Workshop: Best Hopes for Long (and Short) Lives; SF – energised, joy-full Primary and Palliative Care Consultations

 

Dr Dominic Bray, Dr David Unwin

The presenters will initially outline, then using videos and live audience-participatory role play demonstrate proven energising, hopeful, joy-full SF consultations that fit within usual time- and other- constraints within (1) Primary and (2) Palliative Care for people with (1)multiple morbidities and (2) ‘Total Pain’. These will be relevant for consultations with people who are faced with living a long life with incurable conditions, or the opposite challenge – maximising a life that is all too short. There will then be ample time for workshop participants to get involved. The presenters’ ‘best hopes’ are that through both suggestions offered, and, better still, co-constructions made in the workshop, participants will take away skills that help build resilient, rewarding and effective lives for themselves and whomever they work with.

Dr David Unwin – I have used aspects of the approach in my ten minute general practice consultations for fifteen years now. It brings hope and increased resilience to both doctor and patient alike. It has probably saved my career! We are all familiar with the power of the placebo effect- perhaps it’s linked with the hope of a better future? Patient’s hopes are a great way to help patients with confusing multi-morbidity. In my part of the workshop I would like to share tips to incorporate aspects of the approach into the medical consultation – in a way that can build over time to change the behaviour of both doctor and patient for the better!

Dr Dominic Bray – I have been using, teaching and publishing SF since 1996 as a clinical psychologist, because patients and colleagues alike are re-energised to live fruitful, sustainable lives. SF-style pain measurement/management is a particular passion; instead of making things worse with talk of ‘total pain’ and acquired hopelessness, we can engender conversations that release the joy in people’s lives, however short they may be. Aside from all that, I have three children, two equally badly behaved dogs, and a particularly dull car.

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