Saturday, March 20, 2010

My obligation as a member of your healthcare team

As a professional it is invaluable for me to realize that I am only as good as the tools I possess. If I stop growing and learning I am doing a disservice to my clients. Science is an ever changing arena - in my profession I study the science of human health; eating, fitness (mental, spiritual, physical) and relationships. What I learn today will be expanded on tomorrow. I feel that I am not able to point my clients in the right direction if I have not glimpsed down that path myself. I can not say that I am fully evolved and have all the answers, nobody does. If I am working with a client that has outgrown my ability it is my responsibility to that client to refer them to a practitioner who will be able to take them further.
A perfect example of this has been seen in many a yoga class...the teacher comes in every week and teaches the same class, the students who attend regularly are able to move through the class by memory and may even be able to recite verbatim the teachers description of poses. Now, this class may be a brilliant class, but as you continue to practice you should continue to grow - if you never press beyond your limits and find a new edge you stop growing and get comfortable.
The best way to handle this would be either for the teacher to recommend these students move up to a higher level class, or, if this is a multilevel class the teacher should incorporate more change and challenge to classes.
Once we stop learning we stop growing, in every day of life there is an opportunity for growth, it is our choice whether we acknowledge these opportunities or let them pass us by. I have chosen to never stop learning and look for the opportunity in all that I do.
--Catie

1 comment:

  1. Catie - I hope this post finds you doing well.

    What a wonderful post! Your example of the Yoga teacher is an excellent one as well -- I see it from several angles. The first is the point you make about needing to constantly develop yourself to be of ongoing service to your clients. (The example of the Yoga teacher using the same poses and the same descriptions offers a great example of perhaps someone (the teacher) who has failed to grow and so may not be able to fully support advanced clients. With that said - the teacher can still provide excellent service to clients who are not as advanced...and quite honest the teacher might desire to work with "novice" students to help get them started in Yoga and to first experience its full benefits.

    An advanced student who takes classes somewhere else (or from someone else) might still find value from taking a class again to become acquainted once again with a routine or pose - and with enhanced awareness\knowledge the student might even find some new piece of wisdom and learning (the idea of seeing something old for the first time...).

    Again - great post...I have complete confidence in your passion for continued growth and to be of the best service possible for your clients.

    Have a WONDERFUL week!

    David

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