Therapeutic Partnership
Definition:
By definition; A therapeutic partnership is a relationship where history is established and connections are made that enable the clinician to see the appropriate path more clearly and the patient to make incremental and meaningful changes.
When we seek help, to improve our health or recover from a disease process, we come with a specific outcome in mind. It is important for both the doctor and the person that seeks help to know what the goal is we want to achieve. What symptoms do we want to be removed and what will it be to make us to feel better and healthy?
In order to achieve health, we not only need to know what is wrong but also to realise that we have a role play and a responsibility to make it come true. If it was just about making a diagnosis, finding and swallowing a pill or receiving a procedure of some kind, wellbeing for the broader population in general would be much more under control right now. Yet there are more and more people suffering from a chronic disease process.
More and more people need to take two or more medications to control symptoms and regulate disrupted chemical, hormonal, immunological and other physiological responses in their bodies. We also find that chronic disease processes show up in much younger people and children than ever before. It is obvious that there must be more to acquiring health than just swallowing medication or being operated on.
In chronic disease and long-term feeling unwell there is no magic pill or a silver bullet solution to move back to health. What you do need is time, dedication, attention, physiological comprehension, and trustworthy frameworks that will help guide you towards answers, solutions and health. The bodies internal terrain makes a shift through the diet, lifestyle and therapeutic interventions you employ.
You as a patient have all the answers the doctor needs to detect the cause/s, suggest the correct path to follow and provide the support to implement for you to regain your health and wellbeing.
The role you play in implementing those suggestions and taking responsibility to make the needed changes cannot be replaced by any pill. Your trust in the process and your doctor as well as your doctor’s empathy and understanding of your problem, what led up to that, will lead to a chemical environment that supports the healing potential. The two of you will have the opportunity to activate the transformation from stuck to healing working as a team in such a relationship. And let’s be honest, more and more cases are requiring complex steps to find resolution. The importance addressing sleep/relaxation, exercise/movement, nutrition, hydration, improving stress resilience and experiencing/building supportive relationships and networks cannot be ignored.
A good relationship between you and your doctor is very important, because the relationship itself changes the hormonal milieu between the patient and the doctor, which will improve the healing potential and outcome. The relationship itself causes the hormone oxytocin to flow in both doctor and patient. This creates more trust and connection, while reducing the desire for the quick-fix. In other words, the oxytocin helps you to open up, comply, and stick to the set goals.
A patient-centred approach is important. Teamwork is crucial. The necessary support to accomplish the desired outcome is not negotiable.
Practitioners want to know how to create compliance even when what they’re asking their clients to do is difficult, complicated, or restrictive. When both patient and doctor commit to forming a team, magical things happen. Answers are uncovered, and people who might have lost hope can now get well.
The ability to create compliance and improve willpower becomes easier altogether
- by both partners acknowledging and addressing the health goal, set by you as a patient for yourself
- by you understanding how the recommendations will lead to the desired outcome
- by you understanding why changing your current diet and lifestyle is important and why the specific suggestions were made
- by you seeking help if you do not understand what exactly is required from you to make these changes
- by you becoming a leader in your own recovery, being involved in setting goals and targets for change
There are different steps we go through to create behaviour changes. An exercise, nutritional or a life coach can play a crucial role to support you if you struggle to understand or adhere to the necessary changes or need support to follow through.
Teaming up with your doctor, coach and therapist/s as indicated for you provides hope, wellbeing and health.
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