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GREENWICH, Conn. For Thomas Moore, there is more to being healthy than just a few physical measures. The author, professor and psychotherapist will make a presentation for Greenwich Hospital on Nov. 16 about the importance of a patient's emotional and spiritual health.
Consider depression, said Moore. It's easy to see there is an emotional issue, and we beyond a doubt know that there are physical reactions and consequences. But someone who is depressed might also be having difficulty feeling connected to a purpose. That is where the spiritual aspect comes in.
When he was 13, Moore joined the Servite Order. His family members were devout Catholics and having a child join the church at a young age wasn't unusual. He remained in the Lord's service for 13 years until he felt himself drawn away from the church.
Moore pursued a degree in world religion, studying significant and recurrent cultural themes. Today, he uses his experience and education to talk about how society addresses health care, from caring for the whole person to looking at how hospitals are designed promoting a sort of health-care feng shui.
He has written a number of books on the subject, including the bestselling Care of the Soul in Medicine. On Nov. 16, he'll present Your Physical, Spiritual and Emotional Health for Greenwich Hospital's annual Bob Rossum Memorial Lecture. He'll discuss his holistic approach to health care, which he knows isn't the easiest for some to grasp. Modern medicine focuses largely on fixing the immediate problem. He wants to fix the whole being and believes that means addressing the emotional and spiritual elements as part of the recovery process.
To that end, Moore doesn't eschew the technology and methodology of medicine. He has had two shunts placed in his heart. He makes no qualms that without the physical end of the health-care spectrum, he wouldn't be here today to talk about the emotional and spiritual parts.
The Bob Rossum Memorial Lecture will take place from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Nov. 16 at the Greenwich Library, Cole Auditorium. Check-in opens at 8:30 a.m. The event is free but space is limited so preregistration is required. To register call 203-863-3627 or 888-357-2409 or register online at www.greenwichhospital.org.
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