This reflective practice model was originally created to help Hospital Chaplains explore their professional experiences with patients and within teams more comprehensively using various techniques, such as mindful somatic psychology, expressive arts, and values-based reflection. The goal is to inform the action/contemplation process, and the model can be adapted to any caregiving role or professional team. 

 

Carl Jung believed that if we don't reflect on our experiences, interactions, and dreams, we are missing opportunities to grow as individuals. Similarly, any professional practice that is not reflected upon is only partially fulfilling its potential. By reflecting on care provision and the somatic experience, our practice can be more focused, fulfilling, and meaningful for both the caregiver and the cared-for. 

 

Reflective Practice sessions are available for individuals and groups, with Natalie typically focusing on a specific theme, suggestions are listed below. Sessions are a minimum of 120 minutes and can include up to ten participants. Larger groups require extra facilitators to maintain an intimate and safe reflective space. 

 

As John C. Maxwell once said, "Reflective thinking turns experience into insight." Similarly, Henri Nouwen noted that "When we become aware that we do not have to escape our pains, but that we can mobilize them into a common search for life, those very pains are transformed from expressions of despair into signs of hope."