What is Contemplative Care?
Contemplative Care is a holistic approach to supporting others at times of hardship, grief, loss, death, and suffering. This type of care is met with compassion, curiosity, mindfulness, and contemplative guidance. Contemplative Care’s framework is rooted in the spiritual traditions of Buddhist meditation practices and philosophies.
The aim of Contemplative Care is not to diagnose, prescribe, or “fix” an individual or group in their suffering, instead we meet them where they are at. This can look like witnessing, listening deeply, and providing skilled guidance. This method empowers the individual, allowing them to discover insights into what they’re experiencing, and how they can alleviate and reduce their suffering. Contemplative Care meets each moment with the appropriate response, while allowing space for the possibility of a new experience. By utilizing a mindful and contemplative approach to challenging circumstances, it can strengthen one’s ability to cope and persevere.
How can Contemplative Care be helpful?
Our modern world is experiencing a mental health crisis, grief epidemic, overworked systems, a lack of time, and diverse forms of care to meet the varied needs of an individual. Many of us who are experiencing loss, grief, and death need more time and support to tend to the emotional, mental, and spiritual components as we’re faced with difficult situations and experiences.
Contemplative Care is an approach proven effective in various settings such as: hospices, hospitals, chaplaincy, grief work, end-of-life care, and other forms of peer-to-peer and group support.
My approach to Contemplative Care
After I helped my mother transition in 2018, I started supporting those facing the end-of-life through my volunteer work. In 2020 I launched BACII where I’ve been supporting individuals, communities, and organizations through grief, loss, and death utilizing a Contemplative Care framework. I approach grief, loss, life, and death from a holistic, compassionate, non-judgemental, and contemplative lens.
From my lived experiences with grief and loss, creative, healing, and spiritual practices, death doula training, grief education, years of therapy, contemplative care certification, and supporting individuals, communities, and organizations throughout the pandemic — I am here to support you. I’m offering sliding scale 1–1 sessions to those who are willing to receive.
I’ve worked with clients who were experiencing:
- Loss of loved ones, miscarriages, pets, work, home
- Grieving health, abilities, identities
- Facing a terminal illness
- Grieving the disconnect from their creative and spiritual lives
- Addressing colonization and systemic harm
- Wanting to be “put back together” and experience wholeness
- Anticipating the loss of a loved one
- Wanting to reduce their fear of death and mortality
- Isolation and loneliness in their grief
What emerged through our work together:
- New meaning making in their life
- Grounding and balance
- Alleviated anxieties and fears
- Experiencing joy and the multiplicities of existence
- Ability to speak and express themselves more
- Published books, performing in shows, developing a creative practice
- Self-trust in their intuitive abilities
- Deeper connection and expression of their spiritual life
- healing and Cultivating new personal, professional, and romantic relationships
- Receiving deep connection, care, encouragement, and support
Closing
Suffering is a part of life. Grief, loss, and death is a part of life. Beauty and joy is also a part of this life. When we’re faced with challenging circumstances, we can know that it can be an easier, more supportive and less isolating experience. There are many different forms of support and Contemplative Care is one of them. If you’d like to see if we would work well together or to answer any questions you may have, schedule time with me here.
