Presentations
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• Faith Perspectives on Suffering: Religion as the Interpretive Lens
  Religion/faith tradition/spirituality is one lens through which the meaning/purpose of suffering is discerned. The foundational beliefs of a faith tradition and the subsequent image of the Divine often determine how suffering is perceived.
• Why vs Why Me? : The Search for Meaning in the Midst of Suffering
  In the midst of suffering either physically, emotionally, or spiritually, we yearn to understand the "whys" of our predicament. "Why Me?" is a question suggesting we are victims, whereas "Why?" is a question compelling us to seek meaning in the midst of suffering, meaning that transcends suffering. "WHY?" is a question worth exploring.
• Chronic and Terminal Illness: A Family Challenge
  Chronic/terminal illness is not an individual crisis. Rather, it is a challenge presented to a family wherein the concerns and emotions of each person within the context of the family must be considered if the family is to function effectively and meet the demands of the illness.
• Grief: Out of the Closet: The Need to Mourn Our Losses
  We live in a society that grieves well and mourns poorly. We have become experts in stuffing our emotions, avoiding the pain of our losses, and diverting our attention through addictive behaviors. There comes a time when we need to air out our losses, experience and express the intensity of our emotions, and understand that our losses must be integrated into our lives, not avoided.
• Trends in Healthcare: Demographics, Economics, and Quality of Care
  The United States demographic trends combined with the current status of the healthcare system are cause for concern when projecting trends in healthcare services. As a society, we are living longer but not necessarily better. A small percentage of our population will die from acute illnesses with the remainder succumbing to chronic or terminal illnesses. How can we insure that the desired quality of care is available when needed?
• Health and Spirituality: The Relationship between Body and Spirit
  Human beings are complex creatures experiencing life through interconnected, interdependent systems: the mind, the body, and the spirit. We have all heard "the miracle" stories of people overcoming incredible odds by the power of prayer or creative visualization. How do our foundational beliefs impact our physical health?
• Advance Directives: Five Wishes and Ethical Wills
  Advance directives document your wishes for healthcare when you are unable (physically or mentally) to articulate those wishes. The most important designation is that of Medical Durable Power of Attorney, the person you wish to serve as your healthcare agent when you are incapacitated. Completing an advance directive and then discussing the contents with your family and friends is a tremendous gift, a gift that alleviates the doubt and overwhelming responsibility associated with end-of-life decisions.
• Children's Perception of Death: Developmental Issues
  Children grieve and mourn differently than adults due to a different understanding of loss and death. An appreciation for how a child perceives death allows adults to respond in more effective, compassionate ways. As a child matures cognitively, emotionally, and spiritually, the child comprehends the ramifications of loss and death quite differently.
• Hospice and Palliative Care: A Philosophy of Compassionate Care
  Palliative care is an interdisciplinary approach to healthcare that recognizes the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of illness. Interdisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals serve patients and families to address suffering at various levels…mind, body, and spirit. Hospice is a form of palliative care reserved for those deemed terminal with less than six (6) months to live.
• Hospice Volunteer Opportunities: How You Can Serve Others
  When chatting with friends several years ago, they were surprised to learn of my internship as a hospice chaplain. My friends responded in a most expected way, "I don't know how you do it. Dealing with death everyday." Much to their surprise, I said, " I am incredibly blessed to do this work. Hospice is not about death…it is all about life. By companioning those who are dying, I am learning how to live." If you are seeking meaningful volunteer work, I invite you to share this incredible journey with the families we serve. Your life will be forever changed.
• Creating Communities of Care: via Share The Care™
  Currently in the United States, an estimated 44 million people are serving as primary caregivers who face the daily challenges posed by chronic, advanced, or terminal illnesses. At a time when our healthcare systems are stressed, families are geographically scattered, and technology serves to isolate and insulate, Share The Care™ is a refreshing and relational approach to caregiving. Family members, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and volunteers unite to create a community of care...a community offering time and talents to meet the diverse and varied needs of the patient and their family.
• Compassion Fatigue: How to Mitigate Secondary Traumatic Stress
  To witness the suffering of another person (emotionally, spiritually, or physically) puts us at risk of experiencing compassion fatigue. Whether working as a professional caregiver or companioning our friends and family, we often manifest the stress expressed by those we serve due to our empathetic and compassionate response to the situation. We must learn to recognize the signals of compassion fatigue, in ourselves and our colleagues, and subsequently engage in corrective behaviors.
• Caregiving & Care Receiving: Insights from Psalm 23
  How does our faith, our foundational spiritual beliefs, inform our ability to give and receive care? For most, we have an inherent desire to help other people; we give of our time, talents, and treasures to those in need. However, it is very difficult to ask for help. By exploring Psalm 23 and examining the role of "good shepherd," perhaps we can gain a new perspective on the continuous cycle of giving AND receiving.
• Communicating End-of-Life Wishes: Death is Not Optional
  This may come as a shock to some, but death is not optional. We as human beings are born "terminal"…we ain't getting outta here alive! This is said not to trivialize death; rather, it is said to highlight the importance of living each moment. Since we have no guarantees other than our mortality, we should be compelled to discuss and explain our end-of-life wishes with our family and friends. Do not miss this opportunity. Your life depends on it.
• What do you say when you don't know what to say?"
  When someone we know tells us that he or she has received a diagnosis of a life- threatening or very challenging illness, it is difficult to know the "right thing to say." In our shock while trying to be helpful, we often feel unprepared, uncomfortable and inadequate. The ability to be a good listener and respond with empathy and support is a learned skill. In this program, the art and skill of listening and responding with gentleness and compassion will be explored. Participants will have a chance to "role-play" and gain confidence in responding to these difficult and delicate conversations.
• A Story Line to Change: Palliative Care in Residential Care Communities
  There is a growing need to improve knowledge of and access to palliative and hospice care within the nursing home community. By identifying a person's end-of-life wishes and understanding the opportunities available to them, family members and professional caregivers can help avoid needless medical interventions and prolonged suffering A daughter opens her heart to help other families and professionals write a different story by sharing her story about her father’s end-of-life journey.