Listening as health care.

What we know already Listening is an essential part of caring practice. Being listened to and telling our story is in itself therapeutic and life affirming. Listening is time consuming and whilst acknowledged as central to care in practice is hard to accomplish given the pressures on health and social care staff in terms of targets, paperwork and protocols. What this paper adds The sociological background to listening and its practice in contemporary health services. Why this is important Community Chaplaincy listening is based on the assumption of careful, agenda free listening. How this impacts on Chaplaincy Chaplains are primarily the bearers and witnesses of stories of suffering and triumph. Understanding the link between wellbeing and the act of listening gives theoretical substance to the core work of chaplaincy.