Spiritual Counselors
Advantage Health Systems Hospice provides chaplains, also known as spiritual counselors, as part of the hospice care team. Spiritual counselors address religious and spiritual needs, coordinate with community clergy by request, and provide emotional support for patients and families.
All counselors, while rooted in their own spiritual and faith traditions, serve without discrimination to those of all backgrounds. Their role is to honor what is sacred for each person they serve, rather than to impose any certain set of beliefs or practices.
For some, music, art, and the outdoors provide a feeling of sacredness…
while for others, religious and spiritual ritual, prayer, and readings provide a comfort and sense of meaning.
We serve our patients and families with respect and deeply honor their culture and background.
Spiritual counselors uphold the dignity of our patients until their last day. They consistently affirm and advocate for the humanity and inherent value of each person they serve.
As part of the hospice team, they collaborate closely with the clinical team to provide well rounded, personalized care for each patient.
To be aware of the end of one’s life can bring up significant issues, insights, and concerns. Spiritual counselors provide active listening and counseling support for whatever might come up for patients and those who care for them: family members, friends of the patient, and facility staff.
Spiritual counselors also provide memorial service facilitation by request, and are trained to work with those from a variety of faith backgrounds as well as those with no formal faith background.
They value the opportunity to work with those from all different walks of life, hearing their stories, and helping to affirm what has been meaningful to them in their life, as well as what has been challenging in their life and what has helped them to cope in the past.