Spiritual and Psychological Inventory

Spiritual and Psychological Inventory

Peggy Benoit
Kaplan University

Spiritual and Psychological Inventory

Johnathan is my new client that I have been tasked to interview and help develop a
spiritual plan. Johnathan is a 39 year old man. He is divorced with 3 children, that he doesnt
have a relationship with. He has been arrested five times in the past 2 years for physical
altercations. Johnathan admits he smokes 1 pack of cigarettes per day and drink roughly a pint to
pint and half during the week days and drinks three times that amount on weekend. He doesnt
feel he has a problem with drinking and states he drinks because he is bored. Johnathan has a job
which he has been for the past three years that he hates but feels that because his problem with
the law he will not be able to find another job. Johnathan currently has a girlfriend for the past 2
months, but that relationship has been having problems stemming from his anger, abusive
relationship. Johnathan wants to improve himself but doesnt know how to fix whats wrong.
Johnathan states hed not happy with his life and feels that at some point something has to give.
My first question to Johnathan was what do you want to accomplish from this in the end?
His answer was I am not really sure. I want to be happy, like I see other people are. I dont know
how to be happy. I have been content but now, I am angry almost every day, and sometimes I am
angry when I wake up and dont know why. The reason I ask Johnathan this question is I wanted
to know what he expects from this plan, is he just participating because he wants to or just to
prove to others that he cant be fixed.
My second questions to him was, are you angry now and where do you feel your anger
stems from? Is there one thing that calms it or makes it worst. His response is I cant think of at
what point my anger started. I can say I had an ok childhood, nothing spectacular. I was raised by
my mother with three other siblings. We grew up poor but so did everyone around me. I started
getting into fights in high school and I look back it was over stupid thing. As I got older I just
continued. There is not one person or one thing that makes me angry. A lot of times, I start

Spiritual and Psychological Inventory

thinking things and then get angry for not reason whatsoever. My girlfriend feel my anger is
related to me drinking. She says that when I drink that my temper is short and that I am full of
anger and rage. When I asked Johnathan this question my main purpose was to attach his anger
to something in particular. I wanted to assess what the root to his anger (Walsh, 1999).
Next question, you mention that your girlfriend states that your anger is worst after you
drink, do you think that your drinking is a problem. His response, I admit that my temper is
worst when I drink, but I dont believe it is an issue. I dont think I have a problem with my
drinking. I think I can stop drinking at any time.
My next question stemmed from his last response. I asked Johnathan if he has ever
stopped drinking for a period of time and how did he fell during this time? His response was yes
he did quit drinking on a few occasions. He said he didnt feel that he was having dts. The only
time it seemed rough was when I smoked. I tend to smoke more when I drink. The one thing I
can say is that when I wasnt drinking I wanted something cold and sweet to eat (says this
chuckling). I asked this question to him to evaluate the addiction and to set a plan to help him
frustrate the addiction (Essential).
My next to Johnathan was, what is really important in your life right now and why?
Johnathan took a long pause after I asked this question. He then responded that the most
important thing in his life right now is his mother. He said that he can be going through hell but
as long as his momma is okay nothing else matters. The purpose of this question was so he can
see his life from a larger perspective (Walsh, 1999).
The fifth question I asked was, how much do your beliefs or values encourage you to
think about who you are and who you are becoming? I think about this all the time. Sometimes I

Spiritual and Psychological Inventory

feel that I am not the man I was should be. Growing up I was introduced to men that I vowed that
I would never be like but them but in many ways I have become them. My dad wasnt in my life
and it hurt me so bad and I have become him. The though upset me but I have become numb to
that after all this time. I dont think I am a total deadbeat I at least pay child support. I think I
have so much potential but I dont know how to apply it since I am this old. Its not like I am 17
years old and have a time to change. I want to be in a stable relationship raise my children and
look forward to the next day, but I dont know how. That question was to give him a chance to
reflect at his life. To see where he is at and where he want to be.
My sixth question to Johnathan was do you believe that life is about growth and change?
His response was, I dont know. I want to change some things about me but dont know how. In a
way my fear is whats stopping me. The fear that I wont succeed. I dont want to be views as a
failure. This question was so Johnathan was had some self- awareness (Seaward, 2015)
My seventh question was I want you to reflect on your life and tell one time that you
experienced happiness? It was when I use to spent time with my twin girls (at least I thought they
were my girls). They were my world. I would have done anything for those girls. They gave my
life worth meaning. Then he goes to on to tell me afterwards that when the twins turned four
years old he found out there were not his biological children and thought).
The mood changed some after the last question so I asked him what are you feeling right
now. He said, I feel hurt and angry, but mostly angry. I got attached to those girls. I would have
done anything in the world for them and to find out they werent mines hurt me to the core. I
think after that happened I lost all attachment to children. And the worst part is I lost the

Spiritual and Psychological Inventory

attachment to the children that I know are mines. When I asked this question I wanted him to be
aware of his feeling and what the root of his feelings were (Walsh, 1999).
The next question I asked him was, do you think you can allow yourself to love anyone?
His reply was I dont know. I dont trust to many people. I have been hurt by many people in my
life. If this were to happen I would be happy but hesitant at the same time. This question was
asked because I wanted him to see love a universal energy (Seward, 2015). No matter what
happens in your life what emotion that you are feeling that love can take that away?
My final question to Johnathan was, do you think you could forgive everyone who has
done you wrong? His reply was right now no by maybe later when I old. I wanted to see where
his state of mind was. I want him to see that there was no purpose to hold on to whatever he is
holding on to (Seaward, 2013).
In closing, Johnathans interview went somewhat good. I think the last few questions
bothered him and he felt uncomfortable. I think my evaluation went somewhat well. I think that
some of the questions I ask in the beginning were a little vague and that he didnt fully answer
the question. He tried to avoid eye contact especially toward the end of the interview. The
purpose of my questions were to let Johnathan see that many of his anger issues may be
stemming from his past wrong. Johnathan has potential of being a very good man but he is
limiting himself out of fear. It is obvious that he knows right from wrong. I do think that I might
have focused on his addiction to alcohol a little more. I think he needed to be shown the
correlation of that with his behavior. At times during the interview I feel he was telling me
answers that he felt that I wanted to hear and not what he felt. Johnathan has some way to go but
this was the start finding out how to help Johnathan, and interventions can be started.

Spiritual and Psychological Inventory

Spiritual and Psychological Inventory

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Reference

Seaward, B. (2013). The Art of Meditation. Health of the Human Spirit: Spiritual Dimensions for
PersonalHealth. 2nd Ed. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning, LLC
Seaward, B. (2015). Managing Stress: Principles and Stategies for Health and Well-Being
(EIGHT ed.). Jones and Barlett Learning.
Walsh, R. (1999). Essential spirituality: The 7 central practices to awaken heart and mind. New
York: J. Wiley.