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Reflective Caring: Imaginative Listening to Pastoral Experience

Reviewed by Louise Ellis.

Drawing upon his own experience of chaplaincy in a Hospice setting, Whorton seeks to explore what happens to our inner selves when we are involved in listening to another person, particularly at a time of need. In the introduction, Whorton sets the scene by highlighting the interest he has always had regarding “what happens between two people when one of them sets out to listen to another.” This is something, he suggests, that sounds so simple and yet, he argues, “without self awareness we can be at best ineffectual and at worst actively harmful.” Therefore he stresses the importance of honest reflection upon our own feelings and reactions.

To enable this process of reflection, he introduces the concept that our whole self is made up of several different selves, some of which we are more comfortable and familiar with than others, but all of which need to be given space to express themselves if honest reflection is to be possible. Some of the different selves he refers to are “the rejected self”; “the child self”; and “the playful self”.

In part 1, the different selves are introduced. Through a number of imaginative conversations with his various selves, Whorton demonstrates how these different selves may reveal themselves to us in the light of pastoral encounters. Part 2 uses various examples of Whorton’s pastoral encounters within the hospice to look in some depth at “soul reactions”, and then offers reflection on them. In the Appendix, there are “soul exercises” linked to each chapter, to encourage and aid the reader to try this type of reflection for themselves.

This book relies heavily on Whorton’s extensive experience of pastoral encounters within his role as a hospice chaplain and offers some insightful reflections and observations. It draws on ideas from a variety of counselling and psychotherapy disciplines and it would have been helpful if there had been clear references to resources where these ideas are more fully explored.

Reflective Caring offers an in-depth and very personal reflection on Whorton’s experience of pastoral encounters within his role as hospice chaplain. He creatively demonstrates an approach to pastoral care, founded upon personal reflection, which aims to enhance pastoral care skills and the quality of active listening to another at times of need.