Finding my Professional Heart

Finding My Professional Heart is by the authorof the highly regarded Developing Reflective Practice.It provides a guide to compassion and mindfulness for healthand social care students and practitioners and a roadmap for developing compassionatepractice.Drawing on both neuroscientific research and thecontemplative traditions, the book argues that compassion is not a competencythat 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 healingencounter between people, and this book aims to put compassion and humanityback at the centre of care.