Longing for Wholeness

Spirituality, resilience and meaning through Whole Person Caregiving

Center for Spiritual Life and Wholeness
 Learning Objectives
» Define whole person care in relation to the CLEAR Whole Person Care Model
» Explain the value of one’s own spiritual core when providing whole person care
» Understand the value of connection in relation to whole person care
» Explain the disadvantages of not connecting well – with God, self and others
» Describe the CLEAR WPC program
» Identify the barriers to connecting with others
» Explore how the theoretical concept of connection is developed through
character strengths, personal skills and practical application to provide a better
framework for giving and experiencing whole person care
Life fragments us
Loss of dreams: Who can estimate?

In different ways . . .
2 divorces5 per
children die from abuse every day
minute
Nearly two people die each second (world)

6.8 million broken

bones per year

Nearly 3000 per day (USA)

We have various solutions . . .
We mask

We withdraw
We eat

We cover up

We keep secrets
We take action
We “cope”
Se say nothing
 Learn to live with fragmentation
What is the effect of fragmentation?

But we long for wholeness

We are ashamed
 Is wholeness possible?

» Place A Certain Kind of Light here…

Film reflection
 What does it mean to be whole?
Why do we “long” for it?

Kintsugi art: Whole and broken at the same time…

What is your story?
» Get into pairs
» Identify something on YOUR body (piece of clothing, jewelry, scar, hair,
etc) that you want to talk about
» For ONE MINUTE, tell the story about that item to your partner
» At one minute, I will call time and then the next person will tell a story about
something on his/her body
What is the glue that “connects” the
fragments?
» Qualities -- It must be:
~ Resilient (flexible, yet enduring and strong)
~ Valuable (fragmentation is not valued)
~ Possible here and now
~ Preserve the memory of fragmentation (we do not forget, even if we
remember differently)
Spiritual core
» Self help movement
» Love (“it’s all about love”)
» The teaching and healing ministry of Jesus
~ A different kind of vulnerability
~ A different kind of forgiveness
~ A different kind of connecting the fragments
~ A different kind of moving forward
 Wholeness is possible
with the right kind of “glue”

To connect is not to be perfect…

But to be whole
And out of that….everything else flows
Every encounter with another person
is an opportunity for
wholeness or fragmentation
Through who we are
And how we act
We move towards wholeness
Or we further the fragmentation
It is never neutral
CLEAR Whole Person Care® Model
CLEAR Whole Person Care
»CONNECT
C Connect with God (spiritual core), self, and others

»LISTEN
L Be fully present in a sacred time of sharing

»EXPLORE
E Invite whole person conversations

»ACKNOWLEDGE
A Empathize and communicate understanding

»
»RESPOND
R
RESPOND Share resources that affirm strength and offer hope
CLEAR Whole Person Care
»CONNECT Connect with God (spiritual core), self, and others
- Character strengths and skills to develop
- Practical applications
»LISTEN Be fully present in a sacred time of sharing

»EXPLORE Invite whole person conversations

»ACKNOWLEDGE Empathize and communicate understanding

»RESPOND Share resources that affirm strength and offer hope

CLEAR Whole Person Care
»CONNECT Connect with God (spiritual core), self, and others
~ Character strengths and skills to develop
• Awareness of spiritual core, self, and others
• Communication skills
• Love and kindness
• Purpose
• Time management
~ Practical applications
• Greet with kindness
• Recognize and introduce
• Explain purpose for encounter
• Time: Discuss time constraints
• Engage and invite response
Why a model?
» Assures that what we know and understand about whole person care is
lived out in similar ways within the community of health caregivers.
~ It is LIVED – and LIVED OUT in similar ways
~ Increases the possibility that what we say finds expression in the way
we live our lives (personally and professionally)
Let’s talk about CONNECT
CLEAR Whole Person Care
»CONNECT film
CLEAR Whole Person Care
»CONNECT Connect with God (spiritual core), self, and others
~ Character strengths and skills to develop
• Awareness of spiritual core, self, and others
• Communication skills
• Love and kindness
• Purpose
• Time management
~ Practical applications
• Greet with kindness
• Recognize and introduce
• Explain purpose for encounter
• Time: Discuss time constraints
• Engage and invite response
CLEAR Whole Person Care
»CONNECT Connect with God (spiritual core), self, and others
~ Character strengths and skills to develop
• Awareness of spiritual core, self, and others
• Communication skills
• Love and kindness
• Purpose
• Time management
Kingfishers Catch Fire Gerard Manley Hopkins

As kingfishers catch fire

Dragonflies draw flame;
As tumbled over rim in roundy wells
Stones ring; . . .
Each mortal thing does one thing and
the same:
Deals out that being indoors each
one dwells;
Selves – goes itself; myself it speaks
and spells,
Crying What I do is me: for that I came.. . .
Acts in God’s eye what in God’s eye he is –
Christ. For Christ plays in ten thousand places,,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men’s faces
Some people don’t “get” poems

Let’s translate and read it again

Kingfishers Catch Fire Translated by Carla

Just as kingfishers have feathers of fire

And dragonflies have brilliant colors like flames
Just as rocks thrown into a well can’t
help but “ring” as they fall to the
bottom
 We all do one thing that is similar
We express ourselves through our own uniqueness

After all, we can really only be ourselves

We cry out, What I do is me: for that I came.. . .
I act according to who I am–in Christ.
Through all of us Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Becoming lovely to others through eyes that are not His
Through the features of all of our faces
We bring . . .
» Ourselves
We bring . . .
» Our connection to God (spiritual core)
Hiking to the plateau
Cypher gets there before I do . . .
The Plateau
We bring . . .
» Our connection to others
Research around social connection
» Social connectedness (satisfying relationships with family, friends and
community) is associated with:
~ Increased happiness
~ Fewer health problems (potentially as much impact on health as blood
pressure, smoking, physical activity and obesity)
~ Longer life (and decreased mortality)
~ Strengthened immune system
~ Higher self esteem
~ Increased empathy for others
» A relative lack of social ties is associated with:
~ Depression
~ Later-life cognitive decline
~ Increased mortality
Close confidants decreasing
» Number of people with whom I could share a personal problem
~ 1985: three
~ 2004: one (with 25% saying they have no one)
BUT…not about how many Facebook
friends you have
» More about your perception of whether or not you are/feel connected
» Film clip on Dr. Soo Kim
How does it work?
» Biological mechanisms:
~ Cardiovascular health indicators: blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol
levels
~ Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (cortisol related – produced in
response to stress)
~ Summary: may be a buffer/alarm effect (with supportive connections
providing a buffer and negative connections producing alarm)
» Psychological mechanisms
~ Positive connections and reduced physiological arousal
~ Perception and appraisal – of more importance than size of network
• What we tell ourselves = the larger factor
How does it work? continued
» Social mechanisms
~ Social support
~ Companionship
~ Social control or regulation: encouraging/discouraging healthy
behaviors
• mostly likely to work if it doesn’t generate negative results (nagging,
coercion, undermining of self-efficacy
» Spiritual mechanisms
~ A healthy/positive theology: Unconditional love, forgiveness, support
~ Social support within a spiritual community
~ Service to others – resulting in personal meaning
CLEAR Whole Person Care
»CONNECT Connect with God (spiritual core), self, and others
~ Character strengths and skills to develop
• Awareness of spiritual core, self, and others
• Communication skills
• Love and kindness
• Purpose
• Time management
Communication skills
» Personal temperament
» Personal background (trauma, love, social situations)
» Ability to deal with conflict
» Ability to communicate care
CLEAR Whole Person Care
»CONNECT Connect with God (spiritual core), self, and others
~ Character strengths and skills to develop
• Awareness of spiritual core, self, and others
• Communication skills
• Love and kindness
• Purpose
• Time management
Love and kindness

Scan the environment for clues.

Watch and listen for cues.
Create a relationship of hope, trust and meaning.

People may not remember WHAT YOU SAY,

but they do remember HOW YOU MAKE THEM FEEL
CLEAR Whole Person Care
»CONNECT Connect with God (spiritual core), self, and others
~ Character strengths and skills to develop
• Awareness of spiritual core, self, and others
• Communication skills
• Love and kindness
• Purpose
• Time management
Purpose
What gives you meaning?

What is your reason for going into the healthcare

profession (original passion, calling, etc.)?

What is your purpose for being with this patient right now?
Does the patient understand it as you do?
CLEAR Whole Person Care
»CONNECT Connect with God (spiritual core), self, and others
~ Character strengths and skills to develop
• Awareness of spiritual core, self, and others
• Communication skills
• Love and kindness
• Purpose
• Time management
Time management
Practical application
»Connect with God, self and others

»G Greet with kindness (love and kindness)

»R Recognize and introduce (awareness of God, self, others)
»E Explain purpose for encounter (purpose)
»T Time: Discuss time constraints (time management)
»E Engage and invite response (communication skills)
Putting it all together
» Play Mr. Odom narration (2 minutes)
Let’s talk
Discussion
» Dr. April Wilson
What does it mean to “connect”?
» Effect on patient/clinician relationship
~ Moment of communion
~ Results in a sense of freedom, peace and joy
~ Authentic
~ Relates to episodic memory
» Positively affects healthcare outcomes
 Wholeness: fragmented and
connected at the same time

And out of that….everything else flows

The most important aspect of the CLEAR WPC model
Connecting with God, self, and others
Exciting offering for the future

All alumni will receive an invitation

to go through the CLEAR WPC Educational Program
for free.
Watch for your email invitation!
References
» Dill, D., and Gumpert, P. (2012). What is the Heart of Health Care? Advocating
for and Defining the Clinical Relationship in Patient-Centered Care, Society for
Participatory Medicine, April 25. Note: this one article represents many such
articles discussing healing relationships in healthcare and the patient-clinician
relationship – used for the development of the CLEAR WPC model.
» https://americanspcc.org/child-abuse-statistics/
» https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/marriage-divorce.htm
» https://www.schwebel.com/practice/broken-bone-injuries/statistics/
» Kelley, J. et al (2014) The Influence of the Patient-Clinician Relationship on
Healthcare Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of
Randomized Controlled Trials, PLOS, April 9. Note: more research needed in
this area, but the initial research is promising.
» Lakoff, G. and Johnson, M. (2003) Metaphors we live by. University of
Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
 Contact us:
wholeness@llu.edu
(909) 558-7786