Dr Maeve Hurley, SHEP and Dr Nicola O’ Sullivan are collaborating to support Ireland’s frontline practitioners
Heart of Frontline Practice is a collaborative alliance between SHEP (Social & Health Education Project), Dr Maeve Hurley, Dr Nicola O’ Sullivan and supported by Relationships in Practice. We are all practitioners with shared values and a common interest in supporting frontline practitioners’ health and wellbeing through reflective practice.
Our intention is to create supportive spaces where we can come together as committed practitioners to connect, share and learn and to deepen our understanding of what it means to be truly engaged in values-based, heartful practice.
We hope to stimulate a national conversation about the reality of working in frontline practice and to highlight the need for more reflective spaces to support those working in frontline roles.
A day of hope, healing and compassion
4th Annual Conference in Nano Nagle Place, Cork
Over 60 frontline practitioners gathered at Nano Nagle Place and online on Tuesday 30th May for our fourth annual national conference.
The theme of this year’s conference was Connecting with Compassion in Diverse and Complex Settings. Attendees were drawn from healthcare, social care, social work and education, who all gathered for a day of reflection and respite from their daily work.
We had heart-felt and moving presentations from our guest speakers. Dr Tom A. Hutchinson, Professor, Department of Medicine and Department of Oncology and Director, McGill Programs in Whole Person Care, Montreal, Canada, spoke about ‘Healing Healthcare’. Dr Naomi Masheti and Fionnuala O’Connell from Cork Migrant Centre shared their personal experiences and led us through a powerful exercise in the power of words and how they impact on the body. Marianne Adams, a senior art psychotherapist and lecturer in MTU’s Art Psychotherapy Department in Cork, led a creative exercise, inviting us to imagine ourselves as a garden and what that would be like, using soft pastels and crayons.
Each shared insight and experiences of how relating in a person-centred, compassionate and kind way in work settings impacts positively on health and wellbeing outcomes for all.
Having an opportunity to explore these themes in a facilitated, small and large group way was refreshing and inspiring, as seen in the feedback we received at the end of the day on our heart-shaped cards.
In a follow-up evaluation, 100% of attendees said that the conference had provided a safe space for them and 100% said that they think it is important to have a space to think about their work.
One attendee said: “It was a well-planned day with a balance of input and experiential reflection. I liked the shift in consciousness to equality in therapeutic relationships, seeing the client/patient as another human being. It’s about quality of presence, which can be mutually healing. Well done to all – it was energising and life giving.” Jennifer, Family Therapist.
Another said: “It doesn’t take money to be a good practitioner, it takes your time, understanding, empathy and compassion to have the ability to meet people where they are at when they sit in front of you. Thank you so much for creating a safe warm space.”
We want to express our gratitude to our hosts, Nano Nagle Place, to our guest speakers, facilitators and all behind the scenes who support our mission and vision.
As alliance member, Dr Maeve Hurley, said in her closing address to guest speakers, facilitators and attendees: “Thank you for the hope, love and compassion you have brought to the room today”.
Our next Heart of Frontline Practice “Touchpoint” is online on Tuesday 17th October 2023 from 11am-1pm. Hosted by Nicola O’ Sullivan, this two-hour workshop will be facilitated by Dr Sylvia Smith. Booking link here.
Contact Robyn Pinkham for further details: robyn.pinkham@relationshipsinpractice.ie