Face to Face with Emotions in Health and Social Care

Among the earliest lessons learned by care providers are those concerning the emotions: understanding those of clients, and not letting one's own interfere with providing quality care. And since so many clients have been scarred by serious illness or traumatic events, this instruction is not only crucial but must be updated regularly for professionals to stay engaged with clients and avoid burnout The collective experience of the more than fifty providers, clients, and family members interviewed in Face to Face with Emotions in Health and Social Care reinforces these vital lessons, illustrating the centrality of emotions to the caring professions, the challenges they present in clinical contexts, and their therapeutic potential. Interviewees' candid discussion of mental illness, child abuse, HIV/AIDS, and other traumas demonstrate the emotional nuances involved in providing intervention, encouragement, and support. And chapters build on recent social theory and research on emotional regulation and social capital to explore key affective issues in the healing professions, such as:
• Emotional labor in health and social care.
• Building a language and a picture of emotions.
• Gender divisions in emotional labor.
• Tensions between emotional support and social control in mental health care.
• Emotions and cultural and religious sensitivity.
• Managing emotional labor in education and supervision. The profound lessons found in Face to Face with Emotions in Health and Social Care benefit a wide range of frontline health and mental health providers, including therapists, nurses, and counselors, at all stages of their careers.