My Approach
"A disorder of mental life and behavior doesn't occur in a vacuum but is always embedded in the life of the patient."​
-Margaret S. Chisolm, MD & Constantine G. Lyketsos, MD, MHS
An Evolving Framework
While my medical education and training focused on the bio-psycho-social model, I have discovered that my personal practice style combines The Perspectives of Psychiatry and Psychodynamic theory.
The Biomedical Model
To understand the lens I practice psychiatry through, it's helpful to consider some historical context. The American healthcare system has been dominated by the biomedical model since the scientific revolution. Within this framework:
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Illness is always seen as a physical, biological disease.
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'Health' is defined as the absence of any physical signs of disease.
Impact on Psychiatry
This has led to the reductive conclusion that psychiatric disorders are brain diseases resulting from chemical imbalances. Consequently, these conditions are thought to be 'curable' with specific medications designed to 'correct' these imbalances. However, despite a significant rise in the use of psychiatric drugs since the 1950s, there has been a lack of clinical innovation, and mental health outcomes continue to be poor.
The Bio-Psycho-Social View
In 1977, American psychiatrist George Engel proposed the "bio-psycho-social" model of medicine, asserting that the existing model was overly simplistic. He recognized that these systems intersect and interact, influencing each person's health and susceptibility to illness. Today, this model continues to serve as the primary conceptual framework in the realm of psychiatry.​
Bolton, Derek and Gillett, Grant. The Biopsychosocial Model of Health and Disease: New Philosophical and Scientific Developments. Palgrave Pivot, 2019.
“We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn how to sail in high winds.” -Aristotle Onassis