Member-only story
Rethinking Mental Health Care: Towards More Holistic and Empowering Approaches
By Lauro Amezcua-Patino, MD, FAPA.
I looked out the window of my office in Chandler, Arizona, lost in thought about how to make mental healthcare more holistic and empowering. I had been observing the current system of diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues for years, and while it had served its purpose, it had its limitations.
It was designed and built upon a model of symptoms, disregarding the person behind them — the thoughts, emotions, experiences, and life circumstances that could make up a narrative of a person’s life. I had seen the power that a narrative can hold — how it can provide meaning, structure, and clarity to the often confusing, frightening, and tumultuous emotions accompanying mental illness.
By addressing a person's life patterns, relationships, and nuances, I saw how this could foster a sense of understanding, resilience, and, eventually, agency. I had begun to develop a vision for a new framework for mental healthcare that was more compassionate and empowering.
Instead of being reactive to symptoms with difficult diagnoses or complex treatments, I wanted to create a proactive system fostering resilience and personal agency. I wanted to explore ways to empower people on their journey to mental health.