Mind and Brain

The psych- in "psychiatry" refers to the mind or soul, distinct from brain. The -iatry means healing.

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Today's pressures make it difficult for psychiatrists to be anything more than brain doctors—adjusting neurotransmitters. We have to swim against the current to remain mind healers.

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The old wisdom mens sana in corpore sano—a healthy mind in a healthy body—remains as true as ever. But psychiatry's near-exclusive focus on biological treatments, in the hope of healing the mind, can at times be misdirected.

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Even much of current psychotherapy spends more energy on fighting or managing the surface issues, or poorly understood symptoms, often leading only to temporary relief.

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While we have learned so much about a the mind in general, so much remains to question, explore, and understand about each individual mind in its depth and wholeness—before knowing when and where to apply the healing touch, where it matters most.

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I keep the mind central to my work, giving it the attention and care the name psychiatry promises. I attend to brain and body health, but without losing sight of the psyche—the unique human being beyond biology.