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Body, mind, spirit. These three tenets have defined osteopathic medicine since A.T. Still, DO, famously unfurled our profession’s flag in 1874. More than 150 years later, we practice in a world where efficiency often eclipses connection and metrics threaten to overshadow meaning.
In such a landscape, tending to the spiritual wellness of physicians and patients is not optional. It is essential. To explore what this looks like in practice, I spoke with five AOA members across specialties and faith traditions, asking how they understand and sustain spiritual wellness in the healing work they do each day.
I began the conversations by asking our members how they understood spiritual wellness within the osteopathic triad of body, mind and spirit. Their answers were distinct, shaped by their backgrounds and beliefs, yet unified by a shared conviction: spiritual wellness is not separate from clinical care, but rather informs it.
For Shan Khan, DO, a hospice and palliative care physician in Memphis, Tennessee, spiritual wellness is best understood through the lens of tensegrity, the system in which every structure holds together through balanced tension.
“Everything is connected,” he explained. “Cultural and religious beliefs impact physical health and mental outlook. To address spiritual care is to care for the body.”
For Dr. Khan, spiritual wellness is one of the essential forces of medicine.
Sherry O’Donnell, DO, a family medicine physician in St. Joseph, Michigan, described spiritual wellness through Christian scripture that guides her work. She quoted from the Bible, 3 John 1:2: “I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”
For her, this verse is both a promise and a professional mandate, confirming the well-being of the spirit is inseparable from the healing of the body.
If spiritual wellness provides the structure for whole person care, its impact often becomes clearest in clinical practice. Physicians are entrusted with secrets and stories that patients may never disclose elsewhere, and it is in these encounters where spiritual presence becomes a form of healing. Craig Amnott, DO, a family medicine physician in Monroe, New York recalls:
“I had a patient a few years ago who presented with typical somatic complaints (back, head, etc.). After doing the typical musculoskeletal work up, which came back negative, I asked him about his soul and spirit and was he experiencing any issues here. He broke down in tears and talked about his failing marriage. I happened to have a seven-part DVD series, put out by my church, on marriage. I gave him that as a gift.
“Months later he came back and thanked me profusely as he watched the series, decided to begin attending church, made significant changes and as he told me, ‘Doc, you saved my marriage.’ All because I addressed his soul and spirit.”
For Dr. Amnott, this encounter confirmed when physicians create space in addressing the spiritual dimension of a patient’s life, it reveals dysfunction that may be hidden from other diagnostic tests.
Every physician I spoke with experienced seasons in their training and practice that tested their purpose and endurance. For Ari Goldwaser, DO, a dual board-certified neuromusculoskeletal medicine and family medicine physician in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, this recognition came early.
“I was in my ER rotation where all the residents were talking about their estate plans, and what they would do when they eventually burn-out. That was all they would talk about in their downtime. What is this? This is not normal,” he said.
The practice of Shabbat, a weekly day of rest, became a lifeline for him. “It has been lifesaving for myself, my wife and my kids,” he reflected.
During the hectic season of residency “[his] family knew [he] was home and present each week, one day a week, no matter what.”
For Dr. O’Donnell, leading her own integrative practice comes with immense stress. A Saturday morning prayer group that meets at her office and being in church on Sunday, she explained, “fills [her] up” and encourages her spirit.
Dr. Khan finds his grounding in the rhythms of the Qur’an: “Turning to the Qur’an, reading the Qur’an, reciting the Qur’an reminds me the service of others is for the sake of God,” he said.
Across traditions, these physicians acknowledged the deliberate practice of returning to what anchors their spirit is what provides support amidst the pressures that come with practicing medicine.
When asked how their view of healing has evolved, the physicians spoke of development cultivated by changing seasons of clinical encounters, moments of triumph, grief and humility.
David Klink, DO, an ophthalmologist, retired Navy Captain and senior associate dean of clinical affairs at Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (BUCOM) in Memphis, Tennessee, offered a perspective shaped by years of leadership in training physicians and caring for patients:
“Physicians are like patients: they all come from different places, they all have different belief systems and traditions. Some have never really dealt seriously and thought through fundamental existential issues of life: What’s the meaning of life? Where did this all come from? What comes afterwards? And if you haven’t dealt with those and aren’t comfortable with those yourself, it’s hard to help a patient who’s having those questions.
“Healing is no longer simply correcting pathology or finding resolution of symptoms. Instead, it is a relational act, an encounter that acknowledges the whole person and recognizes the profound questions that often surface in times of illness.”
Spiritual wellness is not only a personal practice, but a responsibility shared through example and presence. Dr. Khan noted how often patients express gratitude when physicians address spirituality directly and respectfully.
A few physicians emphasized that spiritual wellness is more “caught” than taught, absorbed through character and attitude. For Dr. Goldwaser, joy is central.
“A big part of Judaism is joy,” he explained, “I come in and tell the front desk, ‘Today is going to be a great day!’”
In his experience, such intentionality shapes the spiritual climate of a practice and teaches residents and students that presence is part of professionalism.
When invited to share a piece of wisdom for AOA readers on spiritual wellness, the physicians offered reflections marked by courage, conviction and clarity.
Dr. O’Donnell urged readers: “Be intentional, stay grounded, don’t compromise.”
Dr. Klink highlighted the importance of community and Scripture in challenging times: “When times get heavy, remain connected to your spiritual community and connected to God through reading the Word and prayer.”
Dr. Khan offered guidance rooted in Islamic tradition: “Have spiritual wellness, have a connection with God. … try to have a connection, even if you don’t believe. We believe in fitra, the innate sense in every person towards God.”
Others placed a sense of urgency in their advice.
“Just do it,” insisted Dr. Amnott, “Don’t be afraid. If you’re in an environment that does not allow this, change environments.”
Dr. Goldwaser chuckled with his response and added, “Don’t wait until you have time! You won’t have time. Start now!”
Across all five voices, one theme emerged: spiritual wellness is not a luxury for physicians, but a necessity that keeps the healer whole as they continue the sacred work of healing others.
Together, these conversations affirm that spiritual wellness is central to the identity of osteopathic medicine. Whether expressed through recitation, reading or rest, such actions sustain physicians through the challenges of practicing in the modern day. As we look ahead to the future and growth of osteopathic medicine, nurturing the spirit of our members may be one of the best ways we safeguard the future of our profession and the wellness of our patients.