What constitutes a good doctor? What makes someone healing? Research consistently shows that the personal attributes and style of the therapist are more important than the type of therapy they use to help people get better. Among the characteristics of these healers are empathy, genuineness, warmth and an ability to listen. But, there's more. What do patients give their doctor? This book looks at the influence a lifetime of patients has had on retired consultant psychiatrist Dr Tim Cantopher. It explores the profound, often moving, inter-relation between `healer' and `wounded', and examines how the two may overlap sometimes more than might be expected. Topics include: how to really listen and stay with a person's distress the meaning of the word `patient?' the need for resilience why honesty is a pre-requisite for recovery the doctor's expectations, and why they should be challenged the healing value of warm, supportive communication how to respond in a way which shows that they have heard and understood the issue which has been shared last but not least, the need for humour! Dr Tim Cantopher says: `So many of us, not just professional therapists, want to fix things. We also want to fix people, so when distress is shared with us, we want to deliver advice which will make things better. In fact, what is often needed is not solutions, but a sharing of the feelings, someone being there and tolerating the sadness without swatting it away with trite advice. Warm, supportive communication heals people.'

About the Author
Author of the bestselling Depressive Illness: The Curse of the Strong (Sheldon Press), Dr Tim Cantopher studied at University College, London, and University College Hospital. He trained as a psychiatrist at St James' Hospital, Portsmouth, and St George's, University of London. He has been a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists since 1983 and was elected fellow of the college in 1999. He worked as a consultant psychiatrist with the Priory Group of Hospitals from 1993 until his retirement from clinical practice in 2015. The Power of Failure is Dr Cantopher's seventh book: his other titles include Toxic People: Dealing with dysfunctional relationships (Sheldon Press, 2017), Stress-Related Illness: Advice for people who give too much (Sheldon Press, 2019) and Overcoming Anxiety: Without Fighting It (Sheldon Press, 2019).

Reviews
This book should be read by everybody... It offers invaluable insight into depression [on Depressive Illness: The Curse of the Strong] * Depression Alliance *



Book Information
ISBN 9781847094834
Format Paperback
Page Count 128
Imprint Sheldon Press
Publisher John Murray Press