Introduction: Spirituality is important yet difficult to define. Scientists began incorporating it into research in the late 20th century, prompting distictions between spirituality and religiosity. Within occupational therapy, spirituality is linked to occupations and to various models and frameworks of practice. Although spirituality and occupational therapy often intersect, few articles have been written on this topic, especially in Slovenian. Purpose: To gather literature that explores the intersection of spirituality and occupational therapy, specifically focusing on the perspectives of occupational therapists and occupational therapy students regarding the use of spirituality in occupational therapy practice. Methods: A literature search was conducted in three databases, following the guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute: Web of Science, PubMed, and CINAHL. The key concepts in the search were spirituality and occupational therapy. I assessed the quality of the selected articles and conducted an analysis based on the thematic synthesis method. Results: The analysis included 13 articles. Nine qualitative studies, three quantitative studies and one expert opinion. I identified five themes: spirituality in coping with pain and diagnosis; the importance of context and culture in integrating spirituality into treatment; barriers and incentives for integrating spirituality into occupational therapy; the desire for knowledge about spirituality; the role of spirituality in occupational therapy. Discussion and conclusion: Spirituality is present in occupational therapy in various ways. It helps clients cope with suffering, pain, and difficult experiences. In this context, it can also be a source of motivation. When incorporating spirituality into treatment, occupational therapists must be respectful and open-minded. They must be mindful of the client’s culture and context. Occupational therapists report numerous barriers to incorporating spirituality into treatment, such as: discomfort when discussing spiritual topics, lack of familiarity with the client’s spiritual practices, institutional rules, excessive self-involvement, time constraints, and insufficient knowledge. However, incentives may include an interest in this field, spirituality-related activities, and a good therapeutic relationship. If we wish to preserve the holistic nature of occupational therapy, we must not overlook spirituality, which can aid in working with groups or individuals and provide a sense of meaning and satisfaction.
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