Therapy by charisma

Thought of the day, from my article on structuralism:

Patients with great anxiety, pain and frustration are especially vulnerable to persuasion, or “therapy by charisma.” This is why I really make an effort in my work to be reassuring without offering miracles, to be knowledgeable without claiming to “know” what the problem is. All too often, patients in pain will cling to whatever ideas you throw at them… so you have to be careful what you throw at them! Structuralists rarely seem to show such restraint, and consequently many patients emerge from therapy feeling much too sure of their diagnosis. There is no zealot like a convert! In this context, clinicians can be more like clergy than health care professionals.

Your Back Is Not “Out” and Your Leg Length is Fine: The story of the obsession with crookedness in the physical therapies