How does psychological pain affect physical health?
For 16 years Dr. Leslie Edison at Moon Valley Medical Center has referred to me people who have come to her with various illnesses. This doctor is gifted in seeing beyond the illnesses of her patients. When she perceives a patient is struggling emotionally or mentally, she asks me to see them. Practicing as a chaplain and mental health counselor within Dr. Edison’s medical practice has opened my mind to amazing truths.
For instance, the human body is continually working
toward homeostasis. This means the body is at all times regulating its internal conditions in order to keep the body in good health at ultimate function, while maintaining equilibrium and stability. Except for factors affecting the body through genetics, toxic intake, or accidents, the health of the body ultimately depends of what is going on in the person’s soul!
Dr. Edison brought me into her practice because she knew that treating the body without attending to what is going on in the psyche (soul) is incomplete work. Within my training as a chaplain, I completed an advanced study, sanctioned by an examining board for chaplains. That study involved psychoneuro-immunoendocrinology (PNI*), as related to the onset of cancer. PNI* is a field of medicine that reveals the fact that what goes on in the psyche affects our neurological system, our immune system, and even our endocrine system.
During the past few decades, medical research has remarkably revealed something that was generally missed in the past. Not enough attention has been paid to what is going on in the patient’s psyche. There is now a field in medicine that deals with what is happening in the mind, the will, the emotions, and the spirit of a person. The Latin for “psyche” is “soul.” The Greek comprehension of the psyche (from which this Latin word comes), indicates “life, breathe, soul”. My practice aligns with that understanding resulting in work that brings healing--the kind of healing that starts within the soul of a person. When a person can look into her or his own soul, light comes, bringing understanding to the “whats” and “whys” of that individual’s current struggles. In this way, we can get to the bottom of what is needed for the soul to reach a new level of peace and joy, along with improved physical health.
Through this practice, the people I see end up doing some repair work in matters of the heart. We also work on developing coping skills, which results in more self-control, and self-esteem. Clients come to know what they want in life and feel empowered to attain it. By identifying the goals that best match her, or his, heart’s desires, each one becomes more able to achieve that which will bring the satisfaction they seek. When people stick with the work, we gain multiple insights into how the condition of the soul is contributing to physical, emotional, and spiritual struggles.
Now that I’ve introduced you to this work, let’s now focus on how you, as reader, can receive help. For that purpose, I have listed (on the left) topics that seem to be “top drawer” among the people with whom I work. Click on those that pique your interest. Read to your heart’s content. If you have questions, click the “Contact Button.” This will allow you to email me. Some of the readings are quite short; others are much longer. I’ve aimed for conciseness while giving specific help on these topics. Rest assured, I am a Board Certified chaplain fully aware of the fact that people practice their spirituality in many different ways. My work is inclusive, respectful of the various religious beliefs and life philosophies. The segments of writing, presented here, on specific topics, have either been published or will soon be published. Meanwhile, these materials are for use with yourself, or with those for whom you care. However, please use my work respectfully, by honoring the instructions (click “Copyright Button”). I pray for you as you read.
If you want to know more about my faith journey and what led me to pursue this work, how it unfolded, I have provided that under the button titled “Spiritual Journey”.
May God richly bless your soul!
Chaplain Joy