“Spiritual care” is one of those terms that few people have heard and even fewer understand, even within religious settings. You might wonder: What is spiritual care? Is it like therapy? Is it religious? Do I even need it?
If you identify as spiritual-but-not-religious, Pagan, a seeker, or simply someone who feels connected to nature and mystery, spiritual care might be more relevant — and more powerful — than you think.
In this post, I aim to share what spiritual care entails, how it works in practice, and why my experience as a Pagan spiritual care practitioner offers something genuinely different from the mainstream. This blog is for you if you don’t see yourself reflected in traditional religious care, because you’re not alone.
What is spiritual care?
At its heart, spiritual care is about tending to the inner life — your values, beliefs, connections, questions, grief, and longings. It’s about how you make sense of what’s happening in your life, especially during times of change, uncertainty, or loss.
In hospitals and aged care settings, spiritual care supports people facing serious illness, death, and grief. But spiritual care isn’t just for crisis; it can be helpful at any point in life where you’re seeking clarity, healing, or connection.
Unlike therapy, spiritual care doesn’t diagnose or treat mental illness. Unlike religious counselling, it doesn’t preach or convert. Spiritual care is about presence, meaning, ritual, and story. It’s about sitting with you, gently and respectfully, and asking: What matters most to you? What gives your life meaning? How are you making sense of this experience?
What spiritual care looks like
Spiritual care can take many forms. It might look like:
- Sitting with someone who’s grieving the death of someone
- Listening to someone facing a serious diagnosis
- Supporting someone who feels disconnected from their spiritual identity
- Marking life transitions such as moving into aged care, finishing cancer treatment, or ending a relationship
Sometimes, spiritual care involves quiet companionship. Sometimes, it’s creative and embodied. Sometimes, it’s deeply emotional. But it always honours your unique path.
Why spiritual care matters
We all seek meaning, whether we call it spiritual, sacred, soulful, or simply important. When we’re hurting or lost, when we’re overwhelmed or standing at a crossroads, we often need more than information. We need support that speaks to the heart, to the soul, to the mysteries of life and death.
Spiritual care offers that support. It helps us feel:
- Connected to something greater, whether that’s nature, the universe, spirit, or a sense of purpose
- Heard in our grief, confusion, or joy without needing to justify or explain ourselves
- Affirmed in who we are, regardless of belief or background
- Held in moments of uncertainty, transition, or transformation
For those who aren’t part of a traditional religious community, spiritual care can be a lifeline and a reminder that your spirituality is valid and your experiences matter.
The problem with the mainstream model
In Australia, spiritual care is typically delivered through hospitals, residential aged-care facilities, and faith-based organisations.
It is a professional field deeply entwined with the legacy of Christian chaplaincy and pastoral care. The language may have shifted — we now speak of spirituality, not just religion — but the structures and assumptions are still predominantly Christian.
During my training in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), I was an outsider. Morning reflections were filled with scripture and prayer. It’s common to hear something like, “Swap out God for whatever you believe in.”
But Pagan spirituality doesn’t work like that. We don’t all believe in a singular, omnipotent, omniscient, paternalistic deity. Our gods are many or none. Our connections are to land, lineage, mystery, and reciprocity, not suffering, obedience, or salvation. I don’t worship my gods as a child kneeling before a father. I honour them as companions, ancestors, forces of the land, and sometimes, as mystery itself.
I wasn’t offended by this. I was just not seen, and I’m not the only one.
To be clear, my Christian colleagues were kind, thoughtful, and committed to learning. However, the system they operate within is not neutral. It is structured around a dominant tradition, with little room for those of us outside it except when we contort ourselves into acceptable shapes.
The belief that a good spiritual carer can care for anyone is both beautiful and dangerous. It’s beautiful because it gestures toward compassion and adaptability. But it’s dangerous because it assumes that neutrality is possible or even desirable.
When Christian spiritual carers imagine their care is “universal,” they may fail to see how deeply their theology and biases shape their questions, their presence, and their silences. When people assume that spiritual care should be “universal,” they typically mean that it should apply to everyone. But if the language, metaphors, and frameworks don’t resonate, the care might not land. It might even cause harm by reinforcing the feeling of being othered or misunderstood.
People who belong to spiritual minorities learn to live in pluralism. My cosmology already accommodates multiplicity. I don’t need everyone to share my beliefs, but I do need them to respect that my beliefs are real and that they inform how I care for others. I bring ritual, symbol, nature, ancestor work, presence, and awe into the room. I know how to listen in the gaps. That is my offering.
A different approach to spiritual care
Genuine spiritual care requires more than generic empathy. It asks us to become fluent in pluralism without pretending that one language fits all. It requires us to notice when we’re centring our worldview and to make room — real room — for others.
I bring a different voice into the circle. I honour the elements, the turning of the seasons, and the spirits of land and lineage. I sit with suffering without needing to fix it. I value mystery, presence, and story. That is spiritual care, too.
As a Pagan, I offer something different, and perhaps something that resonates more deeply if you’re:
- drawn to nature, the elements, or ancestral practices
- spiritual-but-not-religious
- curious about ritual or ceremony without dogma
- or simply unsure where to turn in times of change
My approach is grounded in listening, presence, and curiosity. It is shaped by the turning of the seasons, the cycles of life and death, and the belief that we are all connected — to one another, to the Earth, and something more.
That might mean:
- creating simple rituals to honour grief, change, or healing
- using symbols or elements (like water, stone, fire, or plants) in meaningful ways
- exploring spiritual themes through storytelling or journaling
- or simply holding space in silence, allowing what needs to arise to come to the surface
This care is not about fixing, teaching, or guiding you to a “right” path. It’s about accompanying you wherever you are and wherever you’re going.
Why you might want to work with a spiritual carer
You don’t have to be in a crisis to benefit from spiritual care. You might reach out if:
- You’re facing illness, ageing, or grief
- You’re in a period of spiritual doubt, awakening, or redefinition
- You want to mark a personal transition or threshold moment
- You’re seeking ritual, reflection, or reconnection
- You want to feel spiritually supported by someone who speaks your language
As someone who lives and works outside mainstream religion, I understand how rare and precious it is to be met on your terms. You deserve that.
You don’t have to do this alone
Spiritual care can be a deep exhale — a moment to pause, reflect, and reweave your story.
Whether you’re navigating grief, change, or just a deep yearning to reconnect with your spiritual self, you don’t have to figure it out alone. There is support that honours your path. There is care that recognises the sacred in the Earth, the breath, the story, and the silence.
Need support? Let’s talk
Whether you’re navigating grief, illness, a significant life transition, or simply longing for a deeper connection to your spiritual self, I offer one-on-one spiritual care sessions tailored to your unique path.
Rooted in presence, ritual, and relationship, my approach is gentle, grounded, and non-dogmatic. These sessions are especially welcoming to individuals who identify as Pagan, spiritual but not religious, nature-connected, or simply curious.
You deserve care that speaks your language.