‘STEPS Together’ by Amanda Tay
Terminal illness, death and dying are universal human experiences, but discussing them can be challenging. This video demonstrates the use of a therapeutic conversation guide, ‘STEPS Together’, providing a structure to employ narrative practices to support people to develop preferred narratives in the face of hardships related to terminal illness. The video features unique conversations with people with terminal illness, their caregivers and the bereaved. This work was completed with support from Singapore Cancer Society, Psychosocial Services Department.
Author biography
Amanda Tay (She/Her) is a social work practitioner providing psychosocial services to people facing terminal illness in a home hospice in Singapore. Her interests include therapeutic social work with lived experiences, and positioning people as authors of their preferred narratives within their communities. She can be contacted at amandatay@outlook.com.
Published on March 2, 2023
franklinchoi
March 1, 2024Dear Amanda,
Thanks for sharing your work with dignity. I was amazed by how you respond to the person’s struggles and suffering.
I have a disquiet moment when I learned that Betty’s application of finanical assistance was rejected, and she told the professionals to “put themselves into her shoes if they were a parent dying”.
However, what inspires me was when you invite Betty to trace the meaning behind her actions of “scolded them and left”. This allows me to witness Betty’s alternative identity of “not afraid of standing for what is right”.
Your work instills hope in me, as you demonstrate the power of empowering the persons to search what is absent but implicit in the face of inequality.
I would like to explore how STEPS together model could make a difference for my terminally ill client in our next meeting as well.