The book outlines 13 steps that are needed to understand the intention of illness and the authors provide case studies of illnesses from their own lives and of the illnesses of individuals – adults, adolescents and children – who sought their help. These case studies bring to life the intentions of illnesses to bring attention to far deeper psycho-social diseases that require resolution.
Illness, while it manifests physically, also involves deep psychological and social processes on the part of the person suffering the illness. While the book does consider the social processes of illness to the extent that it considers the personal and professional relationships that surround the person who is ill, the main focus of the book is on the psychological meaning and intent of illness. If, as this book sets out to explore, we can find ways of approaching illness that take compassionate account of the different physical, psychological and social processes that are involved, and if we can find ways of responding to those different processes, then we can truly make great strides in alleviating a suffering that is part and parcel of human existence.
In order for others to help the person who is ill to respond to the deeper intentions of the illness, it is necessary to have compassionate understanding and to create the physical, emotional and intellectual safety that will enable the person to consciously take up the healing that is being called for. The book provides guidance to enable care professionals to be mindful of their own relationship with self and to see how, out of that central relationship, they then relate to the person presenting with illness.
Dr Tony Humphreys is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Author and National and International Speaker. He is the author of twelve best-selling books including The Power of ‘Negative’Thinking. Dr Helen Ruddle is a Counselling Psychologist and researcher who has published widely in the field of Social Policy.
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