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From: Ellen-Marie Silverman
Date: 09 Oct 2011
Time: 11:35:09 -0500
Remote Name: 76.199.174.140
[[Thank you so much for addressing this topic. For years, I have been a firm believer in the power of meditation yet I do feel hesitant talking about it. Do you have any suggestions on how to bring up this topic to clients? Do you explore this with most clients or only with those you feel would be open to it? Thank you again for the meaningful article.]] >>> Dear Karen, like you (before I was retired) I would make referrals to clients for services I did not feel qualified to provide but which I believed would be ones that would benefit them. I would do so even when I was uncertain they would be responsive at the time to the suggestion that they consider using that particular tool. As you know, this is what we are required to do according to the ASHA Code of Ethics. >>> As with any referral or recommendation to clients or caregivers that they consider seeking different or additonal help from that which we can offer, I would inform myself as fully as possible about the service or product I thought would most help them meet their needs, especially how doing so may and may not help and the cost financially and in time and energy. And I would want to have direct personal experience with mindfulness to better understand how the client or caregivers might respond to the practice at the present time. In general, I, and I believe you, too, would not make a referral as a "dump" because we felt stumped about how to best help a particular client. We only would make a referral because we believed it was in the best interest of the client or the clients' caregivers. And, then, knowing that timing and presentation are extremely important, we would consider carefully when and how to make it. >>> You mentioned that you feel hesitant talking about meditation with clients as a tool of change for them to use. As you may realize, your discomfort would be obvious no matter how glowingly you present mindfulness as a tool that may help them change to be more as they wished, undermining the likelihood they will accept your referral, and, perhaps, raising questions in their mind about your attitude toward them that could possibly diminish their trust in your ability to help them. >>> So, the first step is to carefully examine your basis for discomfort for talking about mindfulness as a tool for change with clients. When you do I believe you will know how to proceed in a way that meets the best interest of your clients. >>> Thank you for your excellent questions, Karen. I hope what I have written here helps. Ellen-Marie Silverman