We support the diverse spiritual and emotional needs of patients, consumers and those who care for them.
Key points
- We provide confidential emotional and spiritual support during illness, surgery, and hospitalisation
- We offer religious and sacramental care including prayer, communion, anointing
- We coordinate visits by representatives from most religious traditions
- Internal referrals only
What we do
Our Spiritual Care service provides confidential emotional and spiritual support to patients, consumers and their loved ones during illness, surgery, and hospitalisation.
We also provide support for staff and volunteers of the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH).
Our service is provided by trained spiritual care practitioners and faith community chaplains.
What is spiritual care?
Spiritual Care is concerned with, and upholds, the importance of the holistic care of individuals by addressing the connections between physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions of wellbeing.
The spiritual and pastoral care team support people as they journey through times of illness and associated uncertainty.
We assist people to draw on their own spiritual resources, those things that provide meaning, purpose and a sense of belonging.
For some people, the spiritual is expressed through formal religious belief, practice and community. For others, it is realised through informal beliefs and practice, often connected to meaning drawn from culture, relationships and life experiences.
Mindfulness and meditation practices offered bedside provide a safe space for patients to be in the present moment.
This enhances healing through focusing on breathing, bodily awareness and use of therapeutic sound which results in a sense of peacefulness, calm, clarity of mind, self-awareness and grounding.
Trained art therapists bring a person-centred approach to explore thoughts and feelings through creative self-expression. Creativity enhances wellbeing and is a natural aspect of all cultures and human experience.
Art therapists use a range of arts tools (for example, collage, painting, drawing or clay), attending to emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual wellbeing.
Art-informed care is known to facilitate relaxation, reduce stress, anxiety and pain. No prior art experience is required to participate.
There is a multi-faith Sacred Space available for all to visit for meditation, prayer, or just a quiet space away from the hospital.
The Sacred Space is located in the retail precinct, on the ground level between the RMH and the Royal Women’s Hospital.
Each week there is a variety of religious services, meditation sessions and reflective services, which are listed on the noticeboard at the entrance to the Sacred Space.
Our clinics
| Clinic name | Location | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Spiritual Care Clinic | The RMH Parkville |
Our clinics
Links & documents
Interpreters and cultural support
We provide qualified, professional interpreters to help you communicate with us at any time during your stay and at your clinic appointments.
- Μάθετε περισότερα γιά διερμηνείς & υποστήριξη κουλτούρας
- Scopri di più sugli interpreti e sul supporto culturale
- Tercümanlar ve kültürel destek hakkında daha fazla bilgi edinmek için
- Tìm hiểu thêm về thông dịch viên và hỗ trợ văn hóa
- 找出更多翻译与文化支持的信息
- لمزيدٍ من المعلومات عن خدمة الترجمة الشفهية والخدمات الثقافية