When I am asleep, my heart is awake.

There are countless nights when I am suspended between the places of awake and asleep and I am writing. Deciding.  Problem-solving.  Confessing.  Deliberating.  Ruminating.  Healing. Words and pictures flash through my mind like clips from a surrealist film from the 1920s. – A boy and a girl stand on a tower overlooking a city.  ”If [...]

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Is It Possible For a Physician To Remain Neutral When Addressing Patients’ Spiritual Concerns?

This blog is the last of a four-part series covering the topic of spirituality and healing in medicine, specifically during end-of-life care, and is based on an article by Curlin Hall. In a pluralistic society, most authors encourage physicians to remain neutral when addressing their patients’ spiritual concerns.  However, this is based on the assumption [...]

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Does Addressing Spiritual Concerns Threaten Patient Autonomy?

This blog is part three of a series covering the topic of spirituality and healing in medicine, specifically during end-of-life care, and is based on an article by Curlin Hall.   The power dynamics within the patient-physician relationship have been a topic of many studies and discussions over the past few years.  Power, within relationships, [...]

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Do Physicians Possess the Necessary Competence to Address Their Patients’ Spiritual Concerns?

This blog is part two of a series covering the topic of spirituality and healing in medicine, specifically during end-of-life care, and is based on an article by Curlin Hall.   Competency among physicians is governed by completion of mandatory education within a classroom during medical school, practical demonstration during residency under supervision, and continuous [...]

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Should a patient’s spiritual concerns be addressed by their physician?

I am currently enrolled in a class at Harvard Medical School called “Spirituality and Healing in Medicine” which aims to provide a framework for understanding the spiritual dimension of patients’ lives, as well as spiritual issues that arise during the practice of medicine, specifically during end-of-life care.  This class is comprised of people from a [...]

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