Abstract

For the last seven years, my bride of 45 years has been working very hard to recover from a series of heart problems and two strokes. In 2015, after hundreds of therapies following her 2012 stroke, we were fortunate enough to find a therapist who understood the importance of compassion and empathy in clinical situations. Within a few months, my wife’s physical, cognitive, mental, and emotional condition improved profoundly. As a photographer and author, I had been documenting her survival, recovery, and flourishing, and I was fortunate enough to recognize a moment of beauty and captured a single image that has since become my wife’s inspiration for living. It is entitled “Healing Hands.”

Figure. Healing Hands

Caption

Art and healing: the beauty and power of human touch in images connects clinicians and patients through empathy and compassion, providing hope and inspiration.