Guiding Families to Mindfulness Supports Decision Making for Adults and Children (TH305)

Abstract

•List at least three ways to help individuals/families achieve mindfulness.•Identify three ways in which indigenous and first-nation people view illness and healing.•Experiential exercise using traditional methods for creating mindfulness. Mindfulness-based techniques focus one’s attention on the moment, acknowledging feelings, thoughts, and sensations. Meditation, devotional prayers, guided imagery create an inner space where new wisdom may be gained. Mind-body approaches commonly achieve a tranquil inner state in which new insights may ‘appear’ to patients, family members, or caregivers. A priest, rabbi, chaplain, indigenous (first nation) healer, shaman, or integrative healer can guide people to a mindful state when the patient is too ill to actively participate. This state can aid patients/families in making difficult decisions regarding healthcare, especially in those world cultures which do not easily embrace Western cognitive behavioral approaches to decision making. Journeying into one's inner self, i.e. becoming mindful of the moment, is facilitated in many cultures through the use of a sonic drive such as drum to focus the attention and achieve a tranquil inner state. In this state, one becomes open to new insights, visions, understandings, epiphanies, and information that may not be accessible in our usual state of awareness and inner talking. We have conducted dozens of mindful journeying with patients and their families over the last few years. Families report new insights/understanding during the process and achieve new clarity on what decisions they feel they need to make. No negative psychological events occurred. Several patients were critically ill, terminally ill or legally brain dead. Families found the experience comforting, reassuring, and helpful in achieving insights they were not able to achieve with conventional Western approaches. Our work supporting patients' spiritual healing needs was featured on a national public television segment, Healing Quest. Workshop attendees will have an opportunity to experience this process to understand how it may benefit their patients. Our experience guiding patients and families to mindfulness will be shared with the attendees through this experiential session.