Our July guest is a family doctor with a special interest in counselling. A person-centred approach in his own practice formed the foundation for teaching medical students and supervising counsellors. He views patients as persons first and listens closely for the often-inspiring life stories embedded in clinical case histories. By valuing the many elements of what is life-giving for a person, physicians and other helping professionals are not limited to seeing patients through the lens of diagnosis or chronic medical conditions.
Case histories are reframed as life stories having re-motivational value. In John’s own words from the InnerView Guidance textbook, “People come to doctors with life stories, cultural contexts, generational legacies, and strengths of character, all of which make clinical diagnosis just one part of the complete picture.” Dr. Yaphe is a forerunner in the de-pathologizing approach applied to medical settings, which includes ‘what the soul wants’ and its expression in art, myth, religion, spirituality, and the universal quest for meaning.
Books:
Applications of a Psychospiritual Model in The Helping Professions: Principles of InnerView Guidance by Cedric Speyer & John Yaphe
https://www.innerviewguidance.com/textbook
Case Studies in Spiritual Coaching: A Survey Across Life, Wellness, and Work Domains by DeeAnna Merz Nagel, Madison Leigh Akridge
(this book has several chapters by Cedric Speyer, John Yaphe & DeeAnna Nagel)
https://www.ccthomas.com/details.cfm?P_ISBN13=9780398094201
Courses based on a psychospiritual approach and featuring the aforementioned books:
Course Content
Presenter
Cedric M. Speyer, M.A., M.Ed., RP, is an author, Registered Psychotherapist, and presently a mentor to coaches, counsellors, and therapists. He pioneered E-counselling in Canada, overseeing 100K online cases before establishing InnerView Guidance International (IGI). The vision of IGI brings together the historically separate domains of mental health and spiritual awareness in a new synthesis for the helping professions.
Dr. DeeAnna Merz Nagel has co-created Essential Soul Care®, a psychospiritual model that includes a book, an Oracle deck and a certified practitioner course. She is a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and coach and integrates the healing arts into her teachings. Her doctoral studies focused on multi-faith spiritual direction.
John Yaphe, MD, MCISc, is a family physician and Associate Professor in the School of Medicine of the University of Minho, Portugal. His experience includes rural general practice for 27 years and online counselling for 18 years, as well as supervising the clinical work of medical students, family medicine residents, graduate student research, and online counsellors. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, including methods of teaching doctor-patient communication, with attention to patients’ stories. He is co-author of Applications of a Psychospiritual Model in the Helping Professions: Principles of InnerView Guidance. John teaches courses for medical students on the psychological and social determinants of health.
In this podcast series, Cedric Speyer and DeeAnna Nagel engage in conversations with psychospiritual trailblazers, amplifying their voices of wisdom and exploring their unique perspectives on human wholeness. Through their sacred journeys and professional endeavors, these individuals are ‘portals’ through which we see wider vistas of the soul journey. While their names might not grace network news or mainstream podcasts, their insights introduce invaluable aspects of ‘soul work’.
