Triangle Community Foundation

An incident from the Spartacus War (73–71 B.C.) is used as a metaphor to explore barriers to change and fear of growth in the relationship of a woman dying of cancer and her daughter. Paradox in family relationships and the use of metaphors in family therapy are explored, as are fear of the unknown, habitual transactional patterns, embedded personal narratives, and the impact of one's support network on positive change. When mother and daughter retreat behind walls created by psychological and emotional defenses, thoughts are offered on ways to overcome these barriers.

In a changing health care environment, Hospice is having to more carefully set forth its mission and its identity. This is causing its interdisciplinary practitioners (medical, psychosocial, spiritual) to focus on what it is they have in common, i.e. on what binds them together as a unique health care delivery system. This article suggests the common ground is that all hospice practitioners, irrespective of their clinical specialty, are psychospiritual care givers, providing basic psychological guidance and spiritual encouragement to patients and families. It sets forth a paradigm--the psychospiritual care matrix--in which all clinical practitioners can locate themselves and by which all can gain a greater clarity with respect to the individual care they provide and the character of their care with respect to that of their co-clinicians.