Video #1:
Communicating with Compassion

How to Communicate in Ways that ease the Pain and list the Spirit
Karen Fox explains a step-by-step method for communicating with people who are ill, injured, isolated, or in distress. Karen demonstrates, using real situations, four key communication skills that empower, encourage, bring hope, and lift the spirit.
“Teaching compassion is different than teaching how to change the oil in your car, or use a new computer. For this, and other reasons, it has often been discarded from medical training, and is today frequently thought of as a frill, a nice, but unessential element. Yet, throughout history compassion has been the universal solvent, the key ingredient to true healing”.
Simon Fox, Executive Producer
The Medicine of Compassion

Segment from Communicating with Compassion.

“Throughout history, compassion, caring, and love have been the foundation of healing. Without them, medical science and technology are inadequate. The Medicine of Compassion reminds us that these factors remain crucial in health care, as the greatest healers have always known”

Larry Dossey, MD.
Author: Reinventing Medicine and Healing Words Barbara Dossey, PhD, RN
Author: Florence Nightingale: Mystic, Visionary, Healer and Holistic Nursing.

“Communicating with Compassion is a quality program. I find it valuable in refining the skills of supportive presence needed by lay volunteer and clergy alike. It is a complete package, educationally sound and stimulating to use. This one is a keeper!”

Rev. Faye Hogan
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Ventura

How do we teach compassion?

According to Karen and Simon Fox, the best way to teach compassion is not to teach, but to inspire through real-life situations. Just as Adventures in Caring’s volunteers have learned their skills from personal experiences, the camera follows doctors, nurses and caregivers into their world of real situations, real challenges, real emotions.  Wisdom is shared, like bread between souls.  The perspective that Karen had found is reflected in the lens of our cameras.  We have no agenda only insights to offer.  Insights earned over many, many years of challenges and grace.

Our video starts by showing two very different worlds: the world of the busy health care professional and the anxious, uncertain world of the patient – and how compassion can form a bridge between the two worlds. It is odd to have to say it, but when compassion is present patients feel cared for.  They receive and treat health care staff better and they in return experience greater satisfaction. Everybody knows this, but most are caught up in seemingly unextricable situations.  This video and materials came from many real situations, even the few spoofs we made were not rehearsed. These moments now have something, not just to show, but to rekindle.

The course, including the video, offers your students the structure and time for reflection after viewing.  The entire production of all AiC productions including original music over the past 30 years is  the work of Bent Myggen and Simon Fox.  Each scene is gently filmed real life – not re-enactments for the camera.  Tender moments were graciously allowed to be filmed as wisdom was shared. Many, who have watched this video also discovered something important about themselves.

We hope this video will the beginning of many rewarding encounters.