Reflexology in a Hospice

So, hello everybody. Welcome to Wednesday's Reflexology Wisdom. I am absolutely delighted that um we've had uh a few people respond to a call out I did for people who are reflexologists but who work in either hospitals or hospices and I'm delighted to welcome Kath Murphy. Thank you so much for joining me Kath. You're up in Cheshire I believe. >> Yep. Up in Cheshire. >> Yeah. A very wet and cold Cheshure at the moment I knew it. [laughter] Um but Cath um works at St. Luke's Hospice I believe. >> Yeah. In Cheshire. Yeah. >> But this isn't where you started your journey. You've actually got a medical background, haven't you? >> Uh well, yes, I was well I was a nurse. Um I started nursing when I was 19. Quite a long quite a long time ago. Um and after several years nursing, I um bridged over into midwifery. And it was when I was a midwife that I discovered reflexology. Um when a reflexologist used to come to the um the unit where I worked when I first qualified. Um and it was back in my you know mid to late 20s. I was quite kind to myself. Didn't have any children or any other big responsibilities to spend money on. So I used to have a facial or a massage or I'd be quite good to myself every month. And I said, "This reflexologist gave me a session one day and I said,"What was that?" And I said, "That was just amazing." So I just I just knew I had to go and find out a bit more about it. >> So it was like nothing else you'd experienced before. >> No. And I guess that's how we all get into it because we've experienced it. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. >> Yeah. And then I found myself in New Zealand on a working holiday >> which extended to quite a long time. Um, and I saw a a poster, old style poster in a window advertising a an introduction to reflexology afternoon. So, I took myself off and learned some very basic relaxation techniques, which I practiced on my boyfriend, now husband, at the time. >> That's why it turned out to be a longer holiday than you [laughter] thought it was going to be. >> Yes. Met husband in New Zealand. Um and then we moved to Melbourne and lived there for about 19 years. So um >> Wow. Oh, >> so I ended up I did my training in in Melbourne and so when I was a student reflexologist, I hadn't qualified but I came back to uh Scotland where my mom was quite very sick >> um and she was approaching the end of her time here and the most natural um thing for me to do for her was to do reflexology. even though I wasn't qualified, it was the most um natural thing to put my hands on her feet and I just did the basic techniques that I knew at that time. Um and she got so much comfort from it. >> Okay. >> And so of course in return so did I um and I knew then it was such a poignant pivotal moment. I knew then that I would be a reflexologist. And so my nursing midwifery over the next few years, I guess after having children and that kind of slid away and then I stepped into reflexology and that's that's how it all started for me really. >> Wow, what a story. That's brilliant. So, you're now a full-time reflexologist, >> but you work three days a week, I believe. >> Yeah. So, I'm employed three days a week in hospice. Um, and so when my husband and my two our two children came back to the UK in late 21 and I found myself well new to Cheshire, came back with my husband's work. Um, and so the the big focus at the time was getting the kids settled into school and living in a new place. Um, and I found myself in a charity shop. Um, as you do. Um, >> you can't beat a good charity shop. >> You can't a good rumage in a charity shop. And so I bought a lottery ticket when I was there. >> Yeah. >> Um, and when I got home, I thought, "Oh, I'll just Oh, it's a hospice." I just thought it was a charity shop. So I looked at the lottery ticket and I thought, "Oh, I might have a look at their website." So, I went on their website and I just filled in the contact us form. >> Um, and I said, "Oh, just wondering if you do complimentary therapies. I'm a reflexologist." You know, >> and I sent it and I thought, "If I don't hear anything in a couple of weeks, then I I might get back in touch." That was my thinking. >> Um, and I got an email the next day and they said, "Oh, we're looking to employ a therapist on um on the bank." So I started off just working casual. So which was perfect. It was perfect for me. I filled in for holidays. If any of the other complimentary therapists were were were off sick, I would fill in. And so I did that for probably a year and then someone someone left a permanent member of staff was leaving. So I started off with two days >> and then last year about 18 months ago um a new initiative came up where we go out and visit people that are >> more housebound um uh so they can't get into the hospice or they've chosen >> to just to remain at home. So I do that one day a week. Um >> perfect. >> Yeah. And it's great. I love it. Yeah. >> And now this is the thing. I know that an awful lot of reflexologists, they sort of think, "Oh my goodness, there's no way that I could be somebody dealing with uh, you know, people that are terminally ill, paliotative, whichever way you want to, lifelimiting, whatever expression you want to use." What would you say to people who say that? Because I I think it's one of the most rewarding things you can do. What What would you What would you say? >> Oh, yeah. I would totally I would totally agree with that. Um and I think the thing about working in a hospice people might think that it's just palative care. Um and it's not. So we might um work with people who've come through their cancer journey and they're now renavigating getting back to normal whatever that norm their new normal if you like. Yeah. >> Um so we support them, we support carers, we support berieved carers. Um and of course yeah some patients obviously um towards the end of their life um and I think if if a reflexologist is interested in working in that area I think just kind of sit with that and ask yourself do I really want to work in that field and even journal around it like ask ask because it might not res resonate with everyone >> but if if somebody really feels called to do that I think spending time on some inner inquiry thinking well why do I want to do it what would that involve what would my fears be what would and all your feelings are valid but I think if if people are getting a nudge and [snorts] say for example you find yourself in a hospice shop and you buy a lottery ticket some people might think I'd love to work there >> but then the the mind says oh no I can't do that >> so they kind of pull back and So I think if you're getting the nudge and you really feel that that's what you want to do then I would say phone, email, you know, just get in touch with your local hospice or hospital, you know, whichever area you're feeling called >> to work in. I think we've got to trust our our gut feeling and our >> I would absolutely agree with our passion because it might not be for everyone and that's absolutely fine. >> Yeah. >> But if it is for you then I would say >> don't ignore the nudge. >> Yeah. Absolutely. So you work two days in the hospice, one day >> in the community. >> In the community. Tell me kind of what what what what happens? What's your day like in the hospice Philip let's just start with >> so in the hospice I'm attached to the day hospice so we might have say well-being day where patients come in for the day um there'll be other um therapies like say art therapy um we work alongside in collaboration with say spiritual care advisor the chaplain occupational therapists social workers nursing staff it's very kind multi-disiplinary um approach and it's I really feel like we're everybody in that team is valued um so it's very much a team um yeah a team approach >> so the the well-being days they run a couple of days a week and then we also have clinics where uh patients come in and they might be undergoing say chemotherapy they might be having radiotherapy they might have completed did the treatment. They might be um a carer or somebody who's recently bererieved. Um we run relaxation groups. So as well as doing say reflexology, uh we also offer say harmed reflexology. Um hearts which is a it's an acronym. I don't know if you've heard of hearts. >> Go on explain it. No, I haven't. Um it stands for um hands-on empathy, aroma therapy, relaxation, texture, and sound. So I think it was developed at the Christi um I can't remember the anarter I think. Don't quote me, but um it's it's really it's a beautiful um treatment if somebody's very frail and it's it's almost like featherike gentle stroking from head >> Mhm. >> right down the body, but it's over a blanket or a towel. That's texture. And of course, we've got say the songird balms with the >> different essential oils in them, the balance or the tea tree and mint, the lavender. Um, so we do that. I'd say reflexology is probably the most popular. >> Oh, that's good to hear. >> Although Raiki's Raiki is quite up there, too. And some people actually like to have a a mixture of the two. >> Mhm. >> A little bit of Raike. >> I'm seeing it's good to hear because of course this is Wednesday's reflexology wisdom, [laughter] >> but also within reflexology. Within a reflexology session, you know, we do say breathing exercises, do guided visualization. So, it's not just the feet as you know, it's >> Oh, totally. Reflexology is mind, body, spirit, isn't it? It's not just >> Absolutely. >> Absolutely. Yeah. >> So, you create this beautiful calm space for people to be that would otherwise potentially be in quite a um anxious, >> disturbed place. >> Yeah. >> And um I I must admit, I don't know whether you'd agree with me because I I don't know whether you know or not. I'm I'm actually the trustee of a um end of life >> charity myself. by >> um but I get to meet some of the bravest people on the planet. That's the way that I think about it. >> But also they have the most amazing stories to tell and also some of the worst humor to share as well because they've kind of they're they're facing their mortality and they're still making the very very best of what they've got left. Would would that sort of a ring bell for you as well? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think um it's not it's not maybe all doom and gloom that people may have that. >> Exactly. That's the point I'm trying to make. Yes. >> Yes. >> It can be very it can be very uplifting and when people share their story >> and everybody has a story. Um, and I like to I like I've kind of given it a term like whenever I do a session I call it align with your heart >> and that's become the whole ethos of my work. So I actually ask people to with we do a breathing exercise and then I get them to breathe in imagine that they're breathing into their heart and we say what does my heart need today and they might they well they'll come up normally with one word but the word that comes from your heart is always going to be a loving word. The word that comes from your head is the oh the it's the it's the judging or the the the ego mind. >> Yeah. [clears throat] So if somebody comes up with a word say peace or calm then that's their word for the day and they >> gorgeous. >> So during the session it becomes my intention and then it becomes their almost like a mantra for the for the day. >> That's wonderful. Wonderful. So it's it's like you've kind of they have given the word that becomes their the intention that then becomes the thing that they're remembering through the day and it then brings them this gorgeous peace. >> Yeah. Yeah. And I think even as a practitioner I do it myself like most mornings I'll say what does my heart need today. >> Not so much the mind. >> Yeah. The mind can sometimes be so negative as well can't it? >> Yeah. I'm just, you know, busy. Oh, I need to lists. I need to do this. Especially this time of year, it can be >> Oh, yes. >> Chaotic and busy. Yeah, >> absolutely. Absolutely. So, working in a hospice is something that you would absolutely recommend any reflex on it just to do then. Yeah, I would say that every day, and I don't exaggerate when I say this, but every day when I drive home, I I say thank you and I feel so grateful. Um it's it really people might say, "Oh, it's a real privilege." And it might sound like a bit of a cliche, but it's so true. It's um you know, you've been with people at such a big moment um regardless of what part of the journey they're they're on. But I think if we're able to, like some people often say, some people at the hospice say it's almost like a scaffold or a safety net. Like people come in and it's like they just [sighs and gasps] they just they walk through the door and they feel that they're held because a lot of people do struggle with having those difficult conversations sometimes at home. >> Yeah. Yeah. And they feel they have to be brave for everybody else. >> Yeah. whereas they can just be themselves >> when they're in your kind of environment. That's just wonderful. >> Kath, it has been a delight talking to you. One last thing then, any advice that you would give to anybody that's watching this and thinking, do you know what? I want to give this a try. What would you suggest that they do? >> Um, I would say, you know, maybe have a look at the um AO website. I'm sure they've got or your associate whichever association you're with. >> Mh. >> If you're feeling that you're lacking in in confidence, which we all do. >> Oh gosh. Yes. >> We're always learning. We're always a student, aren't we? Um and so if you feel that it's something that's holding you back because of say confidence, then just do some further reading, watch some videos on YouTube. >> Yes, lots of videos. [laughter] Um, and and I would just say if you're really feeling the call and then you've got the nudge, then that to me is often a sign. And I'd just say just make a phone call or if you're more comfortable, send an email. >> So get in touch with your local hospice >> or put your hand on your heart and say, "What does my heart want?" >> Your heart will say, >> "There perfect." Wonderful. This has been wonderful talking to you. Thank you so much for sharing your story. >> It's absolutely brilliant. It really, really is. >> And seriously, anybody out there that is thinking, you know what, I fancy giving this a try. >> Follow the advice here and do get in touch with your local hospice. An awful lot of them are literally just sort of waiting for that call. Um there I I I know that sort of where I am down in the southeast um there are many many places that would be over the moon to hear from therapists, reflexologists, whatever your modality is. We've all got something to give. We really, really have. So guys, until next time, thank you so much for watching Wednesday's Reflexology Wisdom. On behalf of me and CF, thank you so much for watching and stay well, stay safe. Goodbye.