research aims to uncover whether methodological differences can be expected between patients interacting with Hospital SCG providers in Turkey and those consulting with Hospital SCG providers in Germany. Based on the comparative findings, it is expected that Muslim Hospital SCG providers in both Germany and Turkey would employ similar approaches, with a specific emphasis on utilizing active listening during interactions with their clients. This study underscores the significance of active listening as a critical element in patient interactions, regardless of the geographical context. Consequently, Turkey and Germany share common aspects in the implementation of Muslim hospital SCG.

Keywords

Religion, Spirituality, Spiritual Counseling And Guidance, Spiritual Care

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