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Courses that

cultivate resilience and joy for healthcare professionals working with stress and burnout.

Upcoming Course

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8 week On-line course

Tuesday 18th February - 

Tuesday 8th April 2025

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 Click here for more event details 

"The expectation that we can be immersed in suffering and loss daily and not be touched by it is as unrealistic as expecting to be able to walk through water without getting wet"

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Rachel Remen

What we do

The course is skillfully facilitated by experienced teachers.

Themes covered include

  • understanding burnout

  • becoming aware of underlying narratives

  • working with and in trauma

  • difficult communication

  • making mistakes and guilt

  • self-compassion

  • working in demanding systems.

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Participants learn about the principles of  mindfulness and are introduced to mindfulness practices.

These practices help to ground and centre.  They intentionally create still moments to breathe, reflect, recover and recuperate.

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Discussions with colleagues in a safe, non-judgmental and confidential space, help process and make sense of difficulties encountered in everyday practice.

Participants learn techniques of intentionally listening and speaking.

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What is burnout

Burnout differs from depression in that the symptoms are specific to the work environment

It has 3 key features

  • Exhaustion only at work

  • Depersonalisation or compassion fatigue, 

  • Sense of lack of efficacy, questioning whether the work matters or makes a difference.

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Click here to score your level of burnout

Burnout
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Dr Janine Kirby

Janine is a family physician, homeopath and mindfulness teacher.  She is the chairperson of the Institute of Mindfulness of South Africa (IMISA).

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Prof Hoffie Conradie

Hoffie is a family physician who worked in rural health in both the private and public sectors.  He is an emeritus associate professor of family medicine at Stellenbosch University and an accredited life coach.

Meet the team

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Dr Pete Milligan

Pete is a psychiatrist who has spent many years working as a generalist and specialist in rural and urban settings in the public sector.

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Dr Belinda McIntosh

Belinda is a family physician and mindfulness teacher. She works in family medicine and psychiatry in rural South Africa.

Meet the team

Try this meditation

This meditation can be practiced alone or shared with a friend. 

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When practiced daily it cultivates gratitude, resilience and  compassion.

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00:00 / 07:25
Meditation
Helpful links & resources
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Resources for health care staff

This is part of an initiative, created by the Health Care Workers Care Network, in response to the COVID pandemic in South Africa and has helpful meditations, materials and articles.  

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Encountering grief

Joan Halifax is a Buddhist teacher and hospice worker.  She reminds us that to be with patients we need strong backs and soft fronts.  In this guided meditation she shares nourishing wisdom as we face suffering in the world, reminding us of our own inner resources to carry our own grief and that of others.

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The shame conversation

Making a mistake can have tragic consequences in medicine.  These mistakes are often discussed in ward rounds and meetings, resulting in challenging feelings of guilt and shame. Shame is a difficult emotion to process.  This short film powerfully opens up the conversation about this normal human emotion

Resources
Upcoming courses and events
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Upcoming Courses

8 week Online course

Weekly on Tuesdays from 18th February - 8th April 2025

19h00-21h00

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Contact medicstakingcare@gmail.com for details or use the contact form below

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Individual Coaching

If you are interested in private coaching, schedule an exploratory session with integrative life coach Prof Hoffie Conradie.  Visit Hoffie's website drhoffieconradiecoaching.com for more information.

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This is Us

An informal group of health care professionals that discuss issues such as empathy, vulnerability, mental health and burnout.

 

Meetings are on the last Monday of each month from 19h00-20h30.

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Join the WhatsApp group on https://chat.whatsapp.com/DLKwlzlyKeKBVINapzxoS4

Events

Contact Us

Thanks for getting in touch!

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Comments from previous participants

I have always known how tough I am on myself, but I am discovering that I not only put others needs ahead of my own but I hold myself to a completely unrealistic standard which is definitely not healthy.
I had many breakthrough, aha moments.
It's a journey of self discovery
I learnt to be compassionate towards myself when reflecting on difficult work situations.
I am on a trajectory of recovery
It was helpful to listen to other’s stories and realize that I am not alone.
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