ABSTRACT
The authors identify countertransference hooks common to their work in palliative and end-of-life care. Mindfulness practice is one way to become aware of our countertransference reactions and our resistance to them. Applying and cultivating mindful attention to the examination of countertransference in palliative and end-of-life care are equally compelling. Our countertransference can catapult us into making inaccurate assessments and assumptions; it can cause us to push our own agendas and to invest unrealistic amounts of time and energy into our work, perhaps fusing our personal needs with those of our patients. Mindful attention affords us the possibility of achieving deeper clarity in our work and the capacity to then deliberately choose a response rather than acting impulsively. Methods of mindful practice vary from tradition to tradition and from teacher to teacher. Most involve the development of three basic skills by which to restore the mind to balance and clarity: focused attention and concentration, steady observing, and compassionate acceptance.
