Dr. Caroline Fleck

Yeah.

Yeah.

I think health care, big picture, including medical health, has operated under this just horrible model of hierarchy with the doctor above the patient. And I put patient in quotation marks because my training was to refer to folks as the client. More equality in this. There's not like, I'm the doctor, you're the patient. I'm up here, you're down there. That is a disaster.

I think health care, big picture, including medical health, has operated under this just horrible model of hierarchy with the doctor above the patient. And I put patient in quotation marks because my training was to refer to folks as the client. More equality in this. There's not like, I'm the doctor, you're the patient. I'm up here, you're down there. That is a disaster.

I think health care, big picture, including medical health, has operated under this just horrible model of hierarchy with the doctor above the patient. And I put patient in quotation marks because my training was to refer to folks as the client. More equality in this. There's not like, I'm the doctor, you're the patient. I'm up here, you're down there. That is a disaster.

I don't care if it's in treating cancer. which was often my experience. Again, there were all these kind of experts telling me what I should feel and, you know, oh, that doesn't make sense. And then certainly within mental health care, we need to be seen as equals because we are.

I don't care if it's in treating cancer. which was often my experience. Again, there were all these kind of experts telling me what I should feel and, you know, oh, that doesn't make sense. And then certainly within mental health care, we need to be seen as equals because we are.

I don't care if it's in treating cancer. which was often my experience. Again, there were all these kind of experts telling me what I should feel and, you know, oh, that doesn't make sense. And then certainly within mental health care, we need to be seen as equals because we are.

And if someone doesn't feel that sense of, again, acceptance and equality, it's just not going to be healthy for the relationship. And so one, of course, I advocate for that. Two, as a therapist, I actually do believe in the power of self-disclosure, using that as a tool. It is a validation skill. Now, of course, you don't want your clients taking care of you.

And if someone doesn't feel that sense of, again, acceptance and equality, it's just not going to be healthy for the relationship. And so one, of course, I advocate for that. Two, as a therapist, I actually do believe in the power of self-disclosure, using that as a tool. It is a validation skill. Now, of course, you don't want your clients taking care of you.

And if someone doesn't feel that sense of, again, acceptance and equality, it's just not going to be healthy for the relationship. And so one, of course, I advocate for that. Two, as a therapist, I actually do believe in the power of self-disclosure, using that as a tool. It is a validation skill. Now, of course, you don't want your clients taking care of you.

I mean, it's like you have to be very skillful about how you do this. But using self-disclosure to validate, I think is incredibly powerful. In fact, when I was first diagnosed with MS, I was working with this doctor. I just arrived in Seattle after like five years of horrible symptoms, and now it's like, oh, you have MS. And I am just like totally gutted, totally devastated.

I mean, it's like you have to be very skillful about how you do this. But using self-disclosure to validate, I think is incredibly powerful. In fact, when I was first diagnosed with MS, I was working with this doctor. I just arrived in Seattle after like five years of horrible symptoms, and now it's like, oh, you have MS. And I am just like totally gutted, totally devastated.

I mean, it's like you have to be very skillful about how you do this. But using self-disclosure to validate, I think is incredibly powerful. In fact, when I was first diagnosed with MS, I was working with this doctor. I just arrived in Seattle after like five years of horrible symptoms, and now it's like, oh, you have MS. And I am just like totally gutted, totally devastated.

And I was in the middle of an episode, so there was this question of like, oh, should we hospitalize you and do these steroids? I'm crying. And the doctor was in a wheelchair, which I didn't know anything about MS. It was like totally over my head to even consider that he might be in the wheelchair because of MS. And he was. And he reached out his hand. He put his hand on my hand.

And I was in the middle of an episode, so there was this question of like, oh, should we hospitalize you and do these steroids? I'm crying. And the doctor was in a wheelchair, which I didn't know anything about MS. It was like totally over my head to even consider that he might be in the wheelchair because of MS. And he was. And he reached out his hand. He put his hand on my hand.

And I was in the middle of an episode, so there was this question of like, oh, should we hospitalize you and do these steroids? I'm crying. And the doctor was in a wheelchair, which I didn't know anything about MS. It was like totally over my head to even consider that he might be in the wheelchair because of MS. And he was. And he reached out his hand. He put his hand on my hand.

He said, hey, I have MS. I know what this feels like. I know what you're thinking. This is absolutely terrifying. If I were in your shoes, I would do the steroids. I think we should. I would go to the hospital if I were you. Okay. But you don't have to listen to me. You listen to your own body and you do what you need and I'll support that.

He said, hey, I have MS. I know what this feels like. I know what you're thinking. This is absolutely terrifying. If I were in your shoes, I would do the steroids. I think we should. I would go to the hospital if I were you. Okay. But you don't have to listen to me. You listen to your own body and you do what you need and I'll support that.

He said, hey, I have MS. I know what this feels like. I know what you're thinking. This is absolutely terrifying. If I were in your shoes, I would do the steroids. I think we should. I would go to the hospital if I were you. Okay. But you don't have to listen to me. You listen to your own body and you do what you need and I'll support that.