35. Lindsay de Wal on Redefining Chaplaincy & the Rise of non-religious Pastoral Care in the NHS

"Transcendence is the connection with something wider; the world, the cosmos, nature, other fellow human beings, and doing good in this life"— Dr Lindsay De Wal  When Dr Lindsay De Wal became the first non-religious head of chaplaincy in the NHS, she redefined what spiritual support can look like in modern healthcare. From sceptical colleagues to international media headlines, her appointment marked a turning point for inclusive pastoral care.  In this powerful and personal conversation, Lindsay shares how she built a humanist framework for care grounded in deep listening, horizontal transcendence and unwavering compassion. In This Episode Why only 4% of hospital chaplaincy visits serve non-religious patients How the Netherlands became a global leader in humanist pastoral careWhat “horizontal transcendence” means—and why it matters in non-religious care The art of active listening and the power of silence in emotional support How to become a humanist pastoral carer—and why demand is growing fast The rise of the Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network across the NHS Follow Dr. Lindsay de Wal Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Dr.LdW UK Non‑religious Pastoral Support Network Episode References:  Become a Pastoral Carer, UK Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network The Development of Non-Religious Pastoral Support in the UK, Dr David Savage  History of The Netherlands Humanists Association, Humanistisch Verbond Interview with Lindsay de Wal: UK’s First Humanist NHS Chaplain on Non-Religious Pastoral Care, The Humanist  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices