Clinical Flow with Physiotherapist Andrew Koppejan The Power of Therapeutic Touch
Outcome Measures 2.0: I'm building a web-based tool (called Clinio360) that will help physical therapists get below the surface of what makes their patients tick, click here to Join the Journey!
In this episode, hosts Andrew and Maxi take a deeper look at the power of touch in the therapeutic relationship.
Andrew discussion the impact of reading The Lost Art of Healing: Practicing Compassion in Medicine, and shares some great quotes which examines how touch augments the therapeutic relationship.
Some of the key topics discussed include:
- How touch can be used both for assessment and connection with the patient.
- The Ted Talks episode by Abraham Verghes - “A Doctor’s Touch”.
- How touching is key to the transformation of a patient's level of trust, and how as clinicians we often forget the feeling of being a patient.
- Why we need to build a bridge to create a sense of safety in the therapeutic relationship.
- How responsive touch bypasses cognition and engages the neurophysiological system to activate the parasympathetic response which creates trust and safety.
- How the patient’s mental and emotional state can change with each assessment, and using touch to re-build the bridge.
- Using appropriate touch in context to each patient, and communicating why, with added sensitivity to trauma survivors.
- Adjusting our own state of being fully present while touching the patient, and observing their response.
- How safe and appropriate touch can positively impact the patient and allow a deeper healing.
- Why practicing your “presence” skills rather than just touching skills is important.
A key takeaway from this episode is to observe your own state and do an out-breath before you touch a patient, and observe what’s happening with their response, and adjust yourself as needed.
Mentioned in this episode:
Sole
https://yoursole.com/us/health-professionals