Have You Ever Been in Psychotherapy, Doctor?

By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN, M.D.
Published: February 19, 2008
A curious thing happened to one of my psychiatric residents not long ago. One of his patients caught him off guard with a challenging question: “Have you ever been in psychotherapy yourself?”
"...Psychiatrists who have had the humbling experience of therapy themselves know something of what it feels like to be a patient — the sense of frustration, anxiety and dependence it entails.
As such, they can better understand the emotional reactions patients have to their illness — and to their doctors.
I don’t know about you, but that sounds like the kind of psychiatrist I would want taking care of me."