How A Hospice Chaplain Supports Clients Who Aren’t Religious

Hospice teams consist of a network of providers who provide a range of care—from clinical and compassionate to task-oriented to 100% dedicated to our clients’ comfort and emotional well-being. Our hospice chaplains are a vital link in this chain of support.

While the title “chaplain” has religious connotations, hospice chaplains are not your average “clergy.” They understand and welcome the fact that our hospice clients and families come from a broad range of religious and spiritual traditions, including no traditions at all or 100% atheist.  That’s just fine with us, and all are absolutely welcome!

The Amazing Role Of The Hospice Chaplain (No Religious Beliefs Required)

When you sign up for hospice service, you and your family are instantly supported by an incredible and versatile team. One of the team’s key players is the chaplain. The term chaplain is rooted in Latin (cappellus) and means “clergyman.” The 21st-century meaning of “chaplain” is entirely non-denominational, and many chaplains have never served as clergy for any specific institution. They are not concerned with whether or not you believe in God. They’re most interested in the well-being of your heart, mind, and spirit.

What Are The Qualifications To Become A Hospice Chaplain

Most hospice chaplains have been lifetime philosophers, theologians, and questioners. Even if their primary personal religion is rooted in Judeo-Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or other origins, they have an infinite interest in curiosity in every spiritual tradition. If you ask about their credentials, most hospice chaplains have a:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Graduate-level degree in divinity studies, comparative religion, theology, or a related subject.
• Deep understanding of the community’s resources, including religious/spiritual churches, temples, centers, other clergy, etc.
• Respected position within their community’s spiritual and religious network.

Hospice chaplains may also have an additional certification in spiritual direction or spiritual counseling, broadening their experience serving people from diverse backgrounds. Depending on their personal calling, they may or may not have served as an official clergy member. Most importantly, chaplains are called to serve anyone in their time of need – whether or not the client views themselves as a religious or spiritual devotee. They disdain “exclusionary” structures, and the doors of their hearts are always open.

Core Ways A Hospice Chaplain Supports Those Who Aren’t Religious

Are chaplains there to read scripture or discuss religious beliefs, questions, and concerns? Yes! They are also there to listen to fears, concerns, and questions about what happens to the body or spirit when we die. But that’s not all they do.  Perhaps more than anything, a hospice chaplain supports and serves clients by helping them to experience as much peace of heart, mind, and soul as possible in the last chapter of their lives – in whatever forms that may take.

Connect you with the right spiritual support

Just because a client is non-religious doesn’t mean they don’t need spiritual support. In most cases, our chaplain’s comprehensive knowledge of world religions, cultures, texts, etc., is enough to give our clients what they need. However, if it’s not a good match or a client is looking for a specific type of spiritual support, our chaplains work to connect them with the right person in our community or to find them online resources that can help.

Provide healing for religious trauma 

Sometimes, clients who are not religious – or completely opposed to religion – turned away from the faith they were raised with due to a trauma of some kind, such as harsh doctrines, honest questions that were frowned upon rather than explored, or liturgy that seemed contrary to their experience of God. Or, they may have seen how twisted versions of religion harmed someone they loved. Chaplains provide a soft landing for clients to revisit that and release pent-up pain, anger, and resentment. They are adept at providing an open, honest, and non-reactive presence for those who need to express their experience and find some resolution or freedom.

Pondering the big questions

Even the most devoted of atheists may feel compelled to face the broader questions – and mysteries – of life and death. Chaplains are interested in the same things. Many of our non-religious clients appreciate our chaplains’ well-read backgrounds and their interest in discussing philosophy, the cosmos, and the human experience. This makes for satisfying conversations and interesting readings. Ironically, regular visits by hospice chaplains can be the “favorites” for non-religious clients.

Supporting the esoteric experience

One definition of esoteric is: intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with specialized knowledge or interest. This goes along with pondering the big questions.  For those with a strong religious or spiritual conviction/practice, answers to esoteric questions are often answered directly – and specifically – by their doctrines or religious texts. That’s not the case for those who aren’t religious, and chaplains are excellent facilitators of esoteric conversations and queries.

Creating supportive, personal rituals around life and death

Chaplains are there to provide comfort and support to those who are dying and their families. Without a religious practice to fall back on, many clients are interested in finding their own rituals or ceremonies that help them honor their life, death, or moments of pain and strife.  Our chaplains can draw on a wide repertoire of rituals and ceremonial traditions from a range of cultures and traditions. Or, after learning more about who you are and what is important to you, they can help you curate readings, poems, music, or practices rooted in your personal beliefs, feelings, and traditions.

Unconditional emotional support

Much of the emotional processing involved in facing the end of life is emotional. Inevitably, hospice clients spend a fair bit of time performing some version of a life review. Sometimes, this is a very inward process; other times, it’s done in conversations or while remembering family stories and events with loved ones. This process often leads to big questions, and your hospice chaplain can help you work through those. 

Learn How A Hospice Chaplain Supports Your Loved One’s End-of-Life Experience

Are you interested in learning more about the chaplain’s role on your hospice team? Schedule a consultation with Hospice of the Golden Isles. We promise you that being missionaries or converting people to a particular religion has absolutely no part in what we do.