How to Save a Life: Healing Power of Poetry

Many of us who are focused on caring for others, whether inside or outside of healthcare, lose sight of the need to care for ourselves. The fact is that all humans need self-care. For over 40 years Dr. Barbara Loeb was such an individual. Caught up in her life as a physician, leader, partner, daughter, and mother she failed to stop and reflect on her life, making things much harder than they had to be and leading to burnout.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, for her, just like for so many others, the need for self-care became more urgent. In her new book "How to Save a Life: Healing Power of Poetry," Dr. Loeb explores and redefines her path as a healer. She utilizes the principles of presence, reflection, self-awareness, and self-compassion to place words in her poetry that describe universal experiences we can relate to. In this way she invites us to travel on our own healing journey. Her ultimate aim is to inspire the reader to find their own path to well-being which is often paired with self-expression and creativity.

Each chapter is illuminated by the artwork of the author's late mother, Judy "Salsa" Loeb.

Reviews

"The poems and drawings will stay with you. Dr. Loeb and her mother will link arms with you and walk by your side, into your past, present, and future, reminding you that “You’re not alone” in your care for others and yourself."

-David Thoele, MD & Marjorie A. Getz, PhD, Narrative Medicine, Advocate Aurora Health

“How To Save a Life: Healing Power of Poetry is a truly moving collection of poetry and art, sensitively written, carefully arranged, and beautifully presented. As Barbara faced her own challenges and nurtured self-awareness, she found solace, healing, and peace of mind through poetry. We are privileged to be able to walk with her in that journey, and through doing so, are naturally drawn to find the inner wellspring of peace, love, healing, and wholeness within us - the only place left to look... This book, lovingly written by Barbara, is a gem. Highly recommended!”

-Shamash Alidina, Author, "The Mindful Way Through Stress & Mindfulness for Dummies."

"…A deeply moving collection of poems that grounds you with eternal hope that you can always find your way back home, a reminder of the essential wholeness you already are!”

-Daniel Friedland, MD, Author, "Leading Well from Within."

"Barbara Loeb’s collection (of poetry) …reminds us of the timeless urgency of healing- to help others even with the knowledge of our transient identities, to enter life fully, to open to the gifts of now, and to know the potential of our lived moments. In beautiful words and images drawn from her observations and experiences of the natural, imagined, manufactured and human worlds, Barbara points us toward opening our hearts, renewing our sense of awe and wonder, and finding our ways back home to right here, for the only moments we have to live and love, connect and heal."

-Michael Krasner, MD, Professor, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Co-founder, Mindful Practice.

"… More than a collection of soulful poetry; it is a personal journey of healing and transformation through the eyes of a healer. With her words of compassion and encouragement infused by nature imagery, this poet paints a vivid picture that won't leave one's mind's eye anytime soon."

-Eva Xan, Poetry Editor, Author, "Esoterra."

“This is so much more than a stunning collection of poems and art. It is a gem of a guide for the healing power of words and a journey through grounding, awakening, noticing, transforming, to healing. An imaginative legacy, for generations of family, caregivers, and readers of this delightful book.”

-Mary Rose Thomson, Public Health Nurse Specialist, NHS Hospital Governor.

Barbara Loeb is an author, speaker, facilitator, and physician leader, who is committed to promoting healing, especially for those who care for others and often lose sight of their own need for nurturing. Dr. Loeb was born and raised in an inner-city neighborhood on Chicago's Northside. She worked her way through undergraduate school at Northwestern University and medical school at Rush Medical College. For over 40 years, Dr. Loeb worked in numerous healthcare roles. First, as a primary care physician building her own Internal Medicine practice and working as a physician leader among her colleagues. Later, she became a consultant sharing strategies to enhance physician-patient communication and connection. Dr. Loeb transitioned from her practice to serve as a Chief Medical Officer navigating the current challenges in healthcare within a variety of health organizations. This included hospitals, health systems, physician groups and health insurance plans. She both observed and experienced the same challenges as her physician colleagues: fatigue, lack of self-care, and burnout. To provide herself with a greater measure of healing, she developed her own restorative ritual, which combines mindfulness, writing, and building deeper connections between patients and colleagues. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for Dr. Loeb (as for so many others), the need for self-care became more urgent. In her first book "How to Save a Life: Healing Power of Poetry" written in 2020-2021, she utilizes the principles of presence, reflection, self-awareness, and compassion to create poetry that takes us along on her healer's journey. Her goal is to inspire her readers to reflect on their own path to well-being through self-expression. By sharing her poems and inner travels, she reveals the great strength that her readers can build through opening themselves and letting out their creative energy. She sends a message to future generations to connect to the grounding energy of the past. The volume is brilliantly illustrated with the artwork of her late mother Judy "Salsa" Loeb. Dr. Loeb shares this knowledge and facilitates learning with colleagues through speaking, writing, mentoring, and facilitating groups. Her focus is on building mindfulness and the humanities in healthcare which she promotes in her work with both narrative medicine and mindful practice groups and initiatives.