Journal of Sacred Work

3 responses to “Day 289 – How do you create “The Healing Response?””

1. 

   Karen York

   October 15, 2008

   The advice given above are all descriptors of the preparations for being fully present with patients. Checking in with ourselves, being empathetic and realistically hopeful (is that an oxymoron?) are key ingredients for compassionate and healing encounters.

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2. 

   ~liz Wessel

   October 15, 2008

   Eve Henry’s recommendations are especially helpful because they are stated simply for ease of practical application and integration into one’s behavior. Reflections on these guidelines:
   1) Mindful-Acknowledging the hypersensitive state is important. As a clinician entering the home of a patient and family for the first time I often thought of myself as a diplomat entering a foreign country. In this time of building relationship, I agree, the power of language and self-awareness is critical.
   2) Friendly-This plants the seeds for a trusting relationship. What a patient and family really want to know is, do you care?
   3) Explore-Listening and communication in direct partnership with the patient is empowering. It helps to keep in mind that the family/caregivers are living the illness too. Family members can help advocate and report key information to the physician. However, there is a fine line and a balance to maintain. Well-meaning family members may sometimes intercede in patient-doctor communication to protect their loved one but this can undermine trust and the patient’s decision-making ability. An ill person wants to be seen as a human being who is living with an illness, not as the disease. Also, creating a space of acceptance of feelings without judgment is beneficial.
   4) Raise expectations-can foster a sense of hopefulness necessary in healing.

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3. 

   ~liz Wessel

   October 16, 2008

   Just thought I would share this as it seems to connect with this thread.
   “Good interpersonal relationships act as a buffer against stress,” says Micah Sadigh, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology at Cedar Crest College. Knowing you have people who support you keeps you healthy, mentally and physically: Chronic stress weakens the immune system and ages cells faster, ultimately shortening life span by 4 to 8 years, according to one study. Not just any person will do, however. “You need friends you can talk to without being judged or criticized,” says Sadigh.
   About 17 percent of Americans are flourishers, says a study in American Psychologist. They have a positive outlook on life, a sense of purpose and community, and are healthier than “languishers”—about 10 percent of adults who don’t feel good about themselves. Most of us fall somewhere in between. “We should strive to flourish, to find meaning in our lives,” says Corey Keyes, Ph.D., a professor of sociology at Emory University. “In Sardinia and Okinawa, where people live the longest, hard work is important, but not more so than spending time with family, nurturing spirituality, and doing for others.”

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