REVIEWED BY PAMELA A. MAIDENS, M.A., C.L.E.M.
Healthy Ways To Work In Health Care: A Self Care Guide
By Martin Helldorfer with Terri Moss
Moss Communications, 2012 360 pages; $22.95
To be a healer you don't have to be in perfect condition whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually. But you need to be in the process of healing yourself."
— Foreword by Thomas Moore
We know that health care entails more than standardized practices and clinical procedures. In their reflective guide to well-being, Martin Helldorfer and Terri Moss recognize that something else is necessary in order to heal the body, mind and spirit — a healthy caregiver. It isn't surprising to learn that Helldorfer is a clinical psychologist and was a monk for 30 years. Moss, founder of Moss Communications, brings her own richness to the text with, as she writes, an "appreciation for the importance of clear communication among staff and volunteers."
The authors provide real-life examples of what it means to care (or to not care) for oneself. Those of us who have worked in health care or any service profession for a number of years are invited to pause and become more aware of the characteristics of healthy and unhealthy ways of working. Although this book required me to do a good amount of serious soul searching, it gave me a sense of camaraderie when I read that millions of other people are seeking work-life balance.
If you like short chapters filled with insight, this book is for you. The combination of text, case studies, reflections and space for personal journaling is a format that allows the reader to concentrate on individual concepts and explore them with ease. A preface offers an important overview of how to use the book individually or in teams during workshops or retreats.
Chapters focus not only on finding the right work and achieving a healthier work-life balance; they offer constructive suggestions. Universal challenges like work fixation, addiction and exhaustion will be surprisingly familiar to any reader who can complete a life review honestly.
True stories, case studies and "25 Tips for Finding and Enriching Your Life's Work" make the introspection and journaling easier and more productive. The book's realistic examples of how others respond to struggles with time constraints, co-worker differences and personal shortcomings help readers to face their own challenges realistically.
A final section entitled "Reflections" helps instill a sense of peace and well-being that bring the reader's heart, memories and dreams to the forefront through his or her own experiences.
Healthy Ways to Work in Health Care can benefit anyone who has tried to balance staying well while trying to take good care of others. This book emphasizes the importance of work-life harmony and offers a practical process for considering why you chose your profession, whether your work contributes to your well-being, and finding new ways to discern your role, now and for the future.
PAMELA A. MAIDENS is director of mission education and spiritual development for Catholic Community Connection, Cleveland, Ohio.
Copyright © 2013 by the Catholic Health Association of the United States
For reprint permission, contact Betty Crosby or call (314) 253-3477.