Clinical philosophy My Clinical Philosophy
Overview
Each of us is an individual, and medical practitioners are no exception. Fortunately, there are many valid ways of practicing medicine. Good practitioners usually pursue an education and clinical perspective that resonates with their philosophical outlook, life experience, and temperament. The multiplicity of medical approaches can, however, be frustrating for the patient who has to choose among competing alternatives, often without guidance. To make your choice simpler I will attempt to summarize the clinical philosophy which guides my therapeutic approach:
1. Holism
The foremost thing that guides my clinical thinking is the conviction that different aspects of the organism usually considered distinct are in fact manifestations of a deeper, singular reality. Not only are physical symptoms related to mental ones, and mental symptoms to one’s physical condition, but both of these are a reflection of a deeper reality that has to do with the essence or spiritual reality of the person. My goal in treatment is to access this deeper reality in patients who may or may not be aware of its existence, through careful observation and questioning, and through the application of therapeutic approahces founded on this philosophy.
2. Thoroughness
Next is the understanding that treating an ailment thorouhgly requires addressing it indirectly by resovling the underlying issues responsible for its development. This means that I find it most rewarding to work with patients who are aware (or wish to become aware) of how their complaints relate to their life at large, rather than with those who simply wish to be cured of a problem with no further reflection about its origin. This especially holds true in the case of patients whose complaints have no detectable source but who nevertheless find themselves struggling with life issues such as dysfunctional thoughts or self-destructive habits.
A thorough clinical approach allows me to discover underlying factors at the proper depth of analysis. Although physical causes (genetic predisposition, chemical imbalance, poor diet, lack of exercise) are often blamed for chronic illness, most of the time there are more fundamental concerns that have to be addressed before lasting improvement can be experienced. More often than not these issues turn out to be constitutional, psychological, or spiritual in nature. They may relate to constitutional predisposition (which can often be adjusted even when there is a known genetic susceptibility), to specific life events in the past (whose negative influence on the present can be addressed), or to a sense of inability to fulfil one's life goals (a common human experience that can be addressed through classical homeopathy and EFT).
3. Trust
Third, I strongly believe that a patient who walks through my door wishes wholeheartedly to get better. While I require full cooperation during the clinic visit in answering my many questions, and a degree of commitment to return for regular visits in order properly to evaluate progress and refine treatment, I avoid suggesting sweeping changes that patients cannot adhere to or which themselves could become a source of stress. Rather than insisting on lifestyle or dietary changes, I let those changes take place at their own pace following deep treatment with appropriate techniques. In other words, my goal is to optimize my patients’ ability to handle the life that they are currently living, and trust that they themselves — whether consciously or unconsciously, on their own or with assistance — will in time make the changes required for more complete improvement.
Finally, I believe that no single practitioner has all the answers in any given case, and therefore I do not hesitate to recommend other treatment options to be pursued elsewhere, and use my broad educational basis to judge what other type of treatment might be appropriate for the situation.
