Communicating with Compassion

How to Communicate in Ways that ease the Pain and lift the Spirit

$95.00

or Call 1-800-833-5678

In this 40-minute video 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.

Beautiful production, original musical score
and real-life scenes.

DVD or VHS, Leader Guide and Handouts

> Package Contents
> How do you teach Compassion?
> Teaching Compassion
> Reviews
> About the production
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> Preview Video (5 minutes)

Package Contents

This package includes:

• 45-minute DVD or VHS-tape.
• 48-page Leader Guide with instructions on how to use the video as the basis for a 60-minute or 90-minute class, or for a 3-hour workshop. To custom-design your own class additional discussion questions, class exercises, and video index are included, plus resources for continued learning and suggestions for measuring progress.
• Handouts - formatted for easy copying. Three pages summarize the essential points of the video and expand upon them.

How do you teach Compassion?

According to Karen and Simon Fox, the best way to teach compassion is not to teach, but to inspire through real-life examples. Just as Adventures in Caring's volunteers have learned their skills from personal experiences, the camera follows doctors, nurses and care-givers into the world of real situations, real challenges and real emotions.

The video shows how compassion forms a bridge between the two very different worlds: the world of the busy health care professional and the anxious, uncertain world of the patient. When compassion is present patients feel confident about the care they receive and health care staff experience greater satisfaction when working in a partnership with patients.

Participants learn how to:

• Create rapport, listen well, and extend compassion even when busy
• Approach emotionally sensitive situations with confidence.
• Discover a patient's reasons and resources for healing.
• Avoid the pitfalls of inappropriate communication
• Earn the trust, respect and appreciation of those in their care.

Communicating with Compassion is an ideal resource for:

• Hospices
• Hospital Auxiliaries
• Church and Temple Caregiving Ministries
• Seminaries
• Family Caregivers
• Voluntary Health Organizations
• Interfaith Volunteer Caregiver Programs
• Service Clubs

“I applaud your efforts to teach volunteers how to interact with people who are suffering… I did view the video and the program is obviously a labor of love on your part… I am sharing your work with my staff, especially those involved in finding ways for young people to serve their community and fellow citizens.”.

“This video is one of the most outstanding training tools for staff and volunteers that I have ever seen. I know I’ll be using it often.”

“An excellent tool to spark a dialogue on how to communicate in emotionally difficult situations. This video helps us reflect upon our own feelings and deepens our understanding of the importance of relationships in healing.”

“Communicating with Compassion invites all of us to share in the basics of the human experience — love and hope.”

“I have been very touched by the compassion and humanity conveyed by your video. Communicating with Compassion is appropriate for anyone who works with schools, churches, health agencies, youth groups or families."

"Your video touches both the head and the heart. It flows and the teaching points are made so naturally. I cried at several places. Thank you for an effective and beautiful video."

“This video clearly shows how good listening skills and compassion can perpetuate the flame of hope that is such a necessary part of the healing process.”

When I saw Communicating with Compassion it was love at first sight. I use it with new trainees and in monthly in-service meetings. This video is an education for the heart as well as the head."

"Communicating with Compassion is by far the best teaching tool I could use in the area of listening and communication skills. Thank you for your great effort to teach us all that compassion is the key element to a healing encounter."

"I highly recommend the Communicating with Compassion Video and Leader Guide to anyone training staff or volunteers in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, or home care setting. The video wonderfully demonstrates effective communicating – tone of voice, body language, putting oneself on the person's level – and Karen Fox is a tremendous role model.

I believe the 4 key elements of the program – Attention, Acknowledgment, Affection and Acceptance – are really at the heart of what we are doing as good listeners and caregivers. This program came along when I was in need of some affordable help with teaching communication skills to my volunteers, and I must say that we have been very pleased with not only its professionalism but its gentle, compassionate, and even spiritual approach. It is a real blessing. I highly recommend it!”

“Communicating with Compassion is an excellent tool to inspire and teach communication skills to youth and adults alike. It is a sensitive, professional portrayal that hits all the right nerves. The accompanying leader guide is clear and user friendly. Organizing the video around four key elements of communication is very effective. It is an excellent teaching tool for use with volunteers of all ages.”

About the production of Communicating with Compassion:

The video is the result of 20 years of pioneering work in the human side of health care by Karen and Simon Fox, a team of volunteers & medical advisors - and video producer & composer Bent Myggen of VisionEars.com. Together they have created a DVD training program that illustrate the personal, subjective, emotional dimension of healing.

Several unusual filming and editing techniques were utilized in Communicating with Compassion. (and all other AiC productions):

• When filming on location no script or direction of subjects were used.
• All interviews were also unscripted
• Bent and Simon asked questions from, and behind the camera so our interviewees are looking directly into the lens, giving the viewer a much more personal impression than in a typical two-camera interview-setup.
• Finally, the editing and musical scoring is created simultaniously. This achieves a strong emotional flow for the whole production and sets the stage for the viewer's personal experience.