Reflection on the Role of the Spirit in Finding Meaning and Healing as Clincians.

Author: Jacobs C1
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup>Smith College School for Social Work and Elizabeth Marting Treuhaft Professor Emerita of Social Work. Electronic address: cjacobs@smith.edu.
Conference/Journal: J Pain Symptom Manage.
Date published: 2017 Nov 14
Other: Pages: S0885-3924(17)30642-5 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2017.11.011. [Epub ahead of print] , Word Count: 161


Reflections on the Role of the Spirit in Finding Meaning and Healing as Clinicians is based on a presentation for the George Washington Spirituality and Health Summer Institute July 13, 2017. The presentation invited health care professionals to explore contemplative practices as ways to invite the Spirit into strengthening their resilience in caring for themselves and others. As clinicians there is often a longing to be grounded in a regular contemplative practice centering one's inner life and to acknowledge the creative energy of the Spirit in relationships. This reflection draws on resilience research that finds that contemplative practices such as deep breathing; meditation, reflective writing and peer or community support enhance ways of meaning making and healing. Contemplative practices are provided that can connect clinicians to the Spirit with the purpose of leading to increased meaning and healing in self and relationships.

Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

KEYWORDS: spirituality

PMID: 29154892 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2017.11.011