The Spirit of Care

16/03/2026

A wonderful morning at Wollongong Hospital running a workshop on spirituality in healthcare together with chaplaincy coordinator Sarah Kinstead.

In this interactive session with social workers we explored what spirituality can look like in everyday clinical practice. We discussed simple ways health professionals can respectfully ask clients about spiritual concerns, how spirituality often appears in ordinary clinical conversations, and when referral to chaplaincy can be helpful.

One of the most powerful moments came when several participants shared that this was the first time spirituality had ever been discussed in their professional training or workplace.

Once the conversation began, health professionals shared stories from their own practice and reflected on how often clients speak about meaning, belief, hope, suffering and identity during their healthcare journeys.

It was encouraging to see how open and thoughtful the discussion became when there was space to explore these topics together.

Thank you to the social work team for such a rich discussion, and to Sarah for organising this workshop.

13/03/2026

Let’s pave the way for holistic healthcare by including spirituality in the conversation. We need guidelines, examples and training.

And trust me, the destination is worth it 🤗

New article on the website at thespiritofcare.com

12/03/2026

In 2021, I began a PhD to do research into how spirituality can be integrated into healthcare. I did this because I've always found talking about this topic to be awkward! I've now published multiple research findings, and am in the last few months of this PhD journey.

Please come along to learn more about how body, mind and spirit can fit within healthcare: April 20th online. Hosted by The Becoming Collective. Link in the comments!

04/03/2026

24/02/2026

There is a disconnect in our health system.
We work within a predominantly biomedical model: one that funds and prioritises the physical and, to some extent, the mental aspects of care.
And yet many of us were trained in professions that understand health as holistic: Body, Mind and Spirit.

Patients and families do not experience themselves in compartments. They experience illness, grief, and recovery as whole human beings.

So how do we practise with integrity inside health systems that don’t always fund or formally recognise the spiritual dimension of care?

How do we speak about it responsibly and ethically?

I’ve been invited by The Becoming Collective to explore this conversation, based around my PhD research:
How might 'body, mind and spirit' fit into contemporary healthcare?
I would love you to join us. Link in the comments.

20/02/2026

Each month, I’m sharing my thoughts and insights via email to my online community.
In the email I discuss topics we all might have experience in healthcare - whether as a family receiving care, or a health professional delivering care.

In all our efforts to do the best we can for our clients, patients or loved ones, we might feel like we’re in over our heads in certain healthcare predicaments. My work seeks to open gentle conversations to include the whole person - not just diagnoses and treatment - into the healthcare journey. This includes discussions about spirituality, emotions, fears and worries.

I share ideas based on my personal experiences as a mother who has faced serious healthcare issues within our family, as an occupational therapist, an author, and a PhD candidate.

These thoughts are structured to inform and support - never to clog your inbox with useless content!

If you’d like to be part of my online community, subscribe via the “CONNECT” page on my website. - thespiritofcare.com/contact

I’d love to have you here!

Heather

17/02/2026

You may have experienced a feeling of imbalance during a conversation with a health professional.

The doctor who talks right over you. The nurse who starts a procedure without looking at you or explaining what’s happening.

When this happens, you may start to feel passive and helpless rather than being an active participant in your own healthcare.

Balanced health professional speaking may be more effective when it aims for clarity without overload.

My latest article explores balance in healthcare conversations - read it here via the link in bio.

16/02/2026

I recently joined the '5 Things' Nursing Podcast with Jesse Spurr and Liz Crowe.
In our conversation, I reflected on how challenging it can be to speak openly about death and suffering in Western culture. Many of us were never given the language, space, or support to have these conversations.

Sharing part of my own experience of losing our daughter, alongside my research and clinical experience, reminded me how important it is to keep creating places where we can discuss these difficult but human parts of healthcare.

Podcast link in comments.

13/02/2026

I was recently invited to be a guest speaker on the 5 Things Nursing Podcast by RBWH, presented by the wonderful Jesse Spurr and Liz Crowe.

We discussed how profound personal experiences draw on, and often reshape our own spirituality. I shared my own experience of the loss of our daughter.

Listen to the episode here - https://tinyurl.com/4573cvd7

13/02/2026

Balance in healthcare - that acknowledges the whole person - is not for the privileged few. It’s essential for good healthcare everywhere.

👉🏻 New blog up at thespiritofcare.com

10/02/2026

Have you ever left a healthcare consultation feeling unheard, overwhelmed or a little bit scared?

I have seen it happening, and I’ve lived the reality. Which is why we need to talk about balance in healthcare conversations.

In my latest article, I explore how imbalance in speaking and listening can shape a person’s experience of care, and what professionals can do to place the person back at the centre.

Link in bio to read the full blog (See “Resources” on my website)