From Doctor to Healer: The Transformative Journey

by Robbie E. Davis-Floyd, Gloria St. John

Why would a successful physician who has undergone seven years of rigorous medical training take the trouble to seek out and learn to practice alternative methods of healing such as homeopathy and Chinese medicine? From Doctor to Healer answers this question as it traces the transformational journeys of physicians who move across the philosophical spectrum of American medicine from doctor to healer. Robbie Davis-Floyd and Gloria St. John conducted extensive interviews to discover how and why physicians make the move to alternative medicine, what sparks this shift, and what beliefs they abandon or embrace in the process. After outlining the basic models of American health care-the technocratic, humanistic, and holistic-the authors follow the thoughts and experiences of forty physicians as they expand their horizons in order to offer effective patient care. The book focuses on the radical shift from one end of the spectrum to the other-from the technocratic approach to holism-made by most of the interviewees. Because many American physicians find such a drastic change too threatening, the authors also address the less radical transition to humanism-a movement toward compassionate care arising from within the medical system.

326 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 1997

Reviews

[Linda Vituma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daudz ideju par to, kā ir un kāpēc ir tā, kā ir veselības aprūpes sistēmā pasaulē. Daudz iedvesmas un ierosmes par to, kā varētu būt, ja vien mēs spētu pārdefinēt izpratni par cilvēku no [cilvēks - mašīna] uz [cilvēka - veselums, kurā līdzvērtīga nozīme ir gan ķermenim, gan prātam, gan emocijām]. Un ja vien tajā visā mēs spētu saglabāt racionalitāti un spēju nošķirt mītus un fantāzijas no realitātes un faktiem. Tomēr tas ir grūti, varbūt pat neiespējami - divām paradigmām satikties. Ņemot vērā, ka paradigmas ietvaros viss ir izskaidrojums, paradigmas iemītniekiem nav intereses par jel ko ārpus savas uzskatu sistēmas. Dialogs beidzas nesācies - no abām pusēm. Un es kaut kur pa vidu.

[David Elpern · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Books.Google.com Robbie Davis-Floyd and Gloria St. John conducted extensive interviews to discover how and why physicians make the move to alternative medicine, what sparks this shift, and what beliefs they abandon or embrace in the process. After outlining the basic models of American health care--the technocratic, humanistic, and holistic paradigms--the authors follow the thoughts and experiences of forty physicians as they expand their horizons in order to offer more effective patient care. The book focuses on the radical shift from one end of the spectrum to the other--from the technocratic approach to holism--made by most of the interviewees. Because many American physicians resist such a drastic change, the authors also address the less radical transition to humanism--a movement toward compassionate care arising from within the medical system.

This is an extraordinary book -- well worth the effort to find and to read.

[Julia Morozova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book