title: Avoiding patient self-blame.
abstract: There is need for shared responsibility between health care providers and patients. However, an unintended consequence of today's therapies that focus on mind/body interaction is the risk of patients' guilt and self-blame for contracting a disease (such as cancer) and/or for failing to heal themselves. This article suggests ways practitioners of complementary therapies can approach medical patients with a constructive attitude that minimizes the chance of unintentional psychological harm.
authors.affiliation: Olmsted Medical Center, 210 9th Street SE, Rochester, MN 55904, USA. kkainz@olmmed.org
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kainz
mesh_terms: D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000523:psychology; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D019222:Mind-Body Relations, Metaphysical; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept