What Do I Say?

This book offers healthcare professionals essential tools for addressing patients' spiritual concerns, fostering healing and understanding in challenging conversations.

In What Do I Say?, healthcare professionals are provided with a comprehensive collection of tools and techniques designed to enhance communication with patients regarding spirituality. This resource is particularly valuable for those in the medical field, including nurses, social workers, and chaplains, who often encounter patients grappling with profound and painful questions about life, death, and purpose. The workbook not only offers verbal responses to expressions of spiritual distress but also includes a DVD that reinforces the lessons and exercises presented, integrating various disciplines such as psychology and pastoral counseling for a holistic approach to patient care.

The author, an internationally recognized expert in spiritual caregiving, emphasizes the importance of these skills, noting that they foster spiritual healing and are linked to overall physical and emotional well-being. By helping patients articulate their innermost feelings, healthcare providers can significantly impact their spiritual health. The book includes practical lessons, tips, and exercises that teach effective listening, while also offering guidelines for recognizing and addressing the spiritual needs embedded in patient conversations.

Additionally, What Do I Say? addresses frequently asked questions that healthcare professionals may encounter, such as how to respond when a patient expresses a desire for a miracle or how to engage with patients when time is limited. By practicing the healing techniques outlined, healthcare professionals will be equipped to provide meaningful responses, helping patients navigate their spiritual journeys and ultimately enhancing their quality of life.