By Lissa
Today,
I’m going out on a limb to suggest a new kind of Doctor-Patient Relationship,
the kind I practice and I hope others in the new Pink Medicine do too. Here
goes nothing.
It’s
All About Collaboration
As
doctor and patient, you and I are entering into a partnership. I will not give
you orders because we will be collaborating, and your voice is as important as
mine, if not more so. Because we will be partners, I feel it is important to
clarify and agree upon what our relationship will entail, what you can expect
of me, and what I expect of you. I am
here to support you, guide you, offer you tools, and support your process, but
I will not “fix” you – for I don’t believe you are broken.
You
Can Heal Yourself
I
believe you already have within you the power to heal yourself. When we meet, I
will hold up the mirror so you can see that you already have within you all
that you need to have all that you want. This mirror will help you see what you
need in order to optimize your wellness and happiness, so you can live the most
joyous, vibrant, fulfilling, sexy, healthy life possible. Although I will
support you in every way I can by educating you, giving you choices, answering
your questions, and making recommendations, you are here to be the force behind
your own healing. The body is made to self-diagnose and self-repair, and my job
is to help you activate those self-healing superpowers. But you must do the
heavy lifting yourself. If
you are not ready, willing, or able to heal yourself, I will be here to nurture
and support you, but the process will be less powerful, with less dramatic
results.
I’m
Not Blaming You
I’m
not blaming you for being sick, depressed, or otherwise in need of healing. I
am not suggesting that you brought this upon yourself (and if you did, I will
treat you with compassion, not judgment.)
I’m
also not suggesting that every illness or problem will be cured, either by your
hands or by mine. Sometimes the Master Plan requires that illness – or even
death – is inevitable. I believe that healing and curing are different, and
that one can happen without the other. Although our goal will always be to
achieve both, we will both understand that we must set goals, but release
attachment to outcomes and surrender to Divine will. In this very surrender, healing lies.
We
Are Equals
Although
I spent many years training to earn the right to be your doctor, I am not
“better” than you, and as such, I will treat you as a cherished equal. In order for our partnership to be
successful, we must – absolutely must – respect each other. You will not put me
on a pedestal, and I will not look down upon you. I will speak to you when we are both dressed
and only leave you naked in the brief moments when I need to examine you. I
will respect your privacy, honor your modesty, and invite you to put your
clothes back on as soon as I’ve done what I need to do.
I
accept that my time is not more valuable than yours. As doctor and patient, we
will respect each other’s time. I will not make you wait for your appointment,
and you will not be late. We must be present, fully and completely, during our
time together. This means we will both turn off cell phones, let go of
distractions, and focus all of our energy on your health and healing.
I
Trust Your Intuition
I
will call upon my knowledge, experience, and resources to offer you
recommendations for preventative care, diagnostic workups, and treatment plans,
but I will also invite you to listen to the intuition of your healing inner
wisdom, your body, and your soul. I will explain why I make the recommendations
I do, but I will always respect your autonomy, without judgment. If you choose
not to follow my advice, we will negotiate another plan that resonates with
your intuition. If I am unable to
provide the care you need or desire, I will release you to follow your heart or
find another provider without taking it personally. You will understand if our current
medical-legal climate makes me cover my ass sometimes, and you won’t take it
personally. Ultimately, the choices for how we proceed will always be yours,
whether I agree with the plan or not.
I
will not take it personally if you question me.
I promise to respect you, guide you, and help you discover the healing
power within you. In exchange, I ask that you follow through on any treatment
plan we agree upon. If our treatment plan does not resonate with your body’s
wisdom, or if you have financial constraints, please tell me so that we can
modify our plan. Follow through is key. We must walk this path together in
order to manifest the results I know we can achieve.
I
Believe In You
I
believe in your capacity to heal from any illness, trauma, or loss, even if
other doctors have deemed you “incurable.” I believe the human body is more
mysterious than we will ever truly understand.
As such, I will never view you as hopeless or broken, and I will hold
sacred space for the whole, perfect, healed individual I know you to be, even
in the midst of ill health. I will tell it to you straight so you understand
science and statistics, but I will never tell you hope is gone, because
miracles happen, and you have the power to enable them.
We
Must Be Honest With Each Other
We
have to be open and tell the truth, even if it is painful or uncomfortable. I
will promise you confidentiality, and you must promise to tell me anything I
need to know in order to provide the best medical care possible. We must trust
that we are safe together, so we can explore things that may be tough to
explore. We must open our hearts to the loving kindness and compassion that is
a necessary part of any healing relationship.
I Am
Only Human
As
my patient, you will understand that I am a mere mortal, prone to mistakes,
flaws, insecurities, ego, fatigue, tears, and distractions in my personal
life. You will not put me on a pedestal,
and you will cut me some slack if I’m less than perfect, just as I will do with
you. If I let you down, you will tell me gently, rather than bottling it up and
storing it as resentment against me. In return, I will share with you how I
feel about our relationship. If at any point, one of us cannot meet the other’s
needs, we are free to dissolve this relationship at any time with loving
kindness and compassion.
I’m
Doing The Best I Can, And So Are You
As
doctor and patient, we agree to accept that we’re both doing the best we can at
any given time, and we won’t always get it right. We commit to open
communication, mutual respect, a belief in the infinite capacity for whole
health and healing, and a dedication to cherishing the process and viewing
health issues as an opportunity to seek higher ground.
We
acknowledge that, between you and me, anything is possible.
Are
you on board? If so, sign here.
X
marks the spot,
Your
Doctor
One
Doctor’s Response
I
showed this agreement to a doctor I respect, who has a big, open heart and
genuinely cares about his patients. I could see his chest rise and fall as he
read it, and when he finished, he looked up at me with great big puppy eyes and
said, “Lissa, I love it. But I don’t trust that I could do this. I’d want to.
But could I? I’d hate to promise something I couldn’t follow through on.”
I
asked if he wanted a copy so he could give it to his patients. He hesitated,
furrowed his brow, looked down at the floor, tapped his pen on his knee, looked
at me again before averting my eyes, and said, “No. Thank you, but no. I’m not
ready yet, but maybe some day I will be.”
A
Call To Action
What
if you printed this out and handed it to your doctor? Would you have the guts?
If you’re a health care provider, how does this strike you? If you’re a
patient, how do you think your doctor would respond if you handed her a copy of
this? How would you respond if your doctor gave this to you?
If
we’re gonna change the system, we have to work together- so this is my call to
action for you! Send this post to your doctor. Send it to your friends and ask
them to send it to their doctors, dentists, acupuncturists, therapists, and
anyone else who is part of their healing team. Let’s invite both patients and
health care providers to step up to the plate and reclaim the heart of
medicine.
Source:
Note:
Lissa
is an OB/GYN physician, a Pink Medicine Revolutionary, author of two books, a
motivational speaker, founder of OwningPink.com, a professional artist, and a
mom. She believes that promoting health without encouraging others to seek
wholeness is an exercise in futility. Not until we realize that our bodies are
mirrors of our interpersonal, spiritual, professional, sexual, creative,
financial, environmental, mental, and emotional health will we truly heal.
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