Care of The Soul In Medicine - by Thomas Moore (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Few experiences stir the emotions and throw a person into crisis as illness does. If affects not only the body but also the spirit and soul. Illness is about life and death, fear and hope, love and conflict, spirit and body. And yet, the healthcare system is not structured around these considerations--our doctors and other medical professionals are not trained to deal with the whole person. Care of the Soul In Medicine is Moore's manifesto about the future of healthcare. In this new vision of care, Moore speaks to the importance of healing a person rather than simply treating a body. He gives advice to both healthcare providers and patients for maintaining dignity and humanity. He provides spiritual guidance for dealing with feelings of mortality and threat, encouraging patients to not only take an active part in healing but also to view illness as a positive passage to new awareness. While we don't fully understand the extent to which healing depends on attitude; it has been shown that healing needs to focus on more than the body. The future of medicine is not only in new technical developments and research discoveries; it is also in appreciating the state of soul and spirit in illness.

Review Quotes

"I wish Care of the Soul in Medicine had been available when I was a medical student, because it is one of the wisest guides for health-care professionals I have ever read. Moore shows that without attention to the spirit, there can be no true healing. If taken seriously, the wisdom in his book could transform medicine in America. This book is desperately needed by patients, too, and by all those who love and care for them."
-- Larry Dossey, M.D., author of The Power of Premonitions and Healing Words

"This accessible and engaging book reminds us that caring is a sacred calling; that care of the body is care of the soul; and that health care practiced with depth, beauty, respect, and meaning can transform our hospitals into temples of healing. I would love to think that every medical student would read this book."
-- Michael Kearney, M.D., medical director of palliative care service at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, associate medical director at Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care, medical director to the Anam Cara Project for Compassionate Companionship in Life and Death, and author of Place of Healing and Mortally Wounded

"Thomas Moore's Care of the Soul in Medicine is an unusually thoughtful exploration of current medical culture and its focus on treatment and cure, often at the expense of caring and healing. He makes an inspirational and convincing case for true transformation in health care that goes beyond our fascination with technology to encompass heart, mind, and spirit."
-- Susan B. Frampton, Ph.D., president of Planetree, a nonprofit organization and internationally recognized leader in patient-centered care

"Care of the Soul in Medicine may be your best friend through illness, and a life-giving companion for many who seek to reclaim the joy they once knew in the healing arts."
-- Rev. Dr. Marcus M. McKinney, D.Min., LPC, director, Department of Pastoral Counseling and Community Outreach, Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center; and assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine

"Moore sees the mechanics of medicine, and offers another view that has its roots in the beginnings of medical care, in the Soul of a caregiver. It is a thoughtful book for patients, families, caregivers, and all of us who will eventually enter the realm of medical care (and we all will)."
-- George Doebler, director, Pastoral Care, Emeritus, University of Tennessee Medical Center

About the Author

Best-selling author and psychotherapist Thomas Moore has written numerous books on spirituality, including Writing in the Sand, Soul Mates, Life at Work, and the New York Times bestseller Care of the Soul. Born in Detroit, Michigan, to an Irish Catholic family, Moore devoted his life to the study of theology, world religions, Jungian and archetypal psychology, the history of art, and world mythology. He currently lives in New Hampshire.