Compassion Training Workshops
for Health Professionals
' HEAL' IS ACTING to make a difference"
A.C.T.
Applied Compassion Training
Heal provides education and facilitation in compassion and empathy for work place groups in the Australian Health Care Industry. The workshops and coaching provided are designed to provide the knowledge, insight and the emotional tools to assist in stress reduction and improve overall staff wellbeing. Taught practices in meditation, mindfulness and compassion cultivation are used .These learnt practices incorporated in your routines promote resilience, healthier interactions with colleagues and increase both focus and performance. You are already experts in providing compassion for your patients, these workshops are about you applying compassion to yourself and to your colleagues thus creating a supportive emotionally sustainable workplace.
My Experience
"I would find myself arriving at work sitting in the car in the basement carpark feeling anxious with a sense of dread. It wasn't about my ability to care for my patients, it was worry about what new unexpected issue was going to happen today with staff interactions. Time pressure, clinical standards ,documentation, PPE protocols. Who was going to find a flaw, perhaps complain and set off a painful reaction from my harsh inner critic?
I felt vulnerable. Caring expertly and compassionately for my patients just wasn't enough. I was struggling with so many other layers of stress that I didn't have any energy left. This caused me to deal, at times, in an unskilful way with the system and my colleagues. I would go home exhausted, lacking in patience or presence for my partner and family."
Have You felt like this?
This could be compassion fatigue?
The Effects of Compassion Fatigue
Compassion fatigue is a real and significant problem for
staff who constantly work to high standards in the service of their patients.
Whether one knowingly or unknowingly experiences it, compassion fatigue can negatively affect mental and physical health, personal and family relationships and workplace behaviour and performance.
HOW DID I ACT TO MAKE A CHANGE?
I started Compassion Cultivation Training
Compassion Cultivation Training provided valuable insights and tools for me to change the way I cared for myself and interacted with others. CCT made a significant impact, not just in my personal life but towards easing the suffering I was having around triggers at work. This helped me to behave more compassionately and skilfully with my colleagues. The benefits I gained from CCT helped to change my mind about early retirement from the public system and increased my overall enjoyment at work.
Now I have a focus towards helping colleagues in the same way.
Dr Robin Amerena: Founder of 'Heal'
Heal was established in 2021 by Dr Robin Amerena,
a Senior Consultant at the
Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne.
Robin has almost 35 years experience as a Paediatric and Neonatal Anaesthetist both in the public and private hospital setting.
Her practice has always been based on patient and family centred care with Compassion and Kindness for children and their parents central to her service .
Robin became interested in the Neuroscience of compassion after meeting guest speaker Prof James Doty at a conference in Melbourne in 2019. Prof Doty is the founder of the Centre for Compassion and Altruism research and Education within the Faculty of Medicine at Stanford University.
She was inspired to experience Compassion Cultivation training for herself by gaining a certificate from Stanford Compassion Institute CCT in 2020. Realising the immense benefits it has had in all facets of her life and work she has now used her Sabbatical at RCH to pursue the qualification of Ambassador of Applied Compassion from CCARE at Stanford University.
Her RCH sabbatical training will benefit her colleagues in all disciplines by providing opportunities in education, facilitation, resources, coaching and workshops in both self-compassion and applied compassion .
Workshops Designed by an Ambassador of Applied Compassion
Dr Robin Amerena has undertaken the qualification of Ambassador of Applied Compassion from CCARE at Stanford University over 12 months in 2021 as her RCH sabbatical project. She is now providing education, facilitation, and resources, such as coaching and workshops, in both self compassion and applied compassion.
#Robin has run a series of 'Heal Workshops " in August /September 2021 for doctors and nurses in private and public hospitals with success in reported stress reduction at home and at work .
#Robin has facilitated and presented at the Health Times online seminar November 2021
"Beating Stress and Burnout"
#Robin created and presented "Creating an Emotionally Sustainable Workplace"online for
SVHM COVID Workplace Wellbeing Week Oct 21 2022 .
#Robin created and rolled out a FTF "Heal Self Compassion Education and Immersion" series through JUNE and JULY 2022 for all SVHM staff at multiple Campuses in Melbourne .
#Robin headed the "Heal" Self-Compassion Training and Immersive Workshop
Sunday 16 th October 2022 "Weathering the Storm " guest of The AAAHP 6th National Conference
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compassion for patients
ButtonThis is where we are all experts but often forget to extend the same to ourselves
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![Recognised by the Health Industry]()
Health Industry staff burnout
ButtonBurnout is accelerated at times of extra stressors in our health system
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![A Team That Goes the Extra Mile]()
CCT can help Teams go the extra Mile
ButtonWhen we learn to care for ourselves better then we can more easily support our colleagues
TESTIMONIALS
August /September Workshop 2021
Dr. Amerena has been asked to feature/showcase a summary of her ACT 2021Capstone Project "Heal Workshops"Compassion Training for Health Professionals on the Stanford University CCARE Applied Compassion Training website . Look out for her contribution as well as those of other of the top 2021 ACT graduates .
Participants Said
Contact Heal today to send an enquiry about tailored compassion cultivation coaching or training workshops for yourself or your staff.
