Pastoral Care and end-of-life
“When you get a diagnosis, you are instantly standing in a different world. All you know has just been rendered unsure, tenuous. You are in the unknown.”
The Pastoral Advisor's role
The role of the pastoral advisor is to tend to, or care for a person’s spiritual, emotional, social and psychological needs in a holistic manner. Utilizing psychological, spiritual, and theological resources the pastoral advisor seeks to ease the clients psychological, emotional or spiritual suffering, related to serious illness, chronic care, end-of-life and death. The pastoral advisor also liaises with other service providers (doctor, nurse, social worker), the family and the community (including hospice volunteers), and links the client and family with other resources as needed.
Pastoral Care is able to address fear, anxiety, depression, grief, loss of meaning, loss of faith, hope, connection to God (or spiritual being), with client and family.
Pastoral services are available for all people in our multi-cultural and multi-faith society. Debbie is available to plan, and preside at, funerals and memorial services.
"Remembering all of your wonderful caring support last year when we were struggling through my Dad's illness and grieving our loss. You helped give me the strength to focus on what was important. Giving myself time to grieve has deepened my compassion and joy for life."
Dr. JG