Category: The Hospice Chaplaincy Show

Hospice Chaplains spend thousands of hours perfecting skills that many people assume come naturally: sitting and listening. They become masters of the ministry of presence, bringing the same professionalism to spiritual care that doctors bring to surgery. In today’s episode, we talk to our guests about the art of Hospice Chaplaincy. On the job, Hospice chaplains have no scripts to follow or party tricks to employ. They learn to meet tragedy with humility and an open mind.

Gloria is also a trained reflexologist and occasionally works with patients with multiple sclerosis and street children in Argentina.  Her calling to hospice ministry came after the death of her 18-year-old niece with brain hemorrhage.  In 2013, she decided to also become an end of life educator. Most of her lectures are in parishes, hospitals, schools from north to south in Argentina and wherever she is invited.  

Prior to committing to making THE HUMAN JOURNEY® a working reality in professional settings around the country, Sara was a tenured professor in leadership studies. She is committed to serving those who work with families in hospice, healthcare, veterans services, and prison settings. Her work on an extraordinary yoga program started and run by incarcerated men in western Illinois was published in 2019 and she was featured in a Canadian documentary on the program, as well as on radio and television programs on her work as a performance anthropologist. 

Among her other writings are the books Art of Darkness, Vital Mummies, and Concert Song as Seen; and the plays American Yogi, Color Story, In Peerage Out, and Reprehensible Shoes. During her years in New York City, Sara was the founder and artistic director of the theatre company Chaparral Productions. 

You can find more about her work here; https://the-human-journey.com/

L’Arche is a place of mutually transformative relationships. All of us, whether or not we live with an intellectual disability, desire a sense of belonging. In L’Arche, people of differing intellectual capacities, social origins, religions, and cultures build relationships rooted in trust and vulnerability. By sharing daily life together, community members experience L’Arche as a “University for the Heart,” where they learn true friendship and teach one another to love unconditionally.

You can read more about L’Arche USA here; https://www.larcheusa.org/

Episode talking points

Dr. Doka’s childhood, family, and faith backgrounds

CPE experience in the early 70s

His master’s degree thesis on “Pastoral counseling to the dying child and his family” and the reason behind that title.

Changes in grief theories and understanding of grief in the last 50 years

The story behind his first book “disenfranchised grief” in 1989

The role of rituals in facilitating grief

The background behind his book, “Death and spirituality”

Christina Puchalski’s role in the development of spiritual care in the healthcare setting

His assumption that following this pandemic we are going to have a pandemic of complicated grief.

The need for chaplains to have good counseling referral sources.

His potential fiction book

The story behind his book “Grieving beyond gender.”

Katy Butler is also a thought leader in the national movement for medical reform.  A popular speaker on doctor-patient communication and the choices families face near the end of life, Katy has given keynotes and Grand Rounds at Harvard Medical School, Kaiser Permanente, UCSF, and elsewhere. 

Born in South Africa and raised in Oxford, England, Katy came to America as a girl, earned a BA from Wesleyan University, and was a staff reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker; Mother Jones; Scientific American,Atlantic,, Tricycle, Psychotherapy Networker; Best American Essays, and Best American Science Writing.

Chaplains spend thousands of hours perfecting skills that many people assume come naturally: sitting and listening. They become masters of the ministry of presence, bringing the same professionalism to spiritual care that doctors bring to surgery. In today’s episode, we talk to our guests about Presence, Self-care, and Holistic practices in chaplaincy. On the job, Hospice chaplains have no scripts to follow or party tricks to employ. They learn to meet tragedy with humility and an open mind.

In today’s episode we are joined by three members of the spiritual care department of Elmhurst Hospital in Elmhurst, IL to talk about Hospital ministry during COVID-19. Our guest for this episode are;

1. Don Dahlheimer- Spiritual Care Manager
2. Curtis Baxter- CPE Supervisor
3. Marie Conlin- CPE student

James has had a remarkable journey from his humble upbringing in New York to serving in the United States military. It was during his military service that he sensed a call to ministry. With a strong support from his wife and children, he was able to pursue both his education and call to ministry. He is now serving as the Lead Chaplain with Palladium Hospice and Palliative care. You can find some of his writing here; https://charlesparker6.academia.edu/

As a music therapist Jen utilizes music in clinical settings for healing, building connections, and as a tool to walk with others through struggles and change. She brings healing music to patients and clients in geriatrics, hospice, mental health, and educational settings. Within the medical setting Jen incorporates music therapy into the plan of care to address issues of pain reduction, depression, anxiety, loss of control, quality of life, spiritual support and a host of other needs. She utilizes songwriting and improvisation heavily in her practice with both patients and families. You can find more about Jen Conley here; https://jenconleymusic.com/