Are you sick or depressed and in need of spiritual guidance of counseling? It turns out there's no need to leave the confines of your home. Chaplains are now available via Skype.
Reuters reports 3 websites that offer "virtual counseling" such as through Skpe especially to patients who are suffering from a serious diseases such as cancer. These include CantBelieveIHaveCancer.org, ChaplainCareforVeterans.org, and ChaplainsOnHand.org. All these websites are currently being operated and managed by HealthCare Chaplaincy Network based in New York City.
Many of the life's events can cause not only emotional and physical pain but also spiritual distress. However, more often than not, people find themselves feeling more alone, lonely, and isolated. On the other hand, although many patients can already receive counseling in health care facilities, the sessions often end as soon as the patients are discharged. In other cases, churches or spiritual groups may be very few or not present, particularly in far-flung areas.
Making the services available online means that chaplains, who come from a variety of religious and spiritual backgrounds, can readily assist people within 24 hours. They can provide help for the newly diagnosed, long-term patients, and those who are already in their end stage. They also extend their support to family members and caregivers, who can also face spiritual quandary of their own.
Moreover, by taking advantage of tele-health, they can offer their services without adding more physical burden on patients who traditionally have to commute for counseling and therapy. Patients can continue their disease management outside the confines of hospitals too.
Spirituality remains to be one of the least-explored areas of disease management. A new study, however, suggests that those who are deeply religious or spiritually involved are more likely to cope with the diagnosis better, especially in physical, emotional, and social. However, the positive effects may be hindered by a negative religious perception, such as the illness is a punishment from God.
