The Gift of a Peaceful Death

by Kathryn F. Weymouth PhD


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Hardcover
£24.95
Softcover
£12.95
Hardcover
£24.95

Book Details

Language : English
Publication Date : 30/06/2017

Format : Hardcover
Dimensions : 6x9
Page Count : 252
ISBN : 9781504381949
Format : Softcover
Dimensions : 6x9
Page Count : 252
ISBN : 9781504381932

About the Book

Many times you will hear people say that they don’t fear death but they do fear what they may have to endure before they reach that final passage. Relying on medical interventions and pharmaceuticals alone often does not bring the peaceful death that people hope for, but by integrating complementary and alternative methods with Western medicine the possibility of having that ease at the end is significantly heightened. In this book you will read accounts by practicing professionals on how and when they use complementary and alternative modalities with their patients and clients. You will read about the many uses of energy healing, including how a hospital chaplain uses it to ease the pain and fear of patients who are on a medical ventilator. You will read about nurses who use essential oils to induce relaxation, reduce pain, and eliminate nausea. The music therapist shares stories of how music can soothe, elevate mood, and bring families together at the end of life. You will see how simple massage techniques can reduce pain and stress and lower blood pressure, how acupuncture can ease symptoms and in one case restored a patient’s ability to breathe. With the probable exception of palliative care physicians, your medical provider may be prohibited from suggesting these be part of your treatment plan, but you, as the patient, or a family member, can ask for them. Creating an integrative treatment plan is consistent with the philosophy of hospice care: treat the whole person. The founder of the modern hospice movement, Dame Cicely Saunders, MD, saw the suffering of people with terminal illnesses who did not have adequate pain relief, who were lonely and isolated, and who felt spiritually bereft. This book shows how the complementary and alternative methods discussed fit perfectly within the model of holistic care and palliative medicine.


About the Author

As an experienced counselor, researcher, and author, Dr. Weymouth looks at aspects of end-of-life care, dying, and death from an integrative point of view. Since being certified in Healing Touch through the Healing Touch Program™in 1997 she has seen the benefits that energy healing and allied practices can bring to people suffering from pain, anxiety, restlessness, and fear. She brings awareness of these practices, how and when they are used, and the outcomes through her counseling and healing practice, writing, speaking, and teaching. Holding a PhD in psychology, certified in Healing Touch, and credentialed as an Advanced Practice Hypnotherpist she brings a combination of skills and perspectives that can best be described as holistic and integrative. kfweymouthphd@gmail.com kweymouth.com Other books by the author: What Obituaries Don't Tell You: Conversations About Life and Death A Way Through: Healing From Loss. A Workbook.