Finding My Professional Heart

Finding My Professional Heart is a short e-book by the author of the highly regarded Developing Reflective Practice.

It provides a guide to compassion and mindfulness for health and social care students and practitioners and a roadmap for developing compassionate practice.

Drawing on both neuroscientific research and the contemplative traditions, the book argues that compassion is not a competency that can be trained, but a way of practising care that can be cultivated and nurtured. It attempts to inspire the reader to become a compassionate practitioner by:

• Giving an overview of the concept of compassion that encompasses modern as well as ancient perspectives.
• Considering some ideas on how to become compassionate and discussing the enemies of compassion.
• Providing a small sample of scientific research into compassion and presenting an overview of a neuroscience-based model of compassion.
• Exploring the links between mindfulness and compassion.
• Providing some guidelines and a roadmap for cultivating a compassionate outlook and approach.
• Offering a set of meditations and practices that can be used along the way.

At the heart of health and social care is a healing encounter between people, and this book aims to put compassion and humanity back at the centre of care.