Building upon yesterday’s blog post which featured the book “How Can I Help? A Week in My Life as a Psychiatrist” by David Goldbloom and Pier Bryden, he talks about the role a psychiatrist can play in the lives of their patients and I found it to be relevant to all helping professions as well.
He quotes Edwin Trudeau, a nineteenth-century physician as saying, “The role of the physician is to cure rarely, relieve often, comfort always.” Goldbloom also quotes his pediatrician father as saying, “The first mission of physicians is the reduction of anxiety and the provision of hope.”
What I like about the theme of these quotes is that they emphasize the person rather than the illness, creating a space for them to feel validated, supported and safe. It is only with this foundation can therapy move towards helping clients heal; it is an absolute privilege for me to share in their stories. 🙂
“How Can I Help?” is a worthy read.
Photo credit: http://Photo by Aleksandr Ledogorov on Unsplash
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