Heart and Soul: Spiritual Care in the Journey of Recovery

Heart and Soul: Spiritual Care in the Journey of Recovery

Conference: Innovative Solutions for Building Recovery with Alternatives to Psychotropic Medication

Friday, Sep 21, 2012
Hilton Garden Inn, Freeport, Maine Workshop/Presentation: A4: Heart and Soul: Spiritual Care in the Journey of Recovery
Frederic Craigie, Jr, PhD

A very substantial body of literature attests to the significance of various spiritual perspectives and practices for health and well-being. Increasingly, the conversation has turned to the specifics of how the resources of spirituality may be incorporated in person-centered medicine. This session discussed a three-fold model in which the personal centeredness and groundedness of clinicians, the clinical encouragement of patients’ spiritual resources, and the organizational cultivation of spirited leadership and “soul” work in concert to support healing and wholeness for patients and clinicians alike. The presenter paid particular attention to themes of transcendence (helping people to let go of uncontrollable life experiences) and purpose (helping people to identify and give expression to personal life values).