Workshops

Healing Conversations:
How to Talk With Your Patients About Emotional Issues

A workshop for healthcare professionals
facilitated by Mara Applebaum, MA, MA

The mind-body-spirit connection has gained much more acceptance and acknowledgment among healthcare practitioners in recent years. Primary-care physicians and bodyworkers often are the first to hear about psychological issues that may be contributing to patients’ physical symptoms.

You offer your patients tremendous support with your own training and expertise, and a willingness to talk about their psychological health inspires an even stronger sense of trust and confidence in your skills. If you ever feel hesitant or uncertain about how to address your patients’ emotional health, this primer is for you. Psychotherapist Mara Applebaum offers clear, supportive guidelines to help you tend your patients’ (as well as your own) emotional and spiritual wellbeing during appointments.

Topics covered include:

• Helpful biopsychosocial questions to ask in your intake process
• Providing a safe container for your patients
• When an abuse/trauma survivor gets triggered during the session
• Physician heal thyself — acknowledging your own fears about emotional conversations, clarifying your boundaries
• Specific steps to take with patients who mention suicidal thoughts
• When and how to refer to a counselor

Mara Applebaum has a master’s degree in counseling from Bastyr/LIOS and a master’s degree in mythology and depth psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Her experiences as a community-agency counselor, psychiatric hospital clinician, healthcare consultant, and private-practice therapist have resulted in her holistic, collaborative approach to wellness.