I hear you.

I’m super-specialized in what I do. I treat addiction and chronic pain and I perform anesthesia. And people get confused and ask, “Are you a psychiatrist or a therapist?” because I listen. I connect. I give a shit.

I’m the doctor who says. “Look, this sucks right now, but together we'll figure a way out of this and I have a good idea,” and suddenly the person who is sitting there, who has been from doctor, to doctor, to doctor, to doctor (and none of them were listening) finally feels heard. It's really about connecting on a human level. Patients will look at me sometimes and be like, “Well all right, if I'm stopping the use of opiates, what are you going to do because right now you're telling me that I've got to get rid of the one thing—my security blanket and the only thing that even though it's not really working, I don't know any different and that unknown is terrifying—so you’re going to make me feel safe to do this?” Yes.

I'm present with them and they are heard. I can be honest and direct and by allowing them to be seen and feel safe, they trust and hear me and can finally have hope that they are going to get better.