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FICA for Lay People 
FICA: A Spiritual Self-Assessment Tool
The acronym FICA can help structure questions in taking a personal spiritual history.
F:
Do I have a spiritual belief that helps me cope with stress? With illness? What gives my life meaning?
I:
Is this belief important to me? Does it influence how I think about my health and illness? Does it influence my healthcare decisions?
C:
Do I belong to a spiritual community (church, temple, mosque or other group)? Am I happy there? Do I need to do more with the community? Do I need to search for another community? If I don't have a community, would it help me if I found one?
A:
What should be my action plan? What changes do I need to make? Are there spiritual practices I want to develop? Would it help for me to see a chaplain, spiritual director, or pastoral counselor?
Copyright 2003 Christina M. Puchalski, MD
