Compassion Is Passion for OT Expert, Gresham Lecturer

Stoffel lecture.

As Ginny Stoffel, PhD, transitioned from student to teacher, instructing occupational therapy students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for the past 40 years, she realized compassion was vital to her success. From self-care to classroom work and from research to leadership within her discipline, compassion has grown from an interest to a genuine way of living her life.

Such enthusiasm led her to develop a personal definition of compassion, which she shared with current rehabilitation science faculty and students during the 17th annual Glen E. Gresham Visiting Professorship and Lecture in April.

“Compassion, for me, has become an interest... probably more based on my lived experience and the experiences of other people near me,” she said. “And when compassion was present, what a difference that made in the ultimate lessons learned in the grace and the respect that a person feels.”

Stoffel laid out eight different dimensions where compassion toward oneself could make all the difference in the world. And coming out of the COVID19 pandemic, she said, there’s a need for compassion for everyone. Emotional compassion, she noted, is a huge aspect of self-care. Recognizing when we’re struggling within ourselves, and understanding how to address it when it occurs, is a significant step.

Then there’s physical compassion or having a true understanding of where you’re at and not holding a standard over your head that weighs you down when you don’t accomplish goals associated with whatever you’re attempting to do. Instead, she said, find what you love and do it.

She laid out compassionate self-care approaches to social, spiritual, financial and occupational well-being, and spoke of how to lead with compassion in classroom and in research positions. In research, she said, compassion can play a large role in identifying participants and making sure they feel safe and secure in participating. Identifying those individuals who would make great participants can be a challenge, she said.

How a study is carried out, including how researchers ask intimate questions, can be challenging. Understanding a person’s desired pronouns or their affiliations—and respecting their decisions regarding these topics—can help them feel welcome and invite them to share more with researchers when the time comes, she said.

In the end, she said, graciously giving thanks and demonstrating humility will help win the day.

The Glen E. Gresham Visiting Professorship and Lecture is presented twice a year by SPHHP’s Department of Rehabilitation Science