The confluence of mindlines and emotion in community-based palliative care

In this chapter, Michael Hodgins, Ann Dadich, and Jayne Bye present findings from a study in community-based palliative care that reminds us of the important role of emotion in mindlines – a role too often ignored. Their observations of the ways practitioners talk about their patients demonstrate how emotions are assembled within mindlines to help them to cope with dilemmas, to persuade their peers towards different approaches to the care of dying patients, and to establish, and come to terms with, the limits of care. The chapter ends, therefore, by advocating more room for clinicians to engage with their emotions during clinical discussions, which could well benefit the patient and the practitioner.