Developing Your Compassion Strengths

Book excerpt: This practical book suggests ways in which healthcare students and practitioners can develop their compassion strengths. Discussing what compassion is and means, it includes a new compassion strength model and a series of exercises the reader can use for reflecting on and developing their practice. A hallmark of healthcare practice is compassion, yet there is a lack of understanding as to what compassion is and how it can be developed in practice. The book begins with the challenge of defining compassion, particularly looking at healthcare contexts and making links between self-care and caring for others. It then presents a new, evidence-based holistic model that brings together key elements of compassion for self and other, along with a scale that readers can measure themselves against. Identifying eight strengths "self-care, connection, communication, competency, empathy, interpersonal skills, character, and engagement" Durkin provides the theoretical background to each, accompanied with suggestions for practice and reflective activities. It ends with a selection of vignettes that readers can use to try out their strengths. Highlighting the concept of compassion strengths, and compassion as a way of being, this is an essential read for healthcare students and practitioners, whether involved in direct patient care or management.