New to paganism, new to caring.

[Skeleduck]

In Venecia Raul's book The Second Circle the first subject of the 'Specializations' chapter is Healers/healing. I'm sure that some of the 101 books I don't have with me any more mention the frequency of neopagans working in healthcare / medical capacities (with a tongue in cheek clarification about not necessarily being mystical herbalists). Well, I'll spare you the autobiography but I unexpectedly found myself firmly placed in the tertiary industry and seem condemned now to be a caregiver forever more.

Unlike a hospital nurse or doctor, where I imagine contact between patient and carer is limited and short-term, 'friendships' spontaneously occur in my working life through frequent encounters over a longer term (and I've only been working like this a year...). I'm not a finely tuned or finely balanced person and I often end up juggling my spiritual leanings when the time comes that all I can do is reassure and try to cheer. I wish I could take a little inter-faith / counseling training on the side so I'd be a little more useful in these workday situations.

I suppose I should be thankful that I suffer no real hindrance at work about my beliefs (in fact, the opposite has occurred), though I wish I could make better use of being a spiritual person.

Input or experiences?