Mindful congruence, four noble truths and healing relationships

Abstract

Amidst the commotion of constant changes in health care systems, budget cuts, burnout and compassion fatigue there are resilient clinicians who relieve suffering and promote healing in those who seek their care. This workshop will focus on how doctors, nurses, and allied health care professionals serve in this way while maintaining equanimity and sense of meaning in their work and personal lives.This 90-minute experiential-based workshop will be divided into three parts.First, Mindful Clinical Practice will be described using narratives from different health care professionals in various settings. Mindful Congruence will be defined, along with Satir’s four other communication stances.Second, how the Four Noble Truths stemming from Buddhist philosophy inform clinical practice will be discussed with an emphasis on the Eightfold Path to end suffering. Third, a model of Healing Relationships (Scott et al, 2008; 2009) will be used to help participants identify underlying processes contributing to the relational outcomes: hope, trust, and being known. An Appreciative Inquiry exercise will be used to enrich participants’ understanding of their own experiences of being healers in clinical encounters.If and how medicine may be a spiritual practice will be examined.At the end of the workshop participants will be able to: 1. Define Mindful Congruence.2. Understand how the Four Noble Truths from Buddhist philosophy inform clinical practice.3. See how meditation practice contributes to clinicians’ mindfulness and emotional regulation.4. Discern the competencies and processes underlying healing.