A Time For Listening And Caring

Written by both medical and religious professionals, as well as those who study exclusively the interaction between the two worlds, this text deals with the spiritual and religious care of the chronically ill and dying. Case studies are included throughout.

"Our fascination with the topic of contextualizing care began about twenty years ago when the evidence-based medicine movement had taken hold. We noticed that although medical residents were skilled at identifying the latest studies and guidelines, their care plans often didn't seem appropriate once one considered the life challenges some of their patients were facing. We'd see, for instance, a patient with poorly controlled asthma put on a higher dose of a medication they weren't taking, rather than a cheaper generic, when the context was that they couldn't afford it. We coined the terms "contextual error" to describe these kinds of mistakes and "contextualized care" when patients' care plans are adapted to their life circumstances"--

John Savage offers nine specific, definable, and teachable techniques to improve communication. He delineates his own proven successful program of training in the non-profit/business arena for listening skills, and also includes exercises and examples of techniques taken from congregational situations.

This book encourages health professionals in primary care to reflect on listening in their work with patients — the choices they make, the relationships which emerge and the limits that they put in place. It is useful for trainee doctors and to established general practitioners.

Providing a bridge between research in healthcare and spirituality and practitioner perspectives, these essays on chaplaincy in healthcare continue dialogue around constructing, negotiating and researching spiritual care and discuss the critical issues in chaplaincy work, including assisted suicide and care in children's hospices. Each section of the book is introduced by an academic theologian, giving the book a strong theoretical base, before serving healthcare chaplains offer their perspectives and experiences with material drawn from practice in a broad spectrum of healthcare contexts. The integration of theory and practical application in these essays will be of interest to chaplains, healthcare practitioners, and students of theology and healthcare.

At the centre of any caring role is listening attentively to the concerns, narratives and needs of others. But to develop the skills of listening, learning, caring and counselling (LLCC) you need support and training. Written by an experienced and awarded therapist, Listening, Learning, Caring and Counselling is an authoritative, comprehensive guide full of ideas and techniques designed to fill that role. The main emphasis of this highly accessible reference work is on how health and related professionals can assist clients as they work through the issues they commonly present with — such as depression, relationship issues, addiction and grief. Numerous therapies and their related techniques are described and synthesized into the LLCC approach, while case studies, skills and tips for everyday practice make it a practical and user-friendly resource. Listening, Learning, Caring and Counselling is essential reading for counsellors, support workers, case workers, medical practitioners, health professionals — from physiotherapists, pharmacists, doctors, dentists and their assistants to nutritionists and naturopaths — serious life coaches and emergency workers, as well as those in the fields of human resources.

“This book explains not only the healing power of compassionate human connection, but in the most accessible and practical ways, how to cultivate our capacity to create that connection and thereby empower others to find their best selves.”—John Makransky, author of Awakening through Love All of us have an innate capacity for compassion. We recognize when others are hurting, and we want to help, but we’re not always good at it. There is another way. In The Compassionate Connection, Dr. David Rakel explains how we can strengthen our bonds with others—all the while doing emotional and physical good for ourselves. As founder and director of the University of Wisconsin Integrative Medicine program, Dr. Rakel discovered that we become the most effective helpers when we use the tool of human connection. Drawing on his own research and practice, as well as thirty years of published studies in medicine, sociology, psychology, meditation, and neuroscience, Dr. Rakel "stacks the deck" in favor of healing and introduces the concept of bio-psycho-spiritual authentic awareness. Not only are our bodies and minds connected, but also it has been scientifically proven that our capacity to feel beauty, awe, and compassion enhances our health and wellbeing. In The Compassionate Connection, Dr. Rakel provides an innovative approach to enhancing health in others and strengthening relationships through the art of connecting. These tools guide us to improve our connections—whether between doctor and patient, husband and wife, parent and child, or boss and employee—and live with clarity, wisdom, and good health.

'Compassion, in its many manifestations, is the key to rediscovering what lies at the heart of nursing practice all over the world. It is absolutely essential that nurses start to revisit compassion as a central focus for nursing practice...' This user-friendly book adopts a patient-centred approach to care. The challenging theories are grounded in practical applications, encouraging readers to recognise opportunities for change in their daily practice. The book focuses on six key concepts central to compassionate care: A*