"It's not about whether I can help"

At what times do people seek your support?
Nursing staff and doctors turn to us when patients show a need for dialogue, anxiety or grief, or when they realise that there is a need for a counselling session. But most of the time, we proactively visit patients who have been in hospital for more than four to five days.

What questions take centre stage during the conversation?
The conversation often centres on questions about the patient's own values and priorities. Many people want to understand how they can live with restrictions and dependencies and what impact this has on them and their environment. Sometimes I also discuss possible retraining after an operation or a premonition that becomes a certainty due to an illness.

What does a day here with us look like?
My day starts with emails and checking the patient list. I visit wards and talk to patients. No two days are the same. The essence of my job happens in direct contact. Listening is particularly important here.

How did you become what you are today?
I first worked in a technical position as a project manager at ABB. Put simply, it was all about doing business with people. At some point, I felt the need to deal with people holistically. It is important to me to understand people on an inner level. The joy of dealing with people is fundamental to me. That's why I decided to study theology. I realised early on that I was particularly interested in hospital chaplaincy: what moves people, how do they live? I find borderline situations exciting and challenging, that's probably in my nature.

How do you deal with the religious and spiritual diversity of your patients?
The trend is moving from denominational support to spiritual care. This means that people are often looking for support and meaning outside of the church and institutional structures. Individual spirituality is usually made up of a mix of religious, cultural and ethical influences. Everyone has spiritual needs, whether consciously or unconsciously, especially in the proximity of death. The finite nature of life plays a key role in this. I find this trend reversal exciting and enriching.

How do you help to support people in difficult times?
For me, helping means showing openness and interest in new encounters. It's important to listen with your heart in order to build trust. I radiate empathy and understanding in order to fulfil the needs of my counterpart and create an open space. It's not about whether I can help or what I should say or do, but about how I can take in the other person's story. Patients decide how and when they want to talk to me as a counsellor. Through storytelling, order and empowerment take place.

What challenges do you face?
I am constantly adapting to new situations. When I knock on the door, I don't know what to expect. Borderline situations and enduring finiteness are particularly challenging. When someone is out of therapy or there is no more hope medically, we share the feeling of powerlessness together. In such moments, advice or consolations are inappropriate. It is important to neither trivialise nor ignore reality. Sometimes rituals help to embed the incomprehensible in a larger whole and create a connection. Basically, it is helpful to go into an interaction without reservations.

And how do you look after your own mental health?
I trust that a force of love and life accompanies me so that I don't have to cope with everything myself. I often feel that a harmonious situation arises in the moment with the other person. I also receive something in return, something is created in the direct moment. That is very important to me. I can hand over the situation by praying during a visit. I also cultivate this practice privately through silence, meditation and presence. The "here and now" gives me strength for everyday life.

Is there an experience that has had a particular impact on you?
There are many special experiences in my career that have stayed with me. The moments when something changes are particularly formative: The energy in the room changes, the patient straightens up and feels gratitude. It's often the little things that touch me deeply. The opportunity to get to know people on the inside and to accompany them on their journey fulfils me anew every day. Every person has a unique life story and it is a gift to be able to share in it. I am also fascinated by how people are connected to nature, to other people and to their own faith. Exploring these connections and understanding what the mystery of life means for each individual motivates me every day in my work as a counsellor.

My last question: What do you think comes after the last star in the universe?
After the last star, we return to the origin from which we all come. We carry the stardust within us and remain connected to life, even if it changes its form and not everything fades away. My conviction that something subtle exists is strengthened by my meditation experiences. As St Paul says, in addition to our earthly body, we also have a supernatural body that we already carry within us.

Thank you for the personal insight into your work.

Pastoral care team at Zollikerberg Hospital

Rev. Stefan Morgenthaler
Rev. Sabine Schneider
Lic.theol. Sales Meier (catholic)

Pastoral care at the deaconry

Magnolia nursing home:
Rev. Rüdiger Döls (ref.) and lic. theol. Heide Kallenbach (cath.)
Sisterhood:
Rev. Sabina Hösli and Rev. Helke Döls