The Compassion Remedy (ePub)

Does compassion have a place in medicine?

Compassion has long been considered a "soft" skill in health care - nice to have, but ultimately unnecessary in a science-driven field. However, recent challenges in delivering care (including but not limited to the global pandemic) have revealed the need for a more compassionate approach to protecting the health and well-being of patients and medical staff alike.

Compassion is a state of being which affects not only psychological health but our physiology. When applied in a pragmatic fashion, compassion can lower stress levels, alleviate anxiety and depression, improve overall physical health, and allow us to navigate challenging situations with more grace. Cutting-edge research is now revealing just how powerful these psychophysiological effects are, and how even basic compassion-based practices can have long-lasting effects on both physical and mental health.

This book will empower you to understand what compassion truly is-and just as importantly, what it isn't-so you can care for yourself and others at the highest level of integrity, both in and out of clinical situations. Packed with insightful stories, illuminating research, and pragmatic instruction, this book is the definitive guide for healthcare providers who wish to bring more balance and joy to their work every day.

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CATHERINE WERGIN SCHWEIKERT, PhD, MPH, PA-C, has practiced medicine for twenty-two years. She wrote The Compassion Remedy while earning her PhD in Applied Psychophysiology. She completed a year-long deep dive into applied compassion at Stanford University's Center for Compassion and Altruism and Research (CCARE); it was there that she developed a program for hospitals to apply the scientifically proven and research-based aspects of compassion.

Her intention, first and foremost, to improve clinicians' grounded, compassionate bases so that they may be strong enough to help patients heal without giving away their vitality. Catherine is also a contributor to the Global Compassion Coalition.

She is currently bringing her message of pragmatic embodied compassion not only to hospitals but also universities, domestic violence women's groups, and the Veterans Administration through METAHAB© post-traumatic growth programs. She is open and excited to speak and teach for corporate or private engagements.