You’re in charge.

People sometimes think about healthcare in terms like “They’re the doctor, I’ll do what they say” without asking why. Yes, a medical provider has years of education and training and likely years of experience providing medical care. This is great, since we can have some confidence that the provider knows what they are talking about. However, what often gets missed is that you, the patient, are the most important part of the treatment team. You have every right, and from my perspective, a responsibility to ask questions like, “What are possible risks and/or side effects?”, “Is there a more (or less) aggressive treatment for this?”, and “What does this treatment mean for me in the long run?”. A healthcare provider will ideally offer a menu of options and walk you through the questions mentioned above before you or they decide, provided that you are capable of making the decision (a topic for another time). If this doesn’t happen, I believe that you are well within your rights to ask these questions and gather as much information as you need to consent to a treatment. So what does that mean for therapy? While I cannot speak for other providers, I can say that in my practice that I will ask my clients for permission before we tackle difficult subjects like trauma, etc. I believe that it’s important to do this because I firmly believe that you, the client, own your care. It is your treatment and while I have training, education and years of experience, I am merely the guide. I am happy to answer questions about your treatment to the best of my ability, but I don’t know what questions you may have unless you ask. So please, ask me questions. Ask other healthcare providers questions. It is your treatment, your wellbeing and your body. Make educated decisions and have your providers on your team rather than accepting their recommendations blindly.