ABSTRACT
Practitioners of all backgrounds have come to appreciate the usefulness of EI in understanding their own as well as other people’s behaviour and responses to challenging situations. This chapter, and the one that follows, looks at how EI may be used to manage and make sense of emotionally charged incidents and occurrences in clinical practice. Whilst the two chapters focus on emotional touchpoints – in other words, points of emotional vulnerability – the underlying principles and approaches discussed hold good regardless the situation the practitioner might find him- or herself in. Within these two chapters, the need for emotional sensitivity and critical reflection are highlighted, as is the willingness to engage in emotional dialogue with self and colleagues. This understanding is a necessary component of all healthcare interventions and recognises the individual nature and uniqueness of people and their circumstances.
