ACU-035 Mindset Monday: The Wounded Healer In Medical Practice

AcuSprout: Acupuncture Podcast

Can you practice medicine as a wounded healer archetype?

As children we may have had to read the room before we walked thru it because we were physically or sexually abused by family. We might have learned to know how someone feels by how they moved thru the room or even opened a door.

We might recognize a parent or sibling on the edge of some sort of meltdown and found that if we do or say something special we could not only get “love”, but also change the potential outcome of that mood.

We develop “extra-sensory awareness” to survive our situation which later is VERY useful when working as a healer.

We develop “extra-sensory awareness” to survive our situation which later is VERY useful when working as a healer. I often just “know” what points to use. Especially if I palpate and touch someone. I often know when someone feels worse or better than they are letting on because i can feel it in my body. I can feel the second someone shifts when the needles are in because I can feel it in my body. This doesn’t just happen for me in clinic. This happens everywhere. But I use it in clinic. Because it is a gift. If I can keep my panic monster at bay and the imposter syndrome monster quiet, treating patients just flows for me.

But it is a double edged sword. We have to look for ways to allow those wounds, use our powers to help others heal, all while honoring our own ongoing process of not being perfect yet being perfectly lovable because of it.

Honor your own ongoing process of not being perfect, yet being perfectly lovable because of it.

We also need to understand that many humans who were also wounded do not become healers. They become people who wound. Because they were disempowered they crave control and power and often gain that by wounding others. As healers we need to understand that WE are uniquely gifted in helping those wounded wounders similarly heal their traumas and thereby potentially healing others instead of hurting them.

WE are uniquely gifted in helping those wounded wounders similarly heal their traumas and thereby potentially healing others instead of hurting them.

In my experience of working with other practitioners, and being a wounded healer myself i have identified :

Three ways Wounded healers go wrong in practice.

1. Overcompensation

New practitioners are especially vulnerable to this pattern because they often have a high level of imposter syndrome which is completely normal but our reaction because of our past trauma is not commensurate with the challenge. We tend to over give and try too hard. Or we become frozen and don’t perform the things we know will bring more patients and create more success.

• 2. Feelings of Low Self Worth
• Why would anyone come see me?
• I can’t charge that much!
• I don’t put them on a treatment plan because I want to earn their trust first.(Letting them decide you are good enough.) I didn’t ask them if they wanted to reschedule.
• I didn’t ask them for a google review even though they were SO happy about getting better.
• I didn’t ask them if they had friends who might like my services.
• I can’t start a practice, I don’t know enough.
• You tend to get Stuck in perfection. It Feels like you are failing a patient even tho they are getting better.
• AND….. I need to learn more before I can……
• 3.Have a great desire to help but have poor boundaries.
• You give too much.
• Share too much.
• Care more than the patient does.
• Burns out early on.
• Thinks about the patient on personal time.
• Studies for hours about one case.
• Runs over appointment time to do one more thing.
• Doesn’t collect no show fees.
• Doesn’t have cancellation policy.

If any of this resonates with you I just want you to know that the majority of healers whom I have met have this archetype. It is very common so lean into it. You can learn how to do this.

I also want you to know that you can do both. You can help people heal while having wounds that you are still healing and some that you have healed.

You can help people heal while having wounds that you are still healing and some that you have healed.

Having this archetype, being this person means you likely are a kind, compassionate, empathetic, sensitive, person and have a special talent when you quiet your mind and all of your anxieties to know exactly what the patient needs. So, Know that this is going to be a process. Just like being in school for forever. Welcome to life school, again. I know it might be surprising and really catch you off guard, so listen in for some suggestions to becoming more resilient and developing the skills to do both at once.

Listen in for some suggestions to becoming more resilient and developing the skills to do both at once.

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