Compassionate Touch
"...delightful and inspiring book. It is well written and well pressented with lots of lovely photos and clear prose."  --Dementia Care magazine May/June 1996"Nelson is able to share experiences concisely.  Her ideas inspire the reader to develop as an individual and a professional..."  --Nat'l Council of Hospice Professionals Book Review 1997Beautifully written, concise, relevant, richly illustrated, it should be on every massage practitioner's bookshelf."  --Dietrich Miesler, Founder, Day-Break Geriatric Massage Project, MASSAGE magazine March/April 95Compassionate Touch is a unique "how-to" book whose aim is to address the often unmet need of the aged, the ill, and the dying for intimate, nurturing contact. Compassionate touch, as defined by Dawn Nelson, is a gentle, sensitive, and non-intrusive program of massage, touch therapy, and comfort care, supported by such helping skills as active listening, reflective communication, intuitive feedback, guided relaxation, and breathing awareness. Compassionate Touch aims to ease both physical and emotional pain, in a way that medication and medical procedures simply cannot. Written with great clarity and sensitivity, this is an ideal book for massage therapists and bodyworkers looking to expand their skills, an essential reference for all caregivers and family members, and a seminal text for all reference collections for those concerned with the subject of hostel care for the terminally ill.  --Midwest Book Review